Tool 11 - Final Reflection

1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox? Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools.

This is very much like asking a food addict to name their favorite food…Although not showcased in the 11 Tools program, the tool upon which I most heavily rely is Symbaloo. Although one could argue that this platform is just about structure and management of a PLN, I believe that it makes the PLN come alive and have meaning. Each of my students has a Symbaloo account for the purpose of gaining a structural approach to their school day PLN. I plan to rededicate myself to developing the PLN concept using this platform.
The platform that I get the most use of in managing a classroom is Google Apps. In addition, I think it is perhaps the most effective tool we have for students to LIVE 21st Century learning and outcomes. Two aspects of the Apps domain that I plan to re-visit are Stupeflix and Forms. With the former, it is both easily accessible and operable and yet terribly underused. Concerning the latter, I have toyed with the idea of assessing student learning by having them create their own tests using QAR strategies (Question Answer Relationships). I would like to see Google Forms used in that fashion and/or in creating Book Club assessments.
Another platform not specifically mentioned in the tools is one that I have grown fond of is Collaborize. I hope to become more adept at devising strategies to continue to engage and provoke students into deeper discussions, but also to manage and assess the responses.
Without doubt, I plan to devote a substantial amount of energy into facilitating the production of video artifacts as assessments via the plethora of iPad apps available.

2. How have you transformed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom? How has your vision for your classroom changed? Are you going to need to make any changes to your classroom to accommodate the 21st Century learner?

I actually feel I have been on fairly solid 21st Century Learner/Outcome ground for some time now. I think the 11 Tools program has served a validating function more that a true learning one. I have felt that I have been this lone edu-wolf, a stranger in a strange land being that thinks and speaks in a different language from those around me. My hope is that feeling of isolation will be less noticeable until it disappears altogether. The workshop operation of my classroom will continue and with the addition of some new tools on a permanent basis, I am sure there will be a number of streamlining/management changes that will take place. I do know that this will be an ongoing process of trial and error, but that is what makes the job an adventure!

3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

Not to say that I did not learn anything new, but 11 Tools was very much less challenging that what I have experienced in the other programs I have participated in over the years. That said, I think the program was beautifully designed and presented for the intended audience. I only hope that completion of this program not be considered a terminal degree. To me it is only a beginning. The needed aspects of action planning with content, teacher, and student specific outcomes, actual classroom performance, collection of outcome artifacts, and evaluation by peers and students should be next. I hope the decision to withhold the tools until completion of the using the tools course, the after contract hours for posting reflections rule, and the wholly inadequate number of professional development hours will be revisited and revised.