Thing 40: Final Reflections & What’s Next?

1: What did you learn?

I learned that although I do a lot of things that I should do, there is always more to add.  I really have to find ways to streamline what I do so that I don’t make myself crazy.  I have a lot of ideas to implement in the future, but I have not done a great job of implementing them this year.  Once the research really starts in January and February, it seems like I am just constantly underwater and I barely have the time to breathe much less to try new things.

I wish that I had done more “Things.” But, for the reasons stated above, time was not on my side.  I didn’t really make any new professional connections, but because of the Bonus Thing, I did see how viewing and commenting on other’s blogs can really help me to learn more efficiently. 
I have explored Anchor Charts more and started to collect those and other resources on Pinterest.

In my previous posts, I made myself a to-do list of sorts:
·      Get out my camera and try to document. (I’m still awful at this.)

·      Do a better job of organizing evidence of what I already do. (Between this post and my additional paperwork for my APPR, I have at least summarized more of what I already do, but I don’t have much actual evidence yet.  I need to look at: circ data for targeted students, facilities data, display data/getting my students more involved in the displays, and connecting my data with pre- and post- assessments. I also want to try to implement the Learning Logs and start copying more student work.)

·      Start to create exit tickets. (I like Kahoot and hope I win the grant I applied for to get tablets. While I am at it, I think I have to add “I can” objectives to each lesson, too.  It is good for my students and good to model for our new teachers.)

·      Investigate using widgets to access Google forms and sheets. (I REALLY have to do this.)

·      Work on an elevator speech. 

·      Gather lists of supporters and encourage them to document their support (and give it to me.)

·      Explore using empty VHS containers as shelf dividers. 

·      Start creating videos of how to download ebooks, how to upload appropriately licensed pictures from a Google search, etc. 

·      Tell everyone about Kahoot and beg for devices for my library so that I could use it, too. (Begging done – I applied for a grant.  Telling everyone, well many students and teachers in grades 2-4 will be exposed to it as I am doing Kahoot as a wrap-up to the year.  The teachers will hopefully finally have SMARTboards if the district’s Smart Schools Act application is approved.  Even if I don’t get my grant, there should be more laptops in the district so they will be more available.)

2: What’s next?

I really should try to write an annual report this year, although my evidence is inadequate.  Still, I should be able to pull something together.

I hope to use some of what I learned with the mentees next year at our district’s mentor meetings. 

The bonus lesson only emphasized to me the need to include student choice more in what teach, but with very clear expectations.  Just last week, I did a lesson where I showed my second grade students some of our digital resources and then gave them time to explore the resources.  They were very enthusiastic, but the written summaries of what they did were less than stellar.  More modelling of an acceptable response would help.

Over the summer, I hope to be able to access more of the “Things.”

3: Did you like learning this way?

I do like learning this way, but I do have trouble with the timing.  Winter and spring with the research projects underway is just way too busy to get much done.  It is also not the time to innovate and try new ideas in my room.  That is better done with the initial lessons in the fall.

What I most value about the program is the broad range of ideas that I am exposed to.  There used to be a College of St. Rose conference where I could get a lot of ideas, but it is no longer held.  Although my local BOCES/RIC does a one-day technology awareness day, there are so few sessions that you only learn three things in a day.  It just didn’t work for me.  Cool Tools is the best option I have found thus far for efficient exposure to useful technology PD.  (I just wish it were running June to December instead of the current timeline.) 

I certainly hope that Polly can keep finding new ways to challenge us so that I can keep participating!