This semester was one where I felt there was a lot of application to myself as an Educational Technology Instructor, not just a general education teacher in the classroom. One course I took was ITEC7460, Professional Learning and Technology Innovation. This was one of my favorite courses that I have taken in my journey towards obtaining my graduate degree. The main focus of this course was professional learning, but instead of receiving the professional learning , the focus was on creating and implementing it. My capstone and anticipated future in the field of education closely align with this course. I was able to do a lot of self reflection regarding technology facilitation and leadership. I was able to put practice into play. I was finally able to really think about things that have worked or not worked in my professional development experiences, and implement high quality, successful learning sessions for my fellow educators. As a part of this course, I created a workshop to introduce my coworkers to Edmodo. I enjoyed creating the session, but instantly learned there are various challenges associated with professional learning. For example, going from “coworker” to “leader” is an interesting transition. It’s very time intensive, but the payoff is rewarding. Just like creating an effective lesson as an educator. This particular course truly prepared me for my capstone project I planned to implement in the spring due to the fact that it directly focused on group-professional development.
To further my knowledge as a professional educator, I coached one of my coworkers in efforts to help strengthen her technology skills. She was very much a beginner the electronic world, so it really helped me take a step back and be patient with a variety of skill sets. It helped me realize that you take things for granted when you don’t really know a person’s state of being. While my coworker teaches right next door to me, and is an absolutely fabulous teacher, professional, etc. I was surprised she really was not as skilled using basic software as I thought. This experience surely helped us both grow and gain new knowledge.
The other course I took this past semester was EDRD7717 as a part of my Reading Endorsement. The particular class was called Reading Assessment and Instruction, and it really opened my eyes up to the world of reading! Prior to this course, I only had reading training through professional development at my school. Due to the fact that I teach in a Title I school, we receive a lot of training to enhance our teaching practices. I can say with honesty that this course solidified my knowledge that I was providing my students with a quality reading education. It also helped me really focus on certain aspects of a particular struggling reader in my class. In combination with the ITEC class I took, I really thought about the various professional learning opportunities I have taken part of during my five years as a teacher in the field of reading. I was able to combine these courses to extend my learning beyond the coursework.
To further my knowledge as a professional educator, I coached one of my coworkers in efforts to help strengthen her technology skills. She was very much a beginner the electronic world, so it really helped me take a step back and be patient with a variety of skill sets. It helped me realize that you take things for granted when you don’t really know a person’s state of being. While my coworker teaches right next door to me, and is an absolutely fabulous teacher, professional, etc. I was surprised she really was not as skilled using basic software as I thought. This experience surely helped us both grow and gain new knowledge.
The other course I took this past semester was EDRD7717 as a part of my Reading Endorsement. The particular class was called Reading Assessment and Instruction, and it really opened my eyes up to the world of reading! Prior to this course, I only had reading training through professional development at my school. Due to the fact that I teach in a Title I school, we receive a lot of training to enhance our teaching practices. I can say with honesty that this course solidified my knowledge that I was providing my students with a quality reading education. It also helped me really focus on certain aspects of a particular struggling reader in my class. In combination with the ITEC class I took, I really thought about the various professional learning opportunities I have taken part of during my five years as a teacher in the field of reading. I was able to combine these courses to extend my learning beyond the coursework.