It sometimes feels like I have been in EDM 310 for five years; yet, at the same time, it seems like only yesterday that I sat in the computer lab listening to Dr. Strange on the first day. As I look back on all of my projects, activities, comments, and blog posts that I've published, I can't help but be happy to see the difference in myself from the beginning of this class. In our very first blog post assignment, I was asked to describe how I wanted my future classroom to be set up. Upon rereading this post, I still remain true to some of my earlier values. However, there are a few slight changes that I would make now.
In Blog Post #1, I talked heavily about I wanted to keep my passion for the subject of English and language arts aflame every day that I woke up and headed to my classroom. While I still do wish to be passionate about what I am teaching and hope to engage that same interest from my students, there is a subject that I want my students to be more excited about at the end of the day - learning. Too many students leave school every day and are never seen in the hallways again. Even though there are multiple factors contributing to this epidemic, we are at the point now where educators need to be asking themselves, "What am I missing, here?" If students had the same type of excitement for learning as they do for the latest episode of Awkward or a Justin Bieber concert, schools everywhere would be thriving, and the future generations of this country would not be in the danger that they are in now. It is important that children are excited not only about what they are learning, but that they are learning at all. If I had had classes like EDM 310 throughout junior college and grade school, I would probably be way more advanced in many areas than I am now. It's time to stop expecting students to memorize information; that is not a real educational experience. Getting up excited to see something new and apply it to better your standing in life and to benefit others is the true definition of learning, in my opinion.
Another factor that I originally wrote that I wanted to add to my classroom was forming a bond with my students. I was a youth leader at a church for several years, which I previously said, and I have seen the agony on students' faces when they have no one who believes in them. I still want to form this bond between them and myself, but I now feel like the best way to make this happen is by teaching them in the way that Dr. Strange taught us. By pushing them to learn and work on their own and not allow them to soak in material only to forget it at the end of the year, I will expect to see more from them. Regardless of where they come from or what their backgrounds are like, I want to show them how to open their minds to see possibilities that they otherwise would've never even dreamed of. I think at the end of the semester, they will be more appreciative of me if I help them be prepared for the world after graduation than if I help them "get by" with an easy class.
As I said earlier, my future plan is to become a teacher of English/language arts. With my degree, I will be able to teach students in grades sixth through twelfth. I'm still not sure where exactly I will end up (I don't think anyone really knows until they get there), but I have been interested in the Baldwin County school system for a while. After hearing about how most of the schools there are using project-based learning now, I am even more curious as to what it would be like to be an educator in that school system. I still have a love for English and all of the aspects that are connected to it. I now, however, can power this subject with the usage of effective technological tools and really expand the minds of my students like never before.
One of the greatest components of this class is getting to learn about new technology tools and networks. The tools that I have used throughout this class have been way beyond helpful. I was given an iPad as a gift right before EDM 310 started, and I now know almost everything about it thanks to using it in this class. Without it, making videos, using iMovie, and even following along in the instruction manual would've been quite difficult for me. I have also used my laptop much more frequently thanks to posting blogs. Using the Macs in the lab has also gotten much easier than before. My abilities to use Apple products effectively were almost nonexistent before EDM 310. However, by being forced to use a Mac for several projects, I am much more capable of getting tasks done with their usage and being creative with projects and assignments. I am also thankful for this class for introducing me to the SMARTBoard. Now, I will be able to use one without struggling, which I would not have been able to do if I hadn't been here.
Something that I believe is the backbone of EDM 310 is the usage of many social networks. Blogging has been my main form of communication in this classroom, and I definitely want to incorporate this idea into my own classes in the future. I love being able to expose students to different people, ideas, and cultures from all over the world and helping them broaden their horizons. Using Skype and Pinterest in this class is also a tradition that I would like to carry into my teaching career. After seeing other educators, I think that it is an excellent way for teachers to stay in touch, keep creativity flowing, share ideas, and work together to benefit the children in this world. Edmodo also turned out to be an amazing social network for teachers. I can use this to stay in contact with students, parents, post assignments, and keep a strong form of communication open using technology. These ideas, plus so much more, are aspects that I have learned from Dr. Strange, and I hope that my students are grateful for me and my class one day as I am for Dr. Strange and EDM 310.
