Hat’s Off to My Colleagues! You Inspire Me!

This educational journey has provided me with the privilege of working with some innovative colleagues. For some of my colleagues and me, the world of creating blogs was new a new experience that allowed us the opportunity to expand our horizons. There are number of blogs created by my colleagues that provided me with the opportunity to familiarize myself with some new technology, resources, and approaches. Below you will find three of the blogs that I have found particularly beneficial  for my professional practice.

Technology

One of the first blogs for the course required us to identify and learn more about the latest educational and/or technological innovations that enhance learning. Janeal’s blog on Neuroscience and the Adult Learner introduced me to Eyejot. Janeal discussed how she uses this technology to communicate with her online learners. As a result of this introduction, I have also started using Eyejot as a way of communicating with my online learners. 

Resource

  

Elizabeth provided me with some ideas and resources to share with the learners I work with enrolled in the pre-service early educator program. In Elizabeth’s blog Technology a Grandmother Can Love she shared her experience with technology from a grandmother’s perspective. Elizabeth provided her experience with recordable books and Recordable Interview books. From my perspective these are great tools to share with learners that they can in turn use with the young learner in which they encounter.

   

Approach

 

Daphney’s blog investigating the topic of motivation provided me with further understanding of the role of motivation in the learning process. In Daphney’s blog, she asked Can Motivation be Innovative? This blog provided me with some approaches to consider and utilize with respect to developing online learning environments that incorporate the ARC motivational model. I was especially appreciative of the Motivating Learners with Tools and Pedagogy: ARCS Motivational Design and VoiceThread resource she provided.

To Blog or Not to Blog that is the Question

 

During these past two semesters of my educational journey, I have been introduced to several new technological experiences and blogging is one of them. As I close out another quarter I am asking myself two questions “what new knowledge have I gained?” and “will I or how will I use this knowledge?” An obvious answer to the first question is I gained the knowledge of how to blog. Great, woohoo, I can blog. Now however, I am led to a deeper question and that is will I use this skill ever again? A part of me says “no” because at times it just felt like added work. When I allow myself to get past that surface response of “no” however, I see my answer transforming to a “yes.” Yes I can see blogging as a valuable tool not only for myself, but also for the learners that I encounter (I can’t believe I just said that).

In 15 Reasons Why Blogging Matters More Than Ever, Mitch Joel highlighted reasons for blogging that touch on my areas of interest, metacognition and social-emotional development. Mitch Joel shared for example, that blogging allows you to “get something off your chest” good, bad, or indifferent and provides “different perspectives” by breaking down “cultural and geographical borders.” Pernille Ripp also shared the top 10 reasons of Why Students Should Blog. Ripp’s reasons also touch on metacognition and social-emotional development. Through this educational and technological journey, I have also come across a couple of blogs that I have been able to use as resources in my work the pre-service early educators such as Teach Preschool and Teaching Metacognition through Critical Reflection: Strategies and Tools.

Essentially, I do see the benefits of blogging especially as a tool for developing the pre-service early educator’s metacognitive and social-emotional skills. I also have to admit that I see how it has provided me with an opportunity think things through out loud (so to speak) and share my perspective. So the short answer is yes I will utilize and incorporate reviewing and creating blogs into my work with the pre-service early educator. From my perspective, blogging is a valuable metacognitive tool and process for the blogger.