Sunday 1 February 2015

Pause and Rethink

 I was all prepared to publish  a blogpost in which I was going to talk about how I felt my passion for technology integration wasn't being well received and I wanted a change as I didn't feel I was reaching my potential. I was going to write about how my passion felt diminished and how something gave me a chance to temporarily make it better. Then a few things that my admin, online colleagues, students, and a teacher-author said made me pause and re-think through my feelings.

I started realizing that I needed to stop worrying about the sometimes struggles I have to do what I want with technology as well as not having complete acceptance from my colleagues and focus on what I've achieved and what my students and online colleagues think and share.

Here are some things I thought about that really reflect the success centred around my passion of technology integration into the classroom.

1. My students: Last week one of my students said they wished that I could be their teacher for grade 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 because they liked me. I thanked him and he said he was just telling the truth because I was a fun teacher because they got to do cool things with technology. It got me thinking that perhaps the fact that my students love how we learn should be a major factor in my passion and the push in my continuing to do it. My students will remember Grade 3 as the year they did cool things with technology and that should be enough for me to keep doing what I love to.

2. My grade 2/3 colleague: This winter I started collaborating with our term grade 2/3 teacher and she has been open to trying out some new ways to integrate technology into her classroom. She joined Twitter and started learning from an online PLN. We started her class using instagram for #mathphotoaday. My students taught hers how to blog. She will be participating in our #ilovetoreadbingo. Her class has participated with mine in Skyping sessions with a grade 4/5 class at the Maple Grove Colony in southern Manitoba. She will be trying out mystery number Skype with  her class. I just wish I had reached out to her when she first started at our school in September. We will just have to make up for lost time.

3. My admin: My principal and vice principal are quite supportive. They've allowed me to successfully push to get Twitter and Instagram open all day. They seem to see the value of using social media as a learning tool. This past month they participated in our #mathphotoaday. Here's hoping they try our #ilovetoreadbingo photo challenge. They have, also, given me some release time to do tech based learning and creating in other classrooms.

4. My online PLN: My PLN especially the members in my #plngelato have always been supportive and accepting of my passion as they share it. They encourage me and provide feedback that is always appreciated.

5. Feedback on My Students: I am always sharing and tweeting what my students are doing and we get a lot of positive from other teachers online and classes.  I have to say seeing John Spencer,  teacher and author of our read aloud book, Instagraming a screen shot of a picture I tweeted of my students doing their work made me realize "Wow, I have awesome students who are doing amazing things because I let them." I'm giving my awesome students the chance to create things with technological tools and non-technological tools. That is all that matters.

1 comment:

  1. Zoe,
    I think that Social Media in the classroom is very beneficial. I know that getting others to see that is not always easy. I am glad that you reached out to other teachers at your school and are getting the opportunity to work with them and support them. I just recently set up a google hangout for the grade 3 classes at my school and the teachers were so nervous, but because I covered the technology part, they were free to see the value in the process, instead of fret about what could go wrong.
    I also like how you said you used technology and "non-technological tools" in order to create great teaching. I don't think all innovation is done through technology. Some is done through hands on exploration and conversation and I think it is important to know that no matter what tools you can or can't use at your school, you can still create great opportunities for students.

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