Reflection

Never did I imagine the journey I would embark on when the Lindsay Technology Director approached me last June about this certification program. At that point in time I was too technologically ignorant to understand what this TATC thing was all about. I have learned so much about technology and myself. You can get kind of lazy when you get in "that same old groove," which I tried to stay out of by changing grade levels and subjects over the years. I have learned to not be afraid of the computer. I have regained self-confidence that I had misplaced over the years. It is so exhilarating to be asked to do something by a colleague and be able to sit down at that ole computer and do it! At one point in this trek, I had the nickname "The Whiner" at school (and probably TATC), but I hope that isn't the case anymore. This has been one of the toughest years of my life. I was enrolled in this program, drill team sponsor, yearbook sponsor, coach of three UIL events and teaching five sections of two new subjects. Add a husband, four kids, death of the family pet and breaking in a new pet to that and you have one exciting year!

Web Authoring I have been rereading my journal to help me with this reflection and my stress level during Foundations and Web Authoring was way too high. I remember that well! Web Authoring was such a scary course and now to be able to make a web page using HTML is just awesome! Web Mastery is one of the courses I will teach in the fall (pending successful completion of TATC) and I am anxious to get busy. I want to teach the kids HTML first then later show them one of the programs such as GoLive. I never used a web authoring program, so I don't know how that will go. From what I remember of reading your discussions, it should go well. That first travel web site was a sight to behold. I did frames and never again revisted that experience! I still don't understand that password activity we did. You know, sometimes I am really slow! Each step through web authoring was a tiny step and taken with much trepidation. Those tiny steps have been good and I feel great about what I can now do with a lot of practice.

Digital Graphics/Animation and Extended This was fun now that I look back on it. I know it had to stress me out to the max but I love some of the work I did here. Flash is a really cool program and I am proud of my digital graphics/animation lesson plan which I included as an artifact. After reading my journal, I note that I didn't like Flash much when I was using it, but it sure made my projects look nice! DGA and the Extended DGA were fun classes and I was so glad to get my elective out of the way before Christmas. I didn't know which elective to take. DTP was very similar to BCIS (I thought!) so I skipped that, and my daughter graduated in May so I knew I better not take an elective then so that left DGA and I am truly glad it did! I am very proud of the progress I have made in PhotoShop which has been such an asset in yearbook.

Desktop Publishing This was a course that I thought I could "breeze" through! It was much easier than the other courses, but breeze may be a little strong. This is probably the point where I got more comfortable with the computer because I knew I could do this stuff. I was glad to get familiar with Microsoft Publisher and even had the courage to "play" with it with my BCIS students. The very best thing from this course was The Non-Designer's Handbook! Rachel was also another very "good thing" (sorry)! She has a knack for making you feel really good when you need it the most. I am very glad that I had her for five of the eight courses.

Multimedia Now that is a word that struck fear in my heart! I know one of the problems I had with this course--my attitude. I felt that things were going to be easier after Christmas especially since Desktop Publishing was so great. Then bam!--Multimedia and I don't think it was so much the course because I really enjoyed it and I am proud of the photo album I put together, but I think it was a major case of Spring Fever, stress and family troubles. This course seemed to have more work and more deadlines than the others and that was probably just in my head because of my situation. Reading my journal makes me think I was really gripy but I really loved this course! It helped that Marilyn was also very good at rewording the directions in my kind of 1, 2, 3 organization. I felt that the language in this entire TATC program was hard to follow and somewhat disorganized. When I was having trouble understanding something, it seems like Marilyn knew what I was thinking and reorganized the instructions.

Video Technology Another word that struck fear in my heart and for good reason. This was the most difficult of the courses for me and I really had to seek lots of outside help. Now it is on my list of courses for the fall. I am not worried about capturing the video, or the storyboards, or the planning. I think I am worried about Premiere and how "huge" it is. This course did not allow time to learn how to use this program. I am going to take it step by step and really get my students (and me!) familiar with this program and go from there. The music video was fun and involving the students was exciting. They love doing things!

In conclusion, this was one of the hardest years of my life, but well worth the experience. I never dreamed I would come so far. The closeness of this class that has never met in the physical sense awes me. The constant helping each other through good and bad was truly inspiring. I have learned so much from reading their contributions and used much of their work to help me with mine. In the beginning I didn't think I could do an on-line class, and now I don't know if I could go back to the regular college classroom! This journey has been quite a trip. A trip that I am glad I have taken. I must add a special thanks here to some very supportive people--my husband and family, my technology director and my principal. How many times did you guys talk me out of quitting!