Thing #23 - In Summary!

Wow! I did it! What a great experience! In all the years of grueling staff development requirements that I've "had" to sit through, this one beats the pants off all the rest.

I sure hope this is a sign of things to come in the district. Being able to self-pace and think about what I'm doing, as well as having the option to return to something of which I'm unsure, is the ideal educational setting. I faced things head-on when I was in a relaxed state of mind to do so, rather than late in the afternoon/evening after teaching all day!

I learned so much and feel very empowered to start the year with new ideas and resources. I've always felt like I was somewhat techno-savvy, but little did I know that the online world has made such leaps and strides in the world of 2.0.

Now I'm going to be specific and tackle the required questions:

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey? Definitely del.icio.us! probably, because of the frequency I can see using it, and the magnitude in which it's already changed my "internet life!" I'm so much more organized!

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals? It's made me realize how absolutely important it is to keep learning! As mentioned above, I thought I pretty much had a handle on things in the world of technology -- I was WRONG! This has taught me to make a continued effort to seek out opportunities to try new things!

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you? Yes! That there is such a wide network available to me (especially in the realm of the library!), within the district, to try new things "outside of the box!" It was really refreshing!

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept? This is a teeny, tiny, insignificant suggestion. But one thing that would be helpful would be to change the format of the 23 things index/directions page so that clickable hotlinks open up in new windows. It was somewhat frustrating to not be able to navigate back and forth between the instruction page and the new resource being explored. Not a big deal (I just right-clicked and opened in a new window). Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing! The content was fantastic!

5. If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate? YES, YES, YES!!!!!!

6. How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities? This was by far the best staff development I've ever completed in 15 years of teaching in SBISD.