Blog Reflection 2 (PLN)
How has the process been?
To be completely honest, this whole process has been a little overwhelming. I have truly enjoyed having the opportunity to go through this process, but I never could've imagined how much actual time and work it takes to get one of these plans off the ground. I was appreciative for the different steps and outlines. As I recently found about my learning style, I learn best when things are outlined for me with very clear steps to follow. That made this huge project a little bit less intimidating. I learned a lot about the process of getting a new technology system going in a public school. It was also really interesting to see what kinds of ideas other teachers around the state had that they thought would benefit their school.
Have there been challenges?
Time has been a major challenge. As I said above, I never thought it would take as long as it did to find information about this particular project. I always thought that researching methods and finding funding would be incredibly simple. I underestimated how much work and effort it actually takes to find that kind of information. I am also a full time teacher and a full time coach, so finding time to sit down and do some old fashioned research was very challenging. I often found myself researching from my iPhone while traveling or on my lunch break.
Funding is another area that has been a major challenge. When I was going through the education program to get my bachelor's degree there were so many grant opportunities and funding for technology. I am assuming this is because technology programs were still a new concept and many teachers were hesitant to embrace it. Now, I look and see there is no funding coming for the state and I am left to find my own funding to better my classroom only to find that realistic grants are few and far between. It makes it very difficult for teachers in smaller districts to give the students the resources that they need.
Are you still excited about your topic and believe in its potential?
I am still very excited about my topic. I feel this is a project that can really make my school a better place and allow me to reach every student in my classroom. Technology isn't going anywhere and it is important that we are giving students every opportunity to be successful with technology. I spoke about this project with my students and they would be so grateful to have this kind of program actually unfold and work for them.
What has been the most positive aspect of your journey? The most negative (if any!)?
The most positive aspect of this journey is being able to dialogue with other teachers and share our successes and failures. I have always been interesting in learning and teaching styles of other teachers. This project has allowed me to collaborate with total strangers and collaborate with teachers and administration in my building that I wouldn't have otherwise. There have been many stressful aspects of this project as I mentioned above but I really don't think there were any negative experiences!
What do you think of the Technology Specialist roles of Learning Specialist and Instructional Designer now? I remain embedded in my initial thoughts about these types of educators. They are hard working and often don't get enough credit for what they do. I have nothing but the upmost respect for these kind of teachers. I still don't think this could be a profession I would be very good at it, but I feel it is one that is absolutely needed and imperative to the success of every student.
To be completely honest, this whole process has been a little overwhelming. I have truly enjoyed having the opportunity to go through this process, but I never could've imagined how much actual time and work it takes to get one of these plans off the ground. I was appreciative for the different steps and outlines. As I recently found about my learning style, I learn best when things are outlined for me with very clear steps to follow. That made this huge project a little bit less intimidating. I learned a lot about the process of getting a new technology system going in a public school. It was also really interesting to see what kinds of ideas other teachers around the state had that they thought would benefit their school.
Have there been challenges?
Time has been a major challenge. As I said above, I never thought it would take as long as it did to find information about this particular project. I always thought that researching methods and finding funding would be incredibly simple. I underestimated how much work and effort it actually takes to find that kind of information. I am also a full time teacher and a full time coach, so finding time to sit down and do some old fashioned research was very challenging. I often found myself researching from my iPhone while traveling or on my lunch break.
Funding is another area that has been a major challenge. When I was going through the education program to get my bachelor's degree there were so many grant opportunities and funding for technology. I am assuming this is because technology programs were still a new concept and many teachers were hesitant to embrace it. Now, I look and see there is no funding coming for the state and I am left to find my own funding to better my classroom only to find that realistic grants are few and far between. It makes it very difficult for teachers in smaller districts to give the students the resources that they need.
Are you still excited about your topic and believe in its potential?
I am still very excited about my topic. I feel this is a project that can really make my school a better place and allow me to reach every student in my classroom. Technology isn't going anywhere and it is important that we are giving students every opportunity to be successful with technology. I spoke about this project with my students and they would be so grateful to have this kind of program actually unfold and work for them.
What has been the most positive aspect of your journey? The most negative (if any!)?
The most positive aspect of this journey is being able to dialogue with other teachers and share our successes and failures. I have always been interesting in learning and teaching styles of other teachers. This project has allowed me to collaborate with total strangers and collaborate with teachers and administration in my building that I wouldn't have otherwise. There have been many stressful aspects of this project as I mentioned above but I really don't think there were any negative experiences!
What do you think of the Technology Specialist roles of Learning Specialist and Instructional Designer now? I remain embedded in my initial thoughts about these types of educators. They are hard working and often don't get enough credit for what they do. I have nothing but the upmost respect for these kind of teachers. I still don't think this could be a profession I would be very good at it, but I feel it is one that is absolutely needed and imperative to the success of every student.
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