As I write today...an Elluminate session is running in the background from yesterday's Reform Symposium which I hated that I had to miss. However, I'm honing my multi-tasking skills watching it in one part of my screen while I reflect on how much the Reform Symposium has got me thinking, interacting, and made me more hopeful for my first year.
Before this weekend I had lots of ideas, but no clear cut plan on how I was going to establish the culture of my new technology classroom. I also had about a million questions buzzing around in my head that I've been afraid to ask my mentors and other teachers...only because I feel like that's all I do! Now though, I have a network of people who are more than happy to help whenever I have a question.
The Reform Symposium was amazing to me. Being able to sit in my living room at my desk and talk to experts from all around the world....insane. It also did something else for me. It gave me a drive to continue to do better, strive to help others do better, and improve my knowledge. I'm a very restless person...if you read earlier you know that deciding what I wanted to do with my life was very difficult, basically because it felt like a permanent decision with most majors, and I hated that.
Even now, I haven't even begun to teach, but I already had the feeling of being trapped in a job or place for longer than I wanted. I know that I want to get my Master's, I want to go travel to lots of other places, I want to teach and work at a university....but I had to accept the fact that I might have to stay in my small town and accept a daily/weekly routine for a few years.
This weekend has given me a refreshing breath of air to help me remember that there are so many things that I can do with my future. Technology is also ever changing, so just because I have a plan for my students for the first 6 weeks, doesn't mean that the next 6 won't be completely different when technology changes. And I have a feeling that whenever I start to feel restless and trapped...I'll be able to go out to my PLN, take a deep breath, and check out all the wonderful 140 character "inspirational messages" to get me back on track.
Hi Whitney,
ReplyDeleteIt was an amazing experience for me too, and I've been teaching for 34 years. I'm so excited for you as your first year is about to begin. You are so smart to have established a PLN already. In the last two years since joining Twitter I have learned so much about technology in the classroom. It definitely rekindled my love of teaching. I look forward everyday to all of the fun and learning my students and I are going to have going on in our classroom.
Please contact me at plnaugle at gmail dot com if you would like to have your 4th graders collaborate with mine. I look forward to following you on your journey.
(PS Your Twitter button at the top of the page didn't link properly.)
Thanks so much for the comment! I'm really looking forward to this first year...I will have a new group of 4th graders every 6 weeks, so maybe not immediately but I would love to collaborate. I will definitely get in contact with you!
ReplyDeleteThx for the post. I'm watching the archives from those I missed. So much good stuff
ReplyDelete