Thing 23: You Made It!

This has been an outstanding course. I feel much more confident in exploring and using these tools to help me in my professional and personal life, as well as model the use of these web 2.0 tools during professional development opportunities that I help lead at Kent ISD. I felt before the class and feel even stronger now, that we need to help educators understand the importance of using web 2.0 technologies with our students. I have been shocked at how many schools and teachers ban or refuse to embrace these technology tools for their own PLN and for student use. We know that students are using these tools outside of class, but view school (K-12 and Universities) as behind the times in using these digital tools to create, communicate, share, and swap learning with one another. As educational leaders it is our job to help inform/teach all levels of educators to stop blocking and banning these technologies, rather we need to embrace them in order to truly prepare students with the 21st century skills needed to compete in the global economy. Students need to demonstrate creativity, teamwork, communication skills, understand how to find information, synthesize it, and ultimately create global connections. Web 2.0 digital tools will help them achieve the 21st century skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow.

I received the highest compliment this past week from my daughter who is a senior at NMU. Amanda shared how impressed she is with how much I know about web 2.0 technologies. In fact, she stated that I knew more than most people “my age or generation”. I took this as a compliment and hope to share my passion of using web 2.0 technologies to reach and teach teachers and students in our classrooms today.