Reflecting back on the first five weeks of TE 808 there are a couple of things that come to mind. First, it is great to be in touch and learn from quality educators around the country. The communication and sharing ideas between educators is something that is missing from my professional practice, and when you are teaching you seem to be in your own little world, so seeing what others are doing is something that has been very beneficial for me. Coupled with the communication is the research and reading about what great educators have done in the field. This gives me a new sense of energy and really gets me fired up about the role I have in educating young minds. I think, at least for me, it’s easy to get caught up in the district and school mandates we work in, and forget about the great teaching practices we learned at Michigan State, and taking classes like this is a great reminder.
I also love the application to my classroom and teaching practice TE 808 provides. It is a unique position where we are students and teachers at the same time, and really have control of both venues. I loved reflecting on my practice and what I would like to do better or change. Coming up with the question that I would pursue (cooperative learning) has been a great revitalization to my year and teaching progress. The control that I have as an MSU student has allowed me to investigate and explore various research that will without a doubt make me a better educator this year and in the future. I cannot wait to see where the research and investigations takes me in this class and also as an educator.
Another aspect that I have really enjoyed is the technology refresher that we receive each and every week. The different ways to show information is very applicable to me and my classroom. I have already used many different aspects of the technology that we investigate each week, and I think my students really respond to the fact that I keep up on the latest technology and usually keeps them engaged in classroom material not only in the classroom, but at home too.
