Looking Back

In my teaching life this year, I've been full steam ahead with digital writing as part of the laptop pilot. For the first time in my classroom this year, my students and I are using Moodle, wikis, Diigo, and Glogster, and we're only a few weeks into second quarter! I feel like the learning curve (and the stress) I'm experiencing this year are similar to the learning curve of my first year of teaching. I say this now, because I think that at any other time, I would have had a lot more time and energy for blogging. I think my blog title "Tess Reflects" has turned out to be kind of a misnomer, because I have had less time for reflection than I've ever had. My blog entries are more about what's happened or is happening in my classes, that about what's happening in my own head. But I think this fact really attests to the relevance of this Digital Writing course to my teaching life this year. . .

At the same time, I think my blog entries do address all of the subjects we've covered and something about where I'm coming from as a teacher and where I'd like to go. In this way, the blog has been very helpful. Sometimes my entries show my experience, and sometimes they show my ignorance! When I look at my blog, I think it shows my somewhat-disjointed and scattered teaching career: in eleven years of teaching, I have taught in four different states, in five different schools, at six different levels (grades 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12!), and I have a smattering of lots of different kinds of experiences from all of these different experiences. While the field of education gets accused of being stuck in the past, I am struck by how much change and variety has been a part of my teaching life when I look over my blog.

Now for awards--
Professional: 8th graders and a Wiki
I introduced my wiki in this entry, and I'm so happy with how it's going, now that we're over two weeks in. The quality of the discussion and student interest is really high, and I've had lots of students write that the wiki is FUN. Students are posting at all times of day and night -- including during the middle of the school day when they're in other classes -- which is a problem but does show how interested they are in the wiki.

Creativity: Digital Stories
This topic has spurred my thinking more than any other. . . I think that this has lots of possibilities in my class.

Design: Voice Thread
I didn't do anything really with design, so this is the only entry that qualifies even a little.

People's Choice: Thiessen Teaches
For voice (especially!), multimedia components, and thoughtfulness, Thiessen Teaches is my choice. Maria's blog is so witty and smart -- I imagine her cracking herself up as she writes. I found her blog always entertaining -- though I couldn't possibly follow all those links she has!