This course has
been an exciting eye opener into a whole new world of not only administration,
but in teaching as well. I have always been the one that likes setting the
example, and becoming an administrator that shows they are continuing to learn
is very appealing. As I look back over the last five weeks, I have learned so
much, and yet I still have questions.
The lectures were
like looking at a box of a cake mix. It was the overview of what we were going
to do. The picture the professors painted sometimes felt like I was looking at
some weird, new cake flavor that I wasn't sure I was really going to enjoy. The
readings were like the cake mix itself. It seemed like it was just one
ingredient, but it really was full of many other flavors. I enjoyed that the
readings were not like dry flour, something I just had to get through. I read
them and reread them discovering a new flavor every time.
I have used the
internet a long time so using electronic searches was not something new for me.
However, one of the interviews mentioned a site I had not heard of before, Survey
Monkey. Since then, I have looked it up, signed up for an account and have seen
its trademark on many questionnaires or surveys I have taken in the past few
weeks. This is a technology that is very intriguing and I cannot wait to delve
into it more in the next week as I develop my school-wide survey for my action
research.
The assignment that
was the most difficult for me was week three's. Just looking at a blank chart
was like having writer's block. I just didn't know what to put where. I knew
what I wanted to do, but I haven't seen some of those charts since my first
teaching position when I was on the site-based committee for my school. I
almost panicked trying to figure it out until I saw someone's chart on their
blog. Suddenly it became clear and I understood it meant a step-by-step chart
of what I was going to do. Even though this was probably the most difficult
assignment for me to do, and change, it also was the most useful assignment. My
plan was coming together and was becoming more clear in my head as well. I went
back over the readings for deeper understanding and tweaked my plan to follow
their guidelines. Once I was done with the draft, the next difficult thing to
do was put another framework on top of it. I didn't see the purpose of that
until I finished. It helped me smooth out some steps near the end that I hadn't
thought through yet. Posting it on my blog made it seem real and even others
said they liked it as well.
Blogs were
something I had heard of, from my techie friends. I have never been one to
really keep a diary or journal, but I have been active on social networks for a
long time and this forced me to step into another arena. I feel I have so much
more to add to my blog, I just need more time. I enjoy reading the other blogs
and my goal is to follow all of the ones listed for this course. I may not be
able to read all of them every week though.
Mostly I just can't believe all that I have
accomplished in just five weeks. I know I have a lot left to learn, but I am
looking forward to getting started. My plan has me doing school-wide surveys in
two weeks and I have been researching permission slip formats online in my free
time today. I found some very interesting ones that others have left for others
to find. I will post them in my blog soon so others can find them as well.
