Reflecting on Reflecting
Just a few short notes and observations that I have had about blogging, starting this blog, and actually getting some thoughts down.
First of all, I never have really seen myself as a writer or blogger in the first place - the reasons behind starting this blog are documented here in my very first post. About 4 months into this project, 4 pages and about 10 postings later, here I am. Thinking about the time and effort (it's not as easy as I thought it would be either) that has been invested in my blog has led me to reflect on my reflection.
Teachers need to be reflective in their work, in their pedagogy and in their disciplines/areas of speciality, in order to keep current, relevant and effective. I have always been a reflective teacher in the classroom, throughout my career as a computer science and technology teacher. Keeping current with the ever changing technology field was something that was a given. But the results of this introspection and analysis always resulted in a tangible change in what I was doing in the classroom, what I was doing with students, or working with other CS/technology colleagues.
As a full-time technology coach, things have changed. I no longer have a regular class of my own. I am no longer teaching computer programming, applications, problem solving or working through a curriculum. Instead, I am now working with faculty, the student body as a whole or as a grade level, or occasionally with just a particular class belonging to someone else. Not that I am completely removed from the classroom - far from it. It's just the context and focus has changed for me. Hence, this blog. By reflecting on the work that I am doing now as a technology coach and putting it into writing here, I am creating the tangible evidence of what has worked and what has failed, for my own use and for others out there in the blogosphere. As my "class" now consists of faculty, students and staff around the school, I typically no longer have the convenience of thinking "well that really sucked . . . I will do it differently next period." Writing it down and reflecting on the good, the bad and the ugly helps me to stay current, innovative, and engaged with being a tech coach.
If you asked me as recently as 6 months ago, I would have firmly said that I would never write a blog or have a good reason to do so. But here I am . . . still writing . . . I am a blogger now! If you are out there, thank you for listening/reading. So do you have a blog of your own? Have you ever thought you would never, ever start a blog, just like me? Well, maybe it's time to start?!?
First of all, I never have really seen myself as a writer or blogger in the first place - the reasons behind starting this blog are documented here in my very first post. About 4 months into this project, 4 pages and about 10 postings later, here I am. Thinking about the time and effort (it's not as easy as I thought it would be either) that has been invested in my blog has led me to reflect on my reflection.
Teachers need to be reflective in their work, in their pedagogy and in their disciplines/areas of speciality, in order to keep current, relevant and effective. I have always been a reflective teacher in the classroom, throughout my career as a computer science and technology teacher. Keeping current with the ever changing technology field was something that was a given. But the results of this introspection and analysis always resulted in a tangible change in what I was doing in the classroom, what I was doing with students, or working with other CS/technology colleagues.
As a full-time technology coach, things have changed. I no longer have a regular class of my own. I am no longer teaching computer programming, applications, problem solving or working through a curriculum. Instead, I am now working with faculty, the student body as a whole or as a grade level, or occasionally with just a particular class belonging to someone else. Not that I am completely removed from the classroom - far from it. It's just the context and focus has changed for me. Hence, this blog. By reflecting on the work that I am doing now as a technology coach and putting it into writing here, I am creating the tangible evidence of what has worked and what has failed, for my own use and for others out there in the blogosphere. As my "class" now consists of faculty, students and staff around the school, I typically no longer have the convenience of thinking "well that really sucked . . . I will do it differently next period." Writing it down and reflecting on the good, the bad and the ugly helps me to stay current, innovative, and engaged with being a tech coach.
If you asked me as recently as 6 months ago, I would have firmly said that I would never write a blog or have a good reason to do so. But here I am . . . still writing . . . I am a blogger now! If you are out there, thank you for listening/reading. So do you have a blog of your own? Have you ever thought you would never, ever start a blog, just like me? Well, maybe it's time to start?!?
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