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!

Bonus Lesson!: Make Connections

            Okay, so I feel like this is a bit of a cheat, but I might learn something really useful that I wouldn't otherwise read or view.  I guess that I didn't read the directions too well because I first examined Deb Collin's blog posts as I know her and she is middle school level.  I was trying for people whose experience is closer to mine than a high school librarian's is.  I read her post about "Thing 16: Digital Tattoos & Digital Citizenship." I really should try to get more into this myself.  The examples that she plans to use to demonstrate the permanence of an online tatoo or footprint seem especially easy for a student to understand: permanent marker, straightening a crumpled piece of paper, toothpaste out of the tube.  I watched the Digital Dossier video and I totally agree with Deb that it is chilling!  I plan to forward it to others and hope to use it in my mentoring meetings next year to help the new teachers!  While I was there, I looked at her Maker Space post and watched the video she recommended, RSA Animate: Drive.  Again, I think that it would be good to show to the new teachers because it speaks to why student choice is important.

             Now, to do what I should have done…  I went to Cathie Morton’s blog.  I read several of her posts and commented on Thing 17: DIY - You Pick!, “I am hoping to get in Kahoots, too.  I applied for a grant that I REALLY hope will get me tablets for my library.  Otherwise, I will have to use it only when I can borrow the laptop cart.  I used it on Thursday with my third-graders in the competition/quiz mode and they LOVED it!  I think that it could be used in the survey mode as Formative Assessment/Exit Tickets to inform future instruction.”

            After reading a few more of Cathie’s posts, I moved on to Lindsey Murphy.  I read her “Thing 11: Coding” post and said, “It is interesting that you have so few girls.  I wonder how the class is being presented to them as an option and what is competing with technology.  Although the Jewelbots look interesting, they are SOOOO expensive that it doesn't seem to be an option for a run-of-the-mill classroom.  Hopefully the price will come down +/or a competitor will arise.  Actually, some of the functionality seems dangerous or perhaps difficult from a school standpoint.  It might be capable of promoting cheating, it will definitely be distracting during teaching, and it might be used for bullying/intimidation.  (As in, if you don't ..., then you aren't our friend and everyone will know it because your jewelbot won't light up.)  Just thinking.

Anyway, with options like the Frozen part of Hour of Code available, there shouldn't be too much trouble getting younger girls involved.  Once they are hooked, the background won't matter as much.”

            Finally, I checked out Jan Murray’s blog.  After reading a few, I decided to comment on “Thing 15: Web Presence.”  Unfortunately, I forgot to copy before I posted and I can’t seem to access the reply yet.  The gist of what I wrote is that I had never considered using a blogsite as a professional portfolio.  I will have to read the new version of Polly’s Thing 15 to see what it says about that.  I might want to use Jan Murray’s example as well as Polly’s info in my mentor meetings next year.

            So, in summary it is interesting to read other’s blogposts because you see a different viewpoint +/or hear about a link that you didn’t pursue.  I actually think that this was a great “Thing” and should be included in future years as I explored many different Things in one lesson.