Welcome to my flight path! Ready for lift-off?
What is my flight plan for ETEC 565A? My flight plan has two components to it: the short term and the long term. Where do I want to go with 565, as well as, where do I want to go with MET.
I teach part-time in Grade 7 at a middle school. My school has grades 7-9 and I primarily teach Social Studies 9. I have taught at my school for fifteen years, and this year both my daughters are attending, too!
This year I am working with a group of students to provide them with a secure and safe transition from elementary to the middle school environment. This is a group of kids who have been hand picked to be in a ‘pod’ together because they all have varying degrees of anxiety towards change. The transition to middle school from elementary will not be an easy one, so I am teaching them their four academic core subjects. The idea is, these are kids that need a ‘mama bear’ and I’m it. Teaching the same group of kids all day is a new concept for me, and I hope that I am able to use some of the things I have learned so far in my previous MET courses to help make the transition for my students as smooth as possible.
I have a couple of short and long term goals in relation to this course and my teaching in general. For the short term, meaning within ETEC 565A, I am really looking forward to learning how to use Moodle. My goal would be to use Moodle or a similar LMS to set up a space for parents and students to use as resource for my classroom. Using a LMS would open up a new form of communication that I have never tapped into. I see the potential for students to be able to communicate with each other outside of school using our classroom LMS as the framework for their discussions.
My long-term goal for my MET degree is to be able to work as a support person within my district for my colleagues. In my district, we have two positions that are at the Board level; one for numeracy and one for literacy, and I believe that there should be a third position for technology. These positions have a person going into the classroom to work with the teachers and their students, rather than providing workshops outside of the classroom. I see there being a huge need for someone to come into the classroom and work with the teachers to help them incorporate technology into their everyday teaching. Through MET, I hope to gain a better understanding of which technologies fit best in which situations, so that I am able to guide other teachers in their journey towards technology integration.
As for which resources I will need to accomplish my goals? I think the most valuable resource at my fingertips right now is the other students in the MET program with me. I have learned so much from the group projects, learning communities, discussions about what is working for them and why.
References:
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: a Framework for Selecting and Using Technology. In Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. (pp. 77-105). San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers.
Chickering, A.W. and Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39 (7), p. 3-7. http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm
Chickering, A.W. and Ehrmann, S.C. (1996). “Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever,” American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49(2), p. 3-6. http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples.htm
Moore, A.H., Moore, J.F., & Fowler, S.B. Faculty Development for the Net Generation. Educause. http://www.educause.edu/Resources/EducatingtheNetGeneration/FacultyDevelopmentfortheNetGen/6071