essential question: what on earth do I do now?
I enrolled in the NLGL program because I had a deep desire to alter the way I approached my classroom. Any attempts I had made to achieve some kind of technological proficiency on my own were ineffective, and I desperately needed some inspiration and some guidance. As I've been nearing the end of my program, the most common questions I've been fielding have been "what are you going to do with your degree?" or "are you planning on moving into an administrative position?" Quite honestly, my desire to enroll in graduate school was purely out of self-interest; it was about my teaching and my classroom, and I didn't give it much thought beyond that. Every course I have taken has run counter to this view. From the push given to me by ECI 521 to embrace the use of technology and social media through blogging, to fostering a sense of global participation in ECI 524,this program has encouraged me to broaden my thinking to go beyond my classroom and challenged me to find ways I can become a positive influence not only for my students, but to seek opportunities that will benefit my school and my profession as well.
teachers as leaders
One of the most significant lessons I've learned through the NLGL program occurred as I was participating in ECI 508: Teachers as Leaders. This course enabled me to fully understand the responsibility teachers have to share their experiences with others in order to foster a collaborative school culture. This course encourages one to "think otherwise" and challenges teachers to define leadership in their own terms. An emphasis is placed on the idea that we must work towards classrooms and schools that are committed to fostering a community of learners, and for this to happen, we must move out of our space and into the space of others, which can be chaotic and uncomfortable, but essential if we are to be prepared for the future of education. This same idea of confronting commonly held beliefs and moving beyond the familiar is a theme that has been evident throughout the entire program as we have been challenged to embrace the chaos that generally comes before progress, rather than run from it.
eci_508_my_final_essay.docx | |
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Product of Learning: My leadership plan of action includes seeking an opportunity to share what I've learned with others. I'm planning on speaking about my ReMix course; the challenges, but also the amazing results I've seen among my students when they've been given the freedom to choose what they want to read. I'm hoping the presentation will engage a few of the faculty in order to spark further discussions with my colleagues.