I am horrendously biased, towards education, for education, probably zealot-like. I think it is the silver bullet, the lifeblood of an individual and collective, the answer. However, fortunately, through this course I have become more aware of my bias, my blindsight: to the systemic disconnect between what learners need and deserve, and a system caught in 19th century modes and foundations. I have often endeavored as a single educator, attending a workshop and then trying to implement in my classes, seeking advice from peers and then trying to make change, for the betterment of student learning. However, despite my zealot passion I have not been an advocate. I speak to friends and colleagues about issues in education, but I don’t have an active role in advocacy, or filling the digital space that such publications as “iPad versus Teacher” has. I think that I have felt empowered as an individual educator because over the course of 7 years I have taught 15 different courses, with the help of collaboration and masterful support. Yet I have felt less than confident as a voice for the profession. Clearly, I have been holding the misconception that it is policy-makers or union spokespersons’ role to speak for the profession, whereas my role was to, pardon my pun, roll with the punches (be it funding cuts or lack of access).

Now as I am percolating all of the content and collaboration from throughout this course I see that a major obstacle to ICT use in education is that our past experiences are informing our policies and current use. Yet the field of technology is advancing at an exponential rate, one which our policies will struggle to evolve with because of our “mindbugs-our ingrained habits of thought.”

Exploring through the class discussion forum one idea that resonated with me was that our students are less blindsighted to the education system than us. This is a spark that I am trying to build upon within the design of my future project, my new classroom site. In the past I have found that collaboration makes anything possible. It can crack open our mind’s like a nut and let some light in. This cracking open is essential to self-efficacy, purposeful planning and action. Furthermore, collaboration with our students should not be undervalued or blind spotted. I routinely collaborate with my students. We will have class or group discussions about where we want to steer the learning, how we’re going to get there, and how it will be executed/assessed. As many students know that I am perpetually planning new courses, and usually I have had the great fortune of teaching them in a junior year, they visit after school (after I’m no longer “their teacher”) and explore what’s possible in courses I’m designing, making recommendations for future classes. I am currently beginning a new position as Grad Transitions Coordinator, and it was through a “pow-wow” with current grads that the program for next year has been redesigned to better suit the needs that they felt they could share. Therefore, I have tried to design a virtual classroom for my classes in which they have a voice, they have an active role steering the learning, their learning, and a community of collaboration that helps all of us work through our blindsight.

My future vision project can be found at: http://msbertrandsclass.weebly.com/ It’s still a work in progress, and I’m still digesting what I want to communicate about it. Nonetheless, I think I incorporated connection and collaboration opportunities and expectations throughout, which I’m very excited to process with my students and parents in the fall.