What+I+Have+Learned

Due to formatting issues each time I have gone from Word into my wiki, I am embedding the file this way so that formatting is maintained and I do not continue to lose points as result of lost formatting. I am also placing the text in the wiki, although formatting is lost when doing so. Thank you. What I Learned This program has taught me much about myself, my leadership skills, technology itself, and my attitudes in relation to technology. One of the things that I have learned about myself is that even though I consider myself one of the “new” and “young” teachers in my profession, I am still a digital immigrant. I am learning lots of new things about technology and ways to integrate it into my classroom instruction, but I am still working with students who have grown up with technology in their hands, quite literally. There is still a gap that I am trying to close as I learn and gain experience. Realizing this has given me a better understanding and tolerance of what I previously called “older” teachers who were very hesitant with most any technology introduced at school. I experienced some hesitancy at trying to incorporate some new things that I learned about in this program, because it is harder to work in something new rather than going with the routine and comfortable things already in use. For me, things like wikis and classroom performance systems are great tools, but to them, they are very foreign and confusing. Getting out of my own comfort zone with some new things over the course of this program has helped me walk in their shoes a little bit more. I have also learned that I truly love technology and what it can do for students in the classroom. I really want to be more and more equipped to use it (and help others do the same) to help kids learn—especially special education students (Williamson 126). In regards to technology and leadership skills, I have learned that I have more technology skills than what I first thought upon entering this program. I know that there is still so much to learn, but I have also learned that I can grasp just about anything in this arena as long as I am willing to jump in and try. I also have learned how much I love sharing what I have learned with others (Williamson 41). I love finding ways to bring others along with me to learn about and incorporate new technologies in the classroom. I have known that I have a gift for leadership before this, but I have never applied it in the area of educational technology. Being able to share with others and get them excited about the possibilities that exist when we can integrate these things into our classrooms is now a focus for me. Some of my attitudes about certain things had to change as I learned about new technologies and tried them out in my classroom. I had to expand my acceptance of new things as well as my acceptance of those who are slow to embrace technology at school. Stepping out of my comfort zone was a big help to this and I am really able to appreciate that now. Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). // ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What // // every K-12 leader should know and be able to do //. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.