Life-Long Learner

Tech Task #7 - The Final Reflection

Alec has asked us to reflect on our blogging experience. In particular he asked:

For this assignment, reflect on your blogging process. You may do this as a summary, you may highlight favourite pieces that you blogged, or you may talk about your changing perceptions of blogging. You may also want to talk about what you think about blogging for the classroom, whether you like it or not, or whether you’d try it or not. You should also measure in some way how you have commented with others on their post. Do you have a favourite post from someone else that you have commented on? What was one of your best comments to someone else?

Well, my blogging journey has been a roller coaster - slow, fast, up and down. I’ve started off rather slow. Our first assignment was to introduce ourselves, which was a great starting point for me since I didn’t know what else to speak to. Or I should say - what I felt confident speaking to or about. I come from a period in my life where communication was a like a game of chess - strategic. You always had to be conscientious about what and how you say things. You don’t express an opinion unless it is backed by research, conviction, and a purpose; and not to mention taking into account your audience.

When I would read other people’s blogs, I would think to myself:
- Do I know enough about this subject to comment?
- Can I respond with conviction? Really mean what I say.
- What is my purpose in the response? Am I just doing an assignment or am I expression a point of view? Am I trying to change other people’s view?

I became bogged down by my own standards.

I tried to look at how I was blogging, what I was blogging. I confess, blogging is not much different than how I communicated before, its just more relaxed and with fewer consequences (but there are still consequences). Switching gears was hard. So on May 21, I started my “blogging journey”. A new blogging journey. I took a look a my space, made some changes, and started to look for information about brain development. I could speak to this. The last eight years of my life was around early childhood brain development and family literacy. It is where my interests lie. I want to teach based on the knowledge that our brains develop differently due to the conditions that we are surrounded by during the first six years of life. I could write with conviction about brain development.

Then Lindsay posted a blog about writer’s block and changing gears herself. I wasn’t alone. Lindsay struggled as I struggled - I felt a sense of belonging. (Sorry Lindsay to capitalize on your struggle.) But it felt good to know that though we weren’t blogging about the exact same topic, we were coming from the same place. So this was what Alec talked about - a sense of community.

The same feeling also repeated itself when I started to have more comments to blogs I posted about interesting finds. Then the smack in the forehead came when I had so many responses to the Blogging Journey IV post. I was struggling to keep up to all the blog postings that I subscribe to and I was reaching out for management suggestions. I got them. Some from people I never met before. It was fantastic. Blogging no longer was a reflection tool, but a learning tool. I could ask for help and it would be there.

So where am I on my blogging journey? I visualize myself as spending the last seven weeks sitting in a nest. I admit, I’ve flapped a wing or two, but I haven’t had the confidence to fly - to just view blogging as a community and tool for learning. A way to connect with others who have the same interests as me. To share my findings and to learn about concepts and aspects that I have not considered before. It is exciting.

Now, I must confess - time management will still be an issue. But with that said I have to acknowledge that I’ve been given great tools in ECMP 355 and now it is up to me to make the most of them. The choice is mine.

So that is a overall reflection of my blogging journey.

Here are my answers to the remaining questions.

Talk about what you think about blogging for the classroom, whether you like it or not, or whether you’d try it or not.

I would introduce and/or encourage blogging in the classroom. For two reasons:
1. Students need community. Blogging is a form of community.
2. Students need opportunities to write for the sake of writing. To express for the sake of expression.

With that said, I would also discuss the importance of safe and responsible communication online, whether it is blogging, texting, emailing, etc. Essentially somewhere there is a record of what was written. Do you want comments made in anger or spite to come back to you at a later date? Would you be willing to accept the responsibility of those words? I would also discuss cyberbullying and have students research what the consequences are. Have discussions about it both in person and online. It is a serious matter, which should be taken seriously.

Do you have a favourite post from someone else that you have commented on? What was one of your best comments to someone else?

I have a number of regular posts that I look at. For classmates, I often check on Sara, Lindsay, Ryan, and Colleen. Since spending last year together in the Arts Education program, they have a special place in my heart. I like to celebrate their successes and help when I can. For others, I often check on Alec Couros, Kyle Lichtenwald, Dean Shareski, and Chris Harbeck to name only a few.

My favourite comment was to a post on ‘On teaching cool’ by Kyle Lichtnewald. When reading the post I became quite passionate about what Kyle presented and some of the responses. My comment is number 8. It started the thinking process of what my educational philosophy is. I have many reasons why I want to be a teacher, but my current philosophy had not been put to paper yet. It had changed slightly since applying for the Education Faculty.

So this is my reflection, my response to a request. I say it with confidence and conviction. Now I’m ready to use this tool to the best of my capabilities.

Thank you Alec and fellow bloggers. I look forward to our future together.

Have a glorious day.