October+6th,+2010+Reflection

= The theme of the past two days has been "Change". The purpose of a Visionary Experience is to open minds to possibilities and, as a result, evoke change in thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. =

=== How has this Visionary Experience changed you? Have your attitudes about education been changed or reinforced? When you return to your classroom, what will be different? Do you have new short-term and long-term aspirations? Share your thoughts. ===

Lori McKenney - I am definitely challenged to try some new things in my classroom and even bounce some of these ideas off a few students and see just what catches their attention. I am looking at apps that will enhance the classes that I teach so that students can see hand held technology crossing over to the classroom and mixing with things they already do. I want to infuse useful, learning tools into their hands before they realize what's happening.

Chad Kment - If I go back to my classroom of students who are not being engaged, and I don't make any change, SO WHAT insanity - doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results.

Jim McKenney - I am challenged to incorporate some of the ideas that were presented. I have some students that need to be challenged to be more than participants. I hope that a few of the students will have the lightbulb come on and find an interest to persue, even to the point of "this is something I might like to do as a career".

Janet Rood-This has motivated me to do something to increase technology and change at my school. So no matter how small I am settings goals to do something. I want to challenge other teachers to do the same.

Marilyn Whitaker - Change??? The thing that struck home with me is that I have tried many new things with our 1:1 Mac Initiative, but I have really been dropping the ball on the publishing part. I am definitely going to utilize technology/web to publish the great things my students accomplish. Tim Olin - It has reinforced what I already believe. It will really help in our decision to go 1-1 computing and if we do in implementing the program.

Jill Bates -- We don't often consider "failure" as having a direct relationship to "success." Mark's final video caused me to look at failure from a fresh perspective. If we fail, we'll learn what doesn't work AND we'll have the opportunity to try a new approach. My challenge is to allow myself (and those around me) to fail to provide new opportunities for growth.

Suzette McCarthy - I do have both short and long term aspirations as a result of this experience. In the short-term I will be implementing a challenge-based learning activity in one course each 9-weeks. Also, I want to share resources with at least two other teachers, TODAY. Long-term, I'd like to start a business run by students. I'm excited and overwhelmed, but will just keep putting one foot in front of the other to begin my journey.

Corey Dahl (ESU 8) - I think about that final video as well...and what "failure" means as it pertains to "success" (as Jill stated above). I think of any past failures and how I'm able to use that knowledge in the future to help create success. I believe I might be even more apt to try something that might seem to not fit the norms, and it might fail...and it might not! It might turn out to be great!

Rhonda Jindra (ESU 1): I loved the Honda video--especially Danika Patrick's comments about being right on the very edge because that's where success lies (that may not have been exactly what she said--but it was good!). Being "right on the edge" is frightening sometimes--but it's also filled with possibility. In addition, a little bit of danger adds real zest to life. For me, I hope to put myself on the edge--to be willing to go against the flow--be on the forefront--enjoy the thrill of challenge! I think a bit of danger will come when I learn how to facilitate an online class, or create a webinar learning experience for teachers, or....the sky is the limit.

Ryan Olander - I have an opportunity to use these things with new students who are new to using these technologies in school. I plan on incorporating many of these things I can into what I do during the school year with students. I am very excited to meet again and get the ipod and start using it. I am currently thinking of ideas and projects the students can use it for.

Michele Schmidt - I left our conference with so many different ideas to improve on or incorporate into my classroom and with our teachers that my head has been swimming since then. I am so looking forward to visiting the social media class's website to check some of those items out and start incorporating them into our multimedia tech class. We are very fortunate to have been able to purchase iPod touches for each of our teachers and we had the second day of training just last week. I was able to bring ideas back from the conference to share with them as well as I set up a Wiki in Wikispaces for all of us to share the applications and websites that we find for our iPods that can help us and/or our students in our classrooms. I have wanted to create a Wiki, but never really felt confident that there was anything I had to share that would be of any value. After this conference, I was able to bring the idea of a Wiki back to our teachers and show them how we as a staff can collaborate on items to share information; but I also emphasized to them that this is an easy way they can have their students collaborate on projects and add to them as they go. I also am excited to start some blogging with my 2nd quarter multimedia class. After hearing about the social media class and how they blog about their concepts they have learned, I have set up a blog that my class will be participating in on a weekly basis. They will be telling about the technologies that have been introduced throughout the week, how they could see that they will be able to use them in their pinnacle project, and how they might use this technology beyond my classroom. I gained so much from this conference, the presenters, and all my peers. Thank you all for sharing your expertise with me!

Annette Rasmussen-I returned home, back to the school reoutine, and still wanted to post I believe change is possible but so slow in my school (it's frustrating). So I am doing what I can here in my little corner of the world - one class started researching I-pads which I hope to utilize one of their presentations to give to administration!