Learning From Taking Chances

As my class nears its end, I have learned a lot of things and most of them have come at the tail end of my journey. It has been an enjoyable experience and I feel I have grown quite a bit when it comes to technology, but there is a lot more to learn and try.

One thing I gained from this experience is that if I expect my students to stick their necks out and take a chance in their learning then I should do the same! For the first few weeks of this I never ventured out from just typing things. It was not until a few weeks ago that I downloaded some new apps and started trying them. It never occurred to me that this process is about trial and error, not perfection.

A second idea I developed is that I am not by myself. Although this is not profound, when working with the internet, Google, and other Star Trek type toys things can be daunting. There are a lot of people within my school district but also on the web who can help me. I have learned so much from random searches, discovering new learning communities, blogs, and talking with colleagues via e-mail, G-chat, and Twitter. The key is that I feel like I am part of a greater community dedicated to helping kids learn and be better prepared for the future.

A third epiphany garnered from this spiritual/technological journey is that a lot of what I am doing can and has been applied to my classroom. The process of learning is the same but the tools can be different. Like anything, it is how you use, present, and make good with the tools. Sometimes I would psyche myself out and go back to tried and true methods. There is nothing wrong with trying! To show your students that you are human and make mistakes helps foster a more collegial classroom atmosphere. When a child can help explain how to use or do something it builds them up and makes the class even closer.