Evaluation

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

I realized over the summer how many wonderful things were available to me digitally. To think that all of these "Things" are at my fingertips is awesome. I think my favorite discoveries throughout my two blog experiences were finding and exploring the numerous Web 2.0 Tools. I love writing engaging lessons. I love mashing things together that seem completely unconnected. The Tools on the web that are accessible have the potential to transform my classroom a real life experience where we directly apply our knowledge to what we have to accomplish with the curriculum. 

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

This program has taught me that in order to take advantage of the abundance of resources out there, I have to not only know where to find them, but also give myself the chance to play around with them. Just like in the classroom, different styles of teaching work better for different concepts. In technology, different applications fill different purposes. Also, I've learned the hard way that I need to know exactly what type of instructions my students need in order to best utilize time and the technology. This program has allowed me to stay current with my students, to accommodate their generation and styles of learning. It has taught me to continue to evolve so that I can do my best to educate my students the way they need.

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

Besides the ability to navigate through things and find what I'm looking for easier, nothing was incredibly unexpected. I did find out the usefulness of things like online bookmarking and dropbox. A lot of the things that were in the 16 Things will be useful in both my professional and my personal life. But, having done something very similar before, I wasn't surprised as I worked through each "Thing."

4. What could I do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

I'm a proponent of how the program is set up as it is. There is a TON of information and I love how there are links everywhere to direct you where to go. I'm also impressed that examples were given not only on your blog, Dr. Wilson, but that you also provided us with links to our classmates' blogs. This was useful so that we could see how our peers responded. I think that the program is structured well. The discovery exercises were straightforward and the instructions, easy to follow. And with each "Thing" being a separate blog, the categories weren't all over the place. Thank you for this experience. It truly will make me that much more awesome in the classroom. :)

-Sarah