Summary of Personal Learning

Throughout this EC&I 831 journey I have learned so many things.  If I could compare though, social media and open education to, say preparing for Christmas, you would see that I have a love hate relationship with both.  Both are very valuable, but can involve stress, busy days, hours upon hours of preparation, misguided thinking, forgetting the reason, and sifting through what is valuable and what is meaningful. Both can also bring heartfelt learning, valuable connections, shared resources, and searching for something that might make the world a better place.

Before taking this class I needed to have an open mind. As an educational learner prior to the use of technology in the classroom, my formative years as an educator were based on books, people, paper, and old style technology like film projectors, TVs, and overhead projectors.  Everything I learned in order to teach children stemmed from colleagues, real time conversations, workshops, meetings, interactions, and the value of sharing. 

This value of sharing is what I leave this class with, and the concept that we cannot educate students without learning from each other, networking, and creating a community of sharing.  I know so much more about how to share using social media and communication, and how students are continuing to learn in our present world.  Education and the mindset of students and the workplace will be in a constant state of change and that is because of technology.  This class opened my eyes to some effective and productive ways of introducing concepts to students, and why it is so important to model positive digital citizenship.  I cannot stress enough how we need to guide students not just about the use of technology, but with the use of technology.  We need to journey with them as technology leaders and open education supporters.  I think the greatest challenge we face is how to model and create opportunities that balance this use of technology with mindful interactions and human values.  The power of networking, social activism, and creating a positive online presence through the use of social media and open communication, is a very good start! 

I have truly appreciated the thoughts, ideas, and personal learning journeys of everyone in this class.  I have learned so much, and I know that I will continue learning and teaching with technology so I can help prepare our children for their future. My relationship now with social media and open communication is more fluid and far less overwhelming.  Thank you Alec and to everyone I have learned from and journeyed with in EC&I831. Feel free to watch this digital artefact of my Summary of Learning.