Connectors, Content Creators, Collaborators, Coaches, and Change Agents

As I was reading Chapter 10: What It Really Means, I started listing out ideas as they popped into my head for new lessons and ways to improve old lessons.  I was amazed at how excited I was to get back into the classroom and incorporate these freshly revamped lessons!  As an educator in the public school system, I often struggle to stay motivated when faced with near impossible state mandated tests and standards that are near impossible for my struggling students.  This course in accordance with Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson has refreshed my approach to the classroom and my students.  Above all, I am helping my students grow into successful citizens no matter what career path they choose.  As our readings have elaborated on the changing term of what it means to be “literate” in today’s society, I recognized the need to design more lessons that allow my students to practice all aspects of this revolutionized term.  This motivation even led me to develop a big shifts handout that I plan to post next to my desk to help me keep a clear vision of the importance of joining in and being a leader in this current educational shift.  Though our course moved quickly, we were able to evaluate and critique a variety of web-based tools and software that would allow us to move our professions toward a more focused 21^st century learning environment and community. 

I think perhaps the most important thing I learned from this course was to create a wider network of professionals to follow.  Whether I expand my network through following educator podcasts, Twitter feeds, or a variety of other avenues, I need to update my resource pool and look to other professionals to improve my craft. 

I think the skill I have most improved has been the ability to take previously developed standard-based lessons that are aligned with current curricula and adapted/integrated new web-based tools and software technologies to better prepare 21^st century learners. 

Chris’s work in the classroom to integrate technology and better prepare his students with 21^st century skills has inspired me to transition my classroom to Google Classroom.  This course has pointed to a plethora of valuable online resources for me to incorporate into my curriculum, but the easiest and perhaps most crucial to my journey as a “change agent” is to operate through an online platform.  I look forward to this transition and hope to encourage others at my school to integrate more technological opportunities for our students.

I do believe that this has been one of the most rewarding classes I have taken thus far in my IDT coursework, and I thank you all for your ideas and suggestions!