Getting Started...

It’s exciting to be working with a group of teacher educators who are so excited about learning! The ‘context’ for the week was set early with our introductions. It’s obvious that each individual brings a very unique set of experiences to the workshop topic – technology in teacher education. Experiences and expertise that will help each of us learn more and deeper about this critical topic. Ann’s comment, “It’s really not about the technology, it’s all about teacher education,” is something to always keep in mind as one should not get caught up in technology’s bells and whistles. It is still about doing the best we can to prepare teachers, and in my opinion that includes using technology in classrooms to effectively engage learners of all ages.

Some of the comments shared throughout the day remind me of the “reality checks’ that are needed as we prepare students for the “reality” of the classroom. Access, compatibility, time and accountability are issues that still exist everywhere. None of them are easy to overcome. But, I must continue to help my students examine possible solutions – they must anticipate change and confront the challenges.

It’s obvious that I will learn a tremendous amount from my colleagues this week. I’m anxious to learn what others are doing in areas like faculty development, portfolio assessment, K-12 collaborations, and online learning. It will be important to facilitate this workshop so others are comfortable ‘sharing their stories’ with everyone and to continue this dialogue beyond Friday.

Learning Blogger was a highlight for me today! I have not used blogging in any of my courses, so I was really looking forward to learning it with everyone else. And I did! Typically, my students are not very reflective about what they learn, what they see, and what they think about in courses and K-12 classrooms. Using Blogger or a similar tool may promote the development of more reflective practitioners. Blogging has many possibilities! I’ll be anxious to hear what others think and how they might use this tool in their own instructional settings.

I hope the week doesn’t go too fast – there is a lot to share and learn!