EDUC 6714 Final Thoughts

I have truly enjoyed the last eight weeks. As I have been progressing through my Master's degree, I have been catching myself at times wondering "why do we have to do this class?" I know that there is a method to the madness, but now I understand why we have been taking these particular classes. We first have to learn the processes, then learn about the tools that can be utilized, then put everything into practice. This creates better teachers which in turn develops more well-rounded and prepared students.

When social networking first started I did not really believe in using it, or even subscribing to it for that matter. I thought it was a big waste of time. But over time, I have slowly gotten more involved in social networking, almost to the point of ignoring other things or even loved ones. I have learned that using a social network needs to be used in moderation and some sort of focal point in order to be the most effective. The collaboration network created on Ning for this class was a great way to gather information for sharing with the colleagues in our class. The only problem that I saw with the "differentiation station" is that people using it were all from different subject areas. I know that there is no guarantee that I can be in a class of all music people, just like there is no chance of having a class consisting of all math, science, social studies, or English teachers. This degree is about integrating technology. Speaking about my own preferences of course, I would much rather have a class with all of my cohort from the same subject area. I think that the usefulness of the shared information would be greater. All feelings aside however, I learned a lot from my fellow Ning network partners. Some of the websites found by other people can be used by me in my music classes, especially with the push in my district to address all subjects in all classes. After exploring the different websites and resources that my classmates provided, I have discovered many different ways to do the things that I have already been doing in class. With this new information, I am able to "update" the way I present my curriculum.

I have already started using some of what I have learned to add technology into my lectures/discussions and class assignments. My music classes have been going to the computer lab and performing research on composers, and my history classes have been utilizing the curriculum presentations and the interactive whiteboard to learn their material. I will also be taking them to the lab soon to complete their own research assignments. My history classes are finishing up their current chapters, and I will be taking them to the lab to also complete on online test to show understanding. Most of my students have reacted well to using the labs.

It seems that my students are enjoying learning more, and I am definitely enjoying going to work more. Before this class started, I was pretty burned out and counting the days until the school year ended. Utilizing the information that I have learned here and putting it into practice has given me a new lease on this school year.