And That's a Wrap!

Wednesday night, April 20, 2016 the WSU Cohort #1 held its final #byronedchat.   This has been quite an experience.  We had our regulars but this time we had several make their presence known that were not even from our district.  It makes me think that if we are able to keep this going we can become just as big as some of the other chats that I have participated in such as #mnlead or #satchat.  I am impressed with how quickly we have become known by others.  I think that is because of the the strong PLNs developed by of some of my classmates.

This semester has been very exciting.  I have created my own PLN and watch it grow almost daily.  At the beginning of this semester I had 53 followers. I am now up to 144.  And reading those bios, those are people that that I consider credible in their fields.

This semester I have learned many things.  I did learn I can "go off the grid" and survive without technology or social media.  As much as I have referenced it, one must get the impression that this was very difficult for me.  That would be an accurate impression.  Because of our district wide Twitter chat, I have come to know others from the district that I have only known by name.   I have learned what an incredible team of educators we have in our district and through our discussions it is no wonder that we are considered a Blue Ribbon School.

The pace of this course was very manageable.  It allowed me to take time to explore options before trying them without the pressure of a deadline. Through collaboration I have been given many resources that will help in enhancing my teaching.

As class 2 in this program comes to a close, it finds me not only reflecting on what I have learned this semester but pondering what I would like to learn in the classes ahead.  I am excited for what is to come.

Feeling Panicked

It is hard to believe but our cohort is down to the last few weeks of this course.  At this point, I am finding that I still have much to do.  There is only one assignment that is giving me trouble and has me losing sleep.  That assignment is creating a lesson that includes a global learning experience.

Going into this course, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  I had (and still do) every intention of connecting my students with students from another district.  The purpose was to allow them an opportunity to improve their social communication skills.  At the start, I was very hopeful and very excited about this lesson but as time continues, the excitement has turned to nervousness.  The nerves are not because I am worried about them doing it. It is more about finding a classroom teacher that is willing to work with me on this mission.  Since the planning of this assignment I have had three different teachers outside of our district who have expressed interest in connecting our students but have not been willing to follow through with the request.  I am not a procrastinator when it comes to my coursework but I do fear that this will put me in a situation where I will have to implement a Plan B.

There is somewhat of a bright spot in all of this.  By reaching out to teachers from other districts, I have increased my PLN.  I feel the teachers that have been willing to collaborate with me (who I have added to my PLN) are very credible educators.  I sense that the challenge is the same for them as it is for me-time.  We all have the same goals for our students but we have them in a different chronological order.  We are all on a different calendar.

So, as I continue to assess my situation it leaves me to wonder when do I give up on my original plan and resort to Plan B?  Time is not on my side.