As we are coming to the end of the course, I am realising that I have learned a lot in this time. A lot more than I have in other course, and a lot more that is relevant to what I am doing in education.
The text book has caused me to reflect and wonder if I am doing enough when it comes to project based learning. I have incorporated more into my lessons and I am currently turning my grade 7 unit 4 into a completely project based unit. I already have done so with my grade 8's in unit 8 and it has worked wonders. I decided to do the same with the grade 7 unit because they tend to have some trouble with it. I am a little nervous that it is not going to work, but I am going to stick to it.
Also, my inquiry into calculator use has opened my eyes up to all kinds of possibilities when it comes to using it in the classroom. I have to make sure that my students do not become dependant on it, but to learn when appropriate times are to be using it. I am now using calculators in class more and more but at the same time, controlling when students are allowed to use it to try and get them to understand when they should be using it.
Dr. Stordy referred me to a book to read (Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally by John A, Van de Walle) for my inquiry project which turned out to be a great read, and I am looking forward to try and incorporate more of the things I read in there into my own teaching practises.
As for the blogging. Not sure how affective I have been with this. I do see it as a great tool that I can use in class. I am very interested in including technology into my classrooms and this could be a very positive tool to use. I wonder if I should have posted more, or if I should have posted more deep thinking into my posts. I find that I do most of my thinking about my courses when I have time to do so, which tends to be on my drive to or from work (50 minutes of my life each day in total). If I could transfer those thoughts directly into my blog, maybe that would lend to a better read here... or maybe not...
My posts to our discussion forum has been interesting. I was nervous about hosting my week, but my chapter was, like many, an interesting one so it wasn't too bad. I found that I would read the chapter in the book and get to a part that really interested me and I would write in the margins to remind myself to post about it when I got home only to find that it had already been posted to death. Nice to see that other students are seeing the same thing as me, but at the same time, argh... Now what will I talk about... ;) My fellow students are very good at presenting their thoughts and I am afraid that my postings were not as thought provoking or as well informed, but I think that I did my best, so I am ok with what I have done there.
Overall, I have enjoyed the course. It is only early into my masters program and I hope that my other course will be as good as this one.
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