
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXTBtvZTZdQ
The picture says it all! That is how I felt about my 1st week of ETEC 642.
PLEASE DO NOT MISINTERPRET! I felt like I was the one bothering EVERYONE. I get so anxious about assignments and doing well, that I cannot even begin to relax and just complete the work. Anyone else feel like this?
Let me give you some background on me. I am a first generation, only child, only daughter, only granddaughter born here. It has been instilled into me to do well, exceed beyond all expectations, go far, do well, become conquerer of the world! (OK, maybe not that last one, but I think you get the idea.) I could not participate in extracurricular activities because it would interfere with school. Boyfriends? Hah, try non-existent social life. That is until I started rebelling. I wasn’t even allowed to go away to college even though I got into HARVARD! (My parents were so cruel as to let me apply and even go on a campus tour!) Dark times, people, dark times. Sorry, I digress. Back to doing well in school. After high school, I do what my parents want, get my AA, get a job. Was I happy? No. I knew I could do better. I went back to school. I got an AAS and a job at Pearl Harbor. I was one of the top in my class. Happier now? Nope! I wanted to be a teacher. I go back to school. I get dual certified in Elementary Education and Special Education. I graduate Magna Cum Laude. Happy? No, because Chaminade messed with my transcript and I should’ve had summa cum laude. (Not letting that go, yet. Too fresh.) I went to teach in a low income school with special ed kindergarteners. I LOVED it! You think I was happy, right? I was for awhile. But I KNEW I could do better. So, 5 years later, here I am, digressing again. Let me get back on track to this week’s questions.
- What new technology and concepts did I learn this week?
HOLY MOLY! Google+, where have you been! It’s like Pinterest on crack, but already categorized for me. What else can it do? Hangout? Talk to friends, well if I had any. BUT I could talk to my group! The notifications were immediate and straight to my phone once I installed the app. Better than Facebook? Let’s not go there, at least not yet.
- What excited me about the week’s activities? Why?
Almost everything I do excites me. I’m just that way. I’m a kindergarten teacher, for gosh sake! I think getting right into finding what Google+ was all about was thrilling. Here’s this new technology (at least for me) and I was totally immersing myself into it. I have a new toy!
- Which of the week’s activities helped me to understand emerging technologies better? Why?
The way I just jumped into Google+ helped me see what the hype was about. I asked around to other educators and got their opinions. I felt like a private investigator. Or a researcher. Maybe researcher is better. It was so cool to find all these new things like circles and Hangout. There are groups of people just like me. Go Gryffindor!
- Which of the week’s activities was least useful to me? Why?
I didn’t find anything not useful. It’s still brand new to me, maybe ask me that same question at the end of the class?
- How can the week’s activities be strengthened?
I’m not sure. I felt comfortable asking for help and was completely supported each time. I felt the activities were strengthened by our weekly class meeting.
- What new insights and problem solving strategies did I realize during discussions or while working with others?
I don’t have any new insights. I’m one of these people that ask when they don’t know. As you could probably tell, I have no shame. I have learned a long time ago, that it is better to hear all sides and never lock yourself into an opinion that can’t change.
- What would I like to learn more about? Why?
I am loving this class! We are changing groups weekly, so I get to meet new people and absorb their knowledge. I would love to hear about new (at least to me) Web 2.0 tools that I can use down the road. I look forward to the rest of our session!