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Reflections
"The journey of a
thousand miles begins with a single step." This ancient
proverb provides a summary of my TATC experience. I feel as if
I have, indeed, traveled a thousand miles due to the knowledge I
have gained, the labor I have exerted, and the assignments I have
completed. However, neither lagging too far behind nor
speeding too far ahead but keeping a steady pace has been the key to
my survival in this journey.
The expedition began with
the onslaught of Vision IT training, after which I almost withdrew
from the program. Facing the realities of the time involved,
my already hectic home life, and my school and community service
endeavors, I came very close to backing out. A conversation
with my mother changed my mind though. She reminded me that I
never shirked from a challenge and that this was an opportunity of a
lifetime. After some deep soul searching, I allowed her pep
talk to persuade me to embark on this adventure. (On a side
note, my mom called toward the end of September to ask if I had
finished "that class" yet. When I told her I
wouldn't be through until next August, her reply was, "Are you
crazy?!?! What were you thinking?!?!?) Needless to say,
I asked myself those same questions many times throughout the TATC
program.
Foundations
The first course was a rewarding one. Having an eye for
design, I finally learned the actual concepts behind what I knew
"looked good." The course also provided a fairly
easy entry into the TATC journey.
Standard 7:
Desktop Publishing
Much like the foundation course, the study of desktop publishing
provided me with the concepts I never knew to produce higher quality
dtp products. This standard is an area that I'm constantly
using, for baby shower invitations to graduation programs. I'm
pleased with what I learned and will use the knowledge I gained in
many areas.
Standard 8:
Digital Graphics / Animation
This standard provides another key component for the technology
applications teacher. Almost everything we do and teach
requires the use of graphics! I feel I have made great strides
in the area of digital graphics, and the learning extends into all
the other standards. In the animation department, I took my
first steps very precariously and finally learned to walk
comfortably in producing some fairly decent work.
Standard 9:
Multimedia
I love this standard and the course that accompanied it!
To me, multimedia is the compilation of all the standards into
one. It appeals to more of our senses by incorporating visual
and auditory elements in addition to movement. The course
required the production of two of my favorite assignments, and I
really had fun doing them.
Standard 10:
Video Technology
This standard provided much opportunity for growth. It
requires advanced skills and significant planning. The course
was also a source of stress because of the time involved in
producing the work and also because of working on a group project.
Standard 11: Web
Mastering
I have to admit that I had a few melt-downs during this
course! I felt more prepared for this standard than most
others having taught web the year prior to TATC. However, the
portfolio format was difficult for me to understand, so I got off to
a rocky start! Thankfully, my instructor was patient and
helped me through the rough waters on this leg of my trip. I
learned so much through the course and the elective! I was
"forced" to learn and use some html!!!
Learning Goals
I taught English for eleven years prior to my change to
technology applications. I taught the same subject using the
same textbook in the same classroom for nine of those years, and I
suffered tremendous burn-out because of the sameness of it.
One thing I love about teaching computers is the endless variety of
my day! Given my history, I've learned how important it is to
keep new and different lesson plans in my curriculum. The
thing I've loved most about TATC is the wealth of ideas that are
generated both by me and my classmates. I now have more ideas
for lessons than I could teach in the next ten years! Staying
fresh in current technology and in my curriculum will be my goal for
the future as a technology applications teacher.
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