Discussion--Reflection

 I found several aspects of this class particularly beneficial and applicable to my teaching.  One of those was creating and posting to the blog.  I attended a training from George Couros who wrote The Innovator’s Mindset (2015), a few years back.  I recall him saying that it was likely to make many teachers uncomfortable, but regardless, he asked us which our future students would be more likely to write in their lives beyond school: an essay or a blog?  He was right—I was uncomfortable with this!  As a language arts teacher, I still feel that an essay is inevitable and that all students need to be able to write.  However, I have begun to see the real-world applications of having them do that writing in the form of a blog.   

My current students only have limited access to technology, but I am kicking myself for the wasted opportunities in previous 1:1 classes.  I simply did not utilize technology to the extent that I should have.  I can imagine now my students having blogs as a portfolio of their work, them recording their screens for demonstrations and presentations, and having them create infographics and games (even those that they create?) to express their understanding of the content.   

I found all of these things challenging at first.  But now, I feel that I would be able to teach my students how to use them effectively.  This is another lesson that I can take with me: that new things can be scary to myself and my students, but that all it takes is some hard work and focus to become familiar with the unknown.  All of the tools that I learned to use through this class will definitely prove useful in my own teaching.