Course Reflection

Realizing how little I knew about technology and the internet, then understanding how much I could actually do and understand (with a struggle) was the portion of this class that worked for me. I still have much to learn, but I may have broken through a few barriers that had limited me before this class.
The understanding by design assignment was fun, and my students seemed to really enjoy the lesson. The concept of big ideas and essential questions were confusing at first, especially when associating them to math concepts. Looking at the big idea as an application of how the math skill can be used in the real world and the essential questions are developed to stimulate critical thinking on how the skill can be used to help solve problems in every day life allowed me to implement these concepts into my math lessons. Having the students to understand math through real world experiences may give relevance to the skill and result in true mastery of that skill. This ability to problem solve is in fact our primary goal as math teachers.
Change is not always good, but we do know that change will always come about when people are not happy. As an administrator, I hope to observe and analyze trends and make adjustments and modifications as they are needed. I don't believe that changes should be drastic unless absolutely necessary in situations such as safety or security. Improving how students learn by providing an environment that is safe and conducive to learning would be one of my primary goals. Preparing these students for the future would perhaps be my biggest challenge. After taking this class, I'm not sure that any education system is equipped to adequately prepare our students with all the skills and tools necessary to succeed in the 21st century.