Final Reflection

As I wrap up my learning summary I would like to make some final reflections on where I am with my learning. As I said in one of my other posts I no longer feel like I just have a little knowledge about a lot of topics and a complete absence of in-depth knowledge about any one topic. I have a deeper understanding of a few things, but an honest assessment would be that I have a modest amount of knowledge about some things, many more things then I would have imagined. I feel like I have had an epiphany or an awakening as an educator. This course has opened up a new world to me and has aroused an intellectual curousity in me about so many different topics that we have talked about. I have a whole list of ideas and topics that I want to continue to read and learn about. The concepts of virtual learning and virtual networking are so much less intimidating and foreign to me and I can now see the unlimited possibilities for participation in these realms for myself and for my students. I also feel a little bit fired up about how important it is for education to change and move forward. We are in the forefront and should be actively participating in the changes that need to be made. We are so used to top down decision making about policy that the idea of real bottom up input might not seem real, but as educators we need to advocate that teachers and students have a say in policy making. Aside from that notion, we also need to make small, individual changes in our daily practice that will help us reach more learners and bring education into the 21st century. I appreciate having the opportunity to have taken this course and look forward to putting into practice the things that I have learned. I will continue to do this one step at a time, one day at a time.