My Blog is Your Blog ...

Instructional Leadership. For some reason when I thought about this course, I thought that it would show me how to help teachers be better teachers. That being said, I also had an archaic view of just what exactly that meant. In my mind, I thought I would learn how to be “insightful” and “motivational” and become better able to “suggest improvements” in teaching styles. Actually, I guess I did learn that. However, not in the way that I thought I would be learning it. This class proved to me that the future of education is in the realm of technology. So really, I did learn how to help teachers improve their teaching abilities. I also learned how to help teachers envision themselves in a new place – a place where students learn regardless of their level or ability or learning style. I learned how to build a new world in a classroom. Therefore, I have come to the end of this class learning what I thought I would learn … just not in the way that I envisioned it!

So how does all of the new technology information help me? As a counselor, I consider part of my job as being a mentor or advisor to teachers when they ask. I have always been somewhat of a technology guru for my friends. I love using new innovations and incorporating new ideas into schools so as to bring students into learning as participants instead of spectators. So, does everything that I’ve learned help me in my current position? Yes it does. Plus, it really has helped prepare me for the day when I become an administrator. Whether it is as a building administrator or a district administrator, I will have knowledge to help make better decisions. I will continue to be a supporter and proponent of technology integration at all levels of education.

Truly I think that I was able to experience and achieve more than I expected at the beginning of the class. There was nothing that I had not either practiced before, had prior training on, or read about in one of the articles. There were so many articles to read! But most of them contained really good information. I was truly amazed at all of the schools out there that are currently using Web 2.0 and having success with their students. I hope that one day we can have that happen at my current district! I know that our technology department is a huge supporter of the new innovations and provides training for anyone who signs up. Plus they are more than willing to come out to classrooms to assist teachers with activities and implementations. So I foresee a really progressive future for us!

I was able to complete all of the course assignments. Even though the first week I experienced some distress about the format of the discussion board not being told to us soon enough. However, I was able to change and conform. The only other problem that I had was the 2nd week when my discussions were deleted after our new groups were formed! That caused me some stress … however I was able to complete my postings and had comments made prior to the deletion. The biggest advantage would have been the webinars. However, due to the way they were set up, I don’t think that they achieved what they were supposed to achieve. I do believe in the webinars and fully support the idea and would love to utilize this type of interaction at my school. Before one takes on this type of undertaking one has to consider all that could conceivably occur and prepare for it or be fast on the spot to revamp. I think that our professors did an excellent job of working through the kinks and trying to be available to all class members. Also, I really enjoyed creating my blog! I love blogging – it’s just so easy to do. Plus, this was a safe environment to have a blog. I am supposed to have one at my campus but I am somewhat apprehensive about creating it and posting to it. I know that I must conquer my fear and just do it. I will take it one step at a time. The thing that was reinforced to me throughout this course was the fact that technology must be used and modeled for students so they can have advantages from our global world.

I consider myself very lucky to have the technology skills that I have. I learned a long time ago that you just have to get in there and try things out so that you can learn and become familiar with different software programs. I have been very fortunate to have worked in different places where I was able to learn various languages and programs and carry these skills with me and build on them in each new job that I have had. I love being able to use technology with students. Even though I am not in the classroom any more, I am still supporting and encouraging teachers on my campus to use whatever equipment we have so as to integrate technology more. We have to begin teaching tomorrow’s leaders today with the skills that they will be using in tomorrow’s world. I look forward to the day where everyone will embrace Web 2.0 and consider it the norm instead of the innovation.

Blogs are important in our future learners’ world because they provide a forum for students to view information and collaborate with others across the world. Blogging brings things and people that are “out there” right into your room. In addition, blogs are set up in the same way as all of the social networking sites that our students use. Students use My Space and Facebook or Twitter to follow things that interest them. Educational blogs provide a community that they can access and learn from if set up the proper way. Blogs have to attention grabbing and interesting. Plus, blogs must be accessible so that students have opportunities to communicate with a broad base of other students. The pool of users has to be wide.

However, the danger of security and hackers breaching that security is still a big concern for school districts. I understand that we want to be able to control sites and who can get in so as to keep our students safe. At some point though, we must take a leap of faith so that we can move ahead. Blogging is one of the social networking tools that provides a venue for students to interact and express their opinions about current events. Blogging also can serve as a venue for spreading information not only to students but to all stakeholders. We must encourage our students and their families to learn internet safety and ethical behavior so as to be able to utilize all of the new technologies that are constantly being developed. Our world is becoming smaller and smaller as new innovations become more common place.

I hope to have my own blog when I become an administrator so that I can maintain open communication and keep all stakeholders involved in the day to day events that occur at school. The importance of the blog will be to make everyone feel like they are a part of our school community. That old saying, “it takes a village” is very true. Blogs are just one way that we can bring our “village” into the school and help us all educate our students and prepare them for the future.