From+the+Heart



I really thought I knew a lot about technology before entering the EDT classroom. I prided myself on how fast I can find information. My internet research skills are high. I really had no idea, however, the amount of educational tools that are available on the internet, and I really had no idea that you could incorporate so much of these tools into the classoom. The EDT class, made me realize that I have a lot to learn when it comes to technology and I am grateful for that. I compare this class to the experience of learning how to ride a bike. Exciting but extremely frustrating. When learning to ride a bike, frustration came from the inability to get on the bike and just ride. You have to learn balance and steering and more than anything patience because riding a bike is not as easy as it looks. The EDT class and all the artifacts that accompanied the Wiki page was not at all as easy as it looked. It was at times very frustrating. My frustration came from my inability to just do it. I wanted things to be as easy as they looked, and they never were. Of course learning something new is always exciting but excitment was often overshadowed by self doubt. With all that being said, I am very proud of my final product. My Wiki is clean, clear, uncluttered and the start of a truly valuable educational tool. I will build on this, add to it and use it for my interviews and for my classroom. Writing a unit of instruction, understanding what that looks like and all the planning involved has given me a new found respect for teachers and all that they do on a daily basis. The creation of this lesson plan has forced me to be more creative in my thinking and how to adjust when things do not work out the way I plan. I do not know that I would do anything different next time because I feel that this learning process, bumps and kinks included, has been so valuable for me. I look back and can see places where I could have spent more time, to improve my final product, but overall I really am pleased with all that I accomplished. I sit here, in self reflection, marveling that I made a website containing items that my future students will be using. I have found new patience and acceptance in my learning and the application of new knowledge.