Reflecting on CEP 810

Wow! My seven weeks in CEP 810 have really flown by. For this being my first experience in the MAET program, I am filled with so much enthusiasm and motivation. During the last seven weeks I have been exposed to so much amazing information. Starting with the discovery of how learning and technology has evolved over time,  ending with repurposing and all the professional learning networking in between, I am leaving this program feeling prepared to take on the next chapter in my MAET journey.

As a teacher it is easy to think of yourself as a life long learner. I have learned from my students. I have learned from my colleagues, and I have certainly learned from my experiences. In CEP 810 I got to expand my Professional Learning Network, and dive deep into my Network Learning project on Meditation. Since this course has started I have even brought my professional learning network into my discoveries with my Network Learning Project by practicing meditation with them.

My favorite week of learning was this last week with TPACK. It really brought the course full circle from where we started talking about novices v. experts. As an expert in my field of education I was able to make a real connection on repurposing. For example, using Scratch Jr. can be used to both teach coding and literacy. However, before that repurposing can happen, according to TPACK certain knowledges for the content and the technologies have to be in place to achieve the best outcome of learning.  During this course I feel that I have been given more content knowledge to apply what I have learned, in my own teaching.

In my classroom we reference the “Learning Pit” quite frequently. This is a concept developed by James Nottingham. In short it is an analogy for learning stating, that before you enter the pit you feel scared about not knowing what you are learning. You enter the pit then, feeling frustrated as you try to navigate your learning. Finally, after understanding the concept you leave the pit feeling accomplished. The pit is a great analogy when thinking about my experience in CEP 810. With this being my first graduate course I felt a nervous excitement as I entered my learning. I felt a mixture of frustrations and successes as I navigated my learning over the last 7 weeks. Finally, after completing the course I have a fantastic understanding for the content I learned during these 7 weeks, and can apply it to my teaching.

The only questions I have in closing my reflection is, what’s next? How will I get all this wonderful information out to my professional learning network? Are all people ready to incorporate technology in their classrooms, or is more knowledge of technology needed? Will all of my other courses in MAET be this creative and fun? I may be out of the “pit” for this course but in thinking about the “pit” analogy and the entire MAET program a I am just entering the “pit” and the excitement of navigating my learning as a student, is evolving the way I teach in such a wonderful way.

References:

Learning Pit. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.jamesnottingham.co.uk/learning-pit/ 

Tpack. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.rt3nc.org/edtech/the-tpack-model/tpack/