Closing Time: EDU 777 Reflection #2

Source: Giphy

    I always see December as a sort of "closing time"; this month signifies the end of another year and for teachers and students, the end of the current term or semester. For me, this closing time signifies the end of my time in EDU 777 and my time in grad school. As we close the books on this class, I am choosing to reflect on the journey I took throughout my final project proposal. 

    In EDU 777, Learning Theories and Instructional Designs, each student was tasked with creating a proposal that addresses utilizing technology in your school or classroom to enhance learning for students and teachers. For my project, I created a proposal to integrate STEM lessons into the current math and science curriculums currently being taught in my school. As I discussed in my previous blog post, I feel that my proposal is a worthwhile endeavor; I am proud of the time and effort put into researching various STEM programs and collaborating with my colleagues to gain insight and feedback about the feasibility of my ideas.

Despite challenges concerning lack of time and lack of funding, there are still lots of positives to take away from this experience. Yeti Academy is a dynamic STEM curriculum that would provide wonderful learning experiences for all students, due to the ability to differentiate for a variety of learning abilities. If I had to choose the most positive aspect of this entire process, I would have to choose having the chance to collaborate with my colleagues-- it was empowering to hear their support for my idea because they understand and agree how it can positively impact our students! I also enjoyed getting their constructive feedback on how to improve my proposal, especially concerning professional development for teachers. 

    Even though I enjoy being a classroom teacher, I feel that as a result of this project and class, I am more interested in exploring what it would be like to step into the role of Technology Specialist in my school. While this is not a position I would look to move into right now, I feel that it would be something I would excel in and enjoy. Working as a Technology Specialist or Instructional Designer would be a different way for me to engage and work with other teachers and students. It would also provide me the opportunity to find creative solutions to improving student learning, all while learning about and working with interesting technology tools in the process!