What I learned today...

I have taken many classes in my life, including several in education. I can't remember a class where I was given more practical tools than what Jason gave us today. I think I am a bit overwhelmed by it all. In many ways it was like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hydrant. I just took a look at my web history and saw all the web pages I looked at today. In many ways it would be easy to feel like I'm drowning.

But I actually came away from today more excited and inspired than anything. I've always heard that using technology in education is important. I have tended to think of myself as technologically fluent, or at the very least somewhat competent. I thought I had a general sense of the tools available, even though I knew I might not know how to USE them. But I realized today that not only are there tools I didn't know how to use, there were tools I didn't even know existed. I did not know there was a thing called a "wiki". I had no idea about the term "Web 2.0" and what that could mean to me as a teacher. I knew about blogging...but had never thought about how to use it in a classroom. "Social bookmarking"? Before today if I had been confronted with that phrase, I might have thought it was some type of dance I had never heard of before.

I am very excited about a moodle type of lesson organization, and am looking forward greatly to finding out how to use it more. What I like about it is the potential for differentiation within it. In many ways, setting up a moddle "class", even with my kids, allows me to specialize material to the students' strengths as well as grow those areas where they may not be as comfortable. There is much potential for self-pacing - moving ahead if a student already grasps something, as well as allowing time for students to catch up. I also REALLY like the interraction - both personally and virtually - that this type of set up seems to allow.

Finally, I have really enjoyed beginning to work with my classmates and instructors. I had considered several paths towards teaching credential, and I really can't imagine one that will work better for me.

More to come...

--Greg