Tuesday’s session with Alec Couros for our course was refreshing and inspiring. This is my 9th class that I have taken as I work toward a MEd in Curriculum and Instruction. I have read too many journal articles and written too many papers to count. Yes, I have learnt a lot but it is tremendously refreshing to be encouraged to read other types of text and to write in a blog format. I am permitted to read for my interest and to write for my personal growth (in the areas of ed tech, networking and social media.
The writing I do is for my benefit, and maybe (hopefully), it also benefits someone else. All of those papers I’ve written sit in a box in my basement and in a file folder on my computer labelled Masters. Who is benefiting from those ideas? I use them to inform my choices as an educator and I collaborate with other teachers so they do get shared in those ways. But largely they are locked up, they aren’t discussed and therefore they do not get to grow and change.
By by blogging and tweeting, ideas are shared. I was inspired from Alec’s presentation last night to get sharing. I am always borrowing other people’s ‘stuff’ on the internet and it’s time to start giving back.
I started this afternoon by revising an Inquiry Planner I use with students. I changed it to reflect some of the big ideas I’ve learnt from being involved in ECI 831. I wanted the planner to get students thinking about using networks in social media as resources for their project. I added a section where students consider ways to share their learning with others. This is new for me. I’ve always been very traditional with my approach. Students have presented in class, made posters and presented to other classes. I almost laugh at myself now for not tapping into the power of online social networks! I also added a technology piece that I will continue to add good resources to.However, I don’t want this section to get too big as I know from my own experience, too many choices leaves me feeling overwhelmed.
I uploaded the document to Google Docs and set the viewing settings to PUBLIC! This is my first experience doing something like this. (Although I did try to google it and had no luck finding the document) . Here it is! (I’m also very new to google docs, and can’t believe I’ve been using a flash drive!)
Shauna Drackett: A Teaching and Learning Journey 