Creating a Community of Learners

Creating a Community of Learners

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Reflection #1

What attitudes, skills, and concepts have you gained from participating in the course so far?

Before this course, I did not realize that social networking was such a powerful tool for educators.  I thought Twitter was just a way to keep up on social media.  I truly viewed Twitter as a waste of time.  It had never occurred to me that Twitter could be used as a tool to share and collaborate with other teachers around the world.  I also had no idea that there were so many great educational blogs out there on the web.  As I started to create my PLN, I came across so many blogs created by kindergarten teachers.  As I read and responded to other teachers’ posts I felt a sense of community, a community where teachers can share ideas and learn from one another.  I’m thrilled to now be a part of this online learning community dedicated to providing a quality education for our students.

What have you learned in the course that you will not forget tomorrow?

I will not forget how technology can be used as an effective tool to save time and energy.  I will no longer waste hours surfing the web.  I wish I would have learned about Diigo years ago.  I absolutely love this bookmarking tool.  It’s a great way to organize the information I find online.  In fact, my group for the team project is even using it as a way to collaborate.  We created a group page to share our bookmarks.  Google Reader is also a great tool to save time.  Instead of searching the web for ideas, the ideas are now coming directly to me. 

How will you apply what you have learned to your teaching and future learning?

I will apply what I’ve learned in this course as I create my own technology enhanced learning environment.  I am excited to create an environment where my students will not only interact with technology, but interact with people through technology as well.  I will definitely keep in mind the seven spaces of digital life as I strive to create an environment where my students can learn 21st Century skills.  I want to create an environment where my students will become life-long learners by participating in authentic learning.

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