Foundations of Educational Technology Course Reflection

As I embarked on my first course ("Foundations of Educational Technology") en route to my Technology Specialist Endorsement, I thought to myself, can't I test out of this class - I am a computer teacher after all? Not that I had all the answers and knew everything, I just thought I could bypass it. Well, I am glad I had to take it. I am also glad it was online because hey, it is summer and who wants to sit in class for 4 hours every week? 😊

Probably the most valuable thing I am taking away from this class is the collaboration. I was introduced to many great resources and references I was previously unaware of. Some of these include Keep, https://www.edsurge.com,  http://www.edudemic.com, the break out kit (way cool), etc. I also learned many things from posts from my colleagues and have enjoyed taking the journey with them. It is always nice to have people traveling on the same journey so you can help one another along the way. Speaking of which, this has reminded me of the PLNs and the importance of it being a give and take network. I do not have a problem taking and using information; however, I often struggle with giving out information. I often am hesitant in doing so perhaps in fear of being 'wrong', not being the expert, or just what would others think of me. It is kind of like learning a new language or public speaking, you just have to dive in and go for it!

I was also gently pushed into using Twitter, something I was a bit reluctant to do.  Not that I have reservation or fear of using it, time is the biggest factor for me. I have learned what a valuable educational tool it is. It contains a plethora of information and it is easy to use. As mentioned, the main reason for not using it is time. As one of the videos mentioned, I should try to make it a part of my regular schedule and set aside a block of time during the week to use it.

Although a bit longer than I would like, I look forward to continuing my journey towards my Technology Specialist Endorsement.