The End of the Road

Looking back over my blog posts has confirmed just how much has changed in the roughly year and a half I've been in this program. I've said in a few blog posts that I can't remember how I ran my classroom without the tools and skills I've learned through this program. My early blog posts make that much more clear.

In my first post, I mentioned that I didn't want to assign a Power Point project and claim that it satisfies technology integration in my classroom. Today, that's not even on my radar, nor do I hear it from peers anymore. It's not that we've all abandoned Power Point, but it has become one of many tools, instead of the go-to option.

In later posts, I talked about being reckless with computer security. Today, I use regularly-updated virus software and have strengthened all my passwords. It was something I had to stay focused on at first, but updating programs and creating strong passwords has become something I do automatically now.

In a number of posts, I mention a country research project I do in my class, where students create ads for their countries. As I am currently gearing up to start that same project in a few weeks, it's interesting to see how many tools, like VoiceThread, have come from Stritch courses and into my classroom.

Generally speaking, I have changed the basic way I approach technology use. Before going through this program, I would try to find a way to include technology in my teaching. Now, I'm choosing the best tool to improve my teaching. It's not about shoe-horning something in just to say I did it. Technology now is a standard part of my classroom. I also see a change in the way I approach working with co-workers. At the beginning of the program, I was telling everybody about the new things I was learning and encouraging them to use these tools in their classroom. These days, I do more listening than talking. My colleagues know that I have an interest in technology, so they come to me to ask how they can incorporate new tools or techniques. Again, it's not about finding a way to use this tool or that one, it's listening to how the structure their classroom, and finding the best tool for them.

In my personal life, I feel like I have gone from a consumer of technology to an active participant. I use a number of tools that are currently in beta, and I feel that my feedback and my usage affects how these emerging technologies will change in the future. Instead of just using computers and the Internet to discuss my interests, I now discuss computers and the Internet. I am interested in what's new not just for the sake of knowing the newest thing, but because I know that technology is constantly changing, and we can help to change it for the better.