My Aha's

Twice this semester, I have had Aha moments. The first occurred when I began my ePortfolio. This was a very stressful activity for me. I did not think I had done enough work to create an ePortfolio. Putting together my work I felt I was bragging on myself. Coming from the generation were being humble was expected; I did not feel comfortable with the idea of an ePortfolio. After I created the ePortfolio, I felt proud of what I had accomplished. It was much more than I anticipated. I realized this was a more accurate way to show my educational experience as opposed to looking at a transcript and seeing grades. The second Aha moment was when I realized I still had a great deal to learn. I thought I was familiar with most of the Web 2.0 applications. After taking this course, I realize there are many Web 2.0 applications that I am not familiar with using.

While I have studied wikis and blogs before, how to apply them to a course still seems awkward. As I become more comfortable with these apps, this should improve. Implementing these apps gradually will be the best approach for me. While in theory, I agree technology is the means and not the end; I find it fun to use and look for ways to use it. As my educational philosophy continues to evolve, technology will hopefully become more a tool to use when applicable. My fascination with it needs to be tempered with good instructional design.

Developing my educational philosophy has affirmed that technology is a tool that can enhance the delivery of content. It is also a way to reach the Net Gen students. Using technology to demonstrate understanding allows the student to show their natural creativity. This can make the assignment more fun and more meaningful for them. It guided me in developing my projects, by using the technology as a tool to deliver content in a way to engage the students. My philosophy will continue to evolve as I progress through my career. In time the awe and wonder will subside and I will truly see technology as a tool to enhance teaching and learning.