EME2040 Final Post

WOW!  What a wild ride this has been!  I had no idea when I signed up for this class just how out of touch I was with the technology teachers are using today.

I think my favorite assignments were the discussion posts.  It was interesting to read the other students' posts and compare their ideas with my experiences over the years.  I really hope I was able to encourage someone with my comments, and that I was able to share something they can use in their classrooms.

The blog entries were challenging from the technology aspect.  The reason my blog's background is a rainy window is that was how I felt after struggling to create the blog.  After FINALLY getting everything set up, when I went back to post the first reflection on the chapter, it said I was not authorized to post!  A little more drama, and I discovered the dashboard, where I was able to post with no problem.  Then I discovered that I could create the post in Word, and copy and paste onto the blog...and the rest was "easy-peasy".  This was a great way to get us to focus on the information in the textbook, also.  As I read each chapter, I turned down pages that had concepts I wanted to use in my blog entries.

Creating a rubric for the website evaluation was harder than I thought.  Deciding on the criteria, wording each one properly, then assigning the correct values is a huge job, and one that must not be taken lightly.

I have to admit, the Wiki assignment scared me to death!  First, although I had heard of Wikipedia, I had no idea what a Wiki was.  Then, doing a team project on-line? How in the world would that happen?  What a great experience it turned out to be!  Team members communicated regularly, helped each other with ideas and comments, and the whole thing came together really nicely.

When I started the WebQuest, I knew I wanted to focus on a math lesson, but when I started looking for web-based resources and components, I had to step back and re-focus on the end product.  I wish I was in the classroom again so I could do this unit much more thoroughly, and incorporate the technology.

The collaborative lesson plan was another "how is this going to work?" experience.  Again, my teammates really stepped up to the plate and worked together to produce a great plan.  And this time, the subject and grade level were out of my comfort zone, so I was able to stretch a little.  Next time I am asked to do a team project, whether in person or on-line, I will be a lot more comfortable with the idea.

Because of my own lack of preparation, the ePortfolio took longer than it should have.  I'm glad I had the opportunity to gather all of my experiences in one place; even though I do not plan to go back into the classroom, it's good to know I am prepared should it happen.

Well, this Grandma is ready for the technological advances in the classroom.  I ALMOST wish I could go back to work just so I could share all of this information with my fellow teachers and administrators.  ALMOST, but not quite!