Although I thoroughly enjoyed the guest speakers we had at the beginning of today’s class, I must admit that they slightly stressed me out. I believe it was Amanda who mentioned that she felt anxious when the guests left because she felt all this pressure to learn about technology for fear that she would otherwise be at a disadvantage in the job search. Her statement really resonated with me because it was similar to my own thoughts. I feel as though a lot of resources and programs were mentioned during the chat, and I hope to take some time this summer to explore them further. Maybe then I won’t be quite so stressed out about all there is to learn! One thing I would like to learn more about is the IB program. I had heard about it before today but was always somewhat unsure as to what it was. It sounds like there are some great opportunities in this area, though, so it seems like a good area for further research.
At the end of the chat, each speaker left the current MAC cohort with a bit of advice. I thought they all had really great tips, so I would like to restate them here for future reference. Andrea mentioned the need to network as much as possible, and noted that the more aware we are of different programs, such as the AP and IB programs, and the more aware we are of educational uses of technology, the better off we will be when it comes to finding jobs. She also mentioned that we should be open to different possibilities during the job search. Larry mentioned the importance of taking risks while student teaching, as it’s the only time we will be allowed to make mistakes and not be held accountable for them. As Larry said, it is not a time to play it safe. He also noted that we should remember to make time for ourselves or we will burn out before we even begin our careers. Finally, Kevin advised that whenever we assign students work that deals with technology, we should provide a sample of what the end product should look like or else we will be setting ourselves up for disappointment. I think one of the most important pieces of advice we received, and the one we may be most likely to overlook, is to enjoy the experience and to enjoy meeting each other.
At the end of class we were able to chat with Lauren Fardig in New York. I thought the discussion was very helpful, as we were able to hear from a few of her students. One of the most important pieces of information I gained from this chat was the importance of variability in lessons. The students mentioned they appreciated having a wide variety of assignments and projects. I think sometimes teachers may find themselves in a comfortable daily routine, and though sticking to this routine may make things easier for the teacher, the students prefer when there is some variety. As we are teaching in order to help students learn, I think it is crucial to listen to the students and to take their advice.
With that, I hope you all have a great break. See you in four weeks! J
Enjoy August! Labor Day will be here before you know it!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, after hearing guest speakerL say that we should take risks in our student teaching, I took this into consideration when building my action plan for profS handbook assignment. That is the first time I thought about not just being super careful in the student teaching. It was a great bit of advise.
ReplyDeleteA major take away for me, is that we should all stay connected...
Kaitlyn, I don't want to overstate this, but contrary to feeling worried if you aren't familiar with all of the various learning technologies that we have and will discuss, rest assured that in the natural course of the class you'll get some exposure to a several such technologies, and perhaps (following Larry's ideas) you'll have a chance to try one or two of them out in your student teaching. It may not strike you intuitively as being true, but I think that a modest exposure of this kind will put you ahead of the game regarding the job search (along with the facility with video editing you'll get from the records of practice course). Kristin and I hear this from lots of MACers, so seize the opportunities as they come, and don't let the rest of it stress you out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that recap of advice - it was helpful! I agree - it was really good to hear directly from Lauren's students (though, understandably, they were a bit shy) - variability is key and something that we have to constantly keep in mind. Have a great break!
ReplyDeleteAgree with Amanda - we all should definitely stay connected!!
I have to agree with you, that while I thoroughly enjoyed having the speakers in class and hearing their pieces of advice, I was left with a little bit of stress at thinking of all the things we need to learn concerning technology in order to be in the running for a teacher of the 21st century.
ReplyDeleteThank you for restating the parting words of advice the teachers left us with. I think Larry's advice that it is not a time to play it safe, and rather a time to take risks and try new things, was great for me to think about and try to enact. Great blog, thanks so much!