I have enjoyed using this blog as a place to “talk out loud”
with myself and my colleagues in a freeform way that mirrors whatever captures
my attention most at the moment I sit down to write. As for whether my posts “paint an accurate
picture of what I have learned about teaching and learning as a result of my
participation in the course,” I am not sure.
I would guess that this blog only scratches at the surface of what I
have learned and all of the interesting thoughts, questions and applications
that have entered my internal and external dialogue as a result of what we have
been asked to do, read and reflect upon this term.
This class reminds me of a survey course as we were exposed
to a very wide swath of Web 2.O tools and applications in a very short period
of time. As I blundered through some
projects like editing my iMovie or learning how to use the Smartboard, I was
grateful, despite the steep learning curve, for the introduction. The best part of being introduced to the
basic tools and procedures of manipulating something (whether it be a Web 2.0
tool, a place, a vehicle, or really anything new) is that the fear and mystery
of approaching it are dispelled. One may
not become an expert in something, but you learn the right buttons to push, or
at least lose the fear of breaking something by pushing the wrong ones. You also gain vocabulary and basic
familiarity that enables you to ask the right questions and find the right
people and resources should you choose to further pursue learning.
I am not yet sure which tools I will use in the future, I am
still digesting it all, to be honest, but I have truly enjoyed ‘the ride’ and
would love to be able to keep up this blog as I continue to learn and use Web
2.0 tools. One thing that happened to me
this term is that I fell in love with the iPad!
I know that is one tool I will continue to use both for my own learning
and productivity as well as that of my students. Exploring different apps through our class
Webliography was especially helpful. I
know I will use the app I reviewed, Story Creator, with my students, regardless
of age, disability, or lack of one. I
see so many uses for this simple and useful app.
Photo: creative commons/inuse pictures
Speaking of stories, we were asked to reflect upon any
trends we saw in our blog posts this term.
I would say that one trend I see is the desire to carry on a
conversation with others – whether those others be my students , teachers, colleagues,
or myself (even though I am not technically ‘other’). I tend to write as a way of figuring out not
only what I know, but what questions I have.
I enjoy posing those questions to my readers and hope to hear back from
them. To me, that is an essential part
of learning and collaborative discovery.
Photo: creative commons/cccartoonsforteachers.blogspot.com
So, if my posts say anything about me as a teacher, I would
hope they show how interested I am in other people’s stories and meaning
making. Babatunde Olatunji, a wise old
African drummer of some fame, once said in a concert I was lucky enough to
attend “There are three versions of the story: your version, my version and the
truth.” In my reading, writing, teaching,
and learning, I seek that truth that he speaks of – something that is not based
on data or test scores or standards, but on stories and human beings trying to
make meaning and learn more about ourselves and the world through engaging in
an age-old call and response of question and answer which may change form and
shape depending upon the day, the topic, the speaker or the listener. It has been wonderful to frame this quest in
the use and discovery of Web 2.0 tools potentially used in teaching and
learning. There are so many possible
applications in Education using UDL as well as in Special Education in terms of
accommodations and interventions. Thank
you for being such a great ‘curator’ Dr. Gleason!
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