REFLECTIONS+ON+PRACTICE

The following was originally published November 24, 2009 at http://tchcruiser.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/piecing-my-final-project-together/ [|When a Body catch a Body] Originally uploaded by [|ms_quarantine] I liked this image as a way to capture my current frustrations around my final project this week. I usually enjoy spending a ridiculous amount of time putting jig saw puzzles together and am finding that creating the space I want to build for my final project is feeling much like it does when you first dump the box of pieces on the table and start sorting. You have a really good idea about what the final end picture or product should look like, and what components and pieces you will need to achieve it. But what is still nebulous and challenging is finding out which of those pieces need to be connected, and how they should be connected, in order for the entire thing to come together. This is where I am at with my final project. Let me outline the basic premise and then perhaps you might provide some ideas and suggestions to help me select the best pieces for the best fit. I also am asked to locate and share resource links and materials with teachers in my division. I would like to do this work once, and then store these links in a more permanent fashion with others more effeciently and easily than by one-one emails. I would also like to share my collaborative efforts and professional growth (required formally in my PGP and informally because I am interested in recording this in a more public way) with others in a more transparent way. Telling someone else and knowing that others are watching for results is a powerful motivator for me to actually carry out my plans and goals for the year. 1. Use the blogspace already created to act as my “homepage” and make more pages/categories to extend the topics, subject specific curricular areas and professional growth areas of interest beyond ECI 831. 2. Connect to other sites that do a better job of housing links and media (such as a wiki site for links that others can contribute to) and youtube channels for videos, etc. As I am working at this, I am wondering of I should not use a wiki as the home page instead and connect out to the blog, as Alec has modelled with our course. Although basic and not as fancy, it does seem to offer more flexibility for linking to so many other forms of social media. Maybe it is just the blog site I have chosen, but the more I try and get indepth with wordpress, the more it is not working for me. I am feeling flashbacks of working with Joomla- not at all intuitive. Does anyone else feel the same way or have ideas about how I might piece together my parts for reflection on professional readings, useful links to websites and resources, and connections with media in a neat, tidy and efficient manner? The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of using a wikispace as the main hub, and branch out from there. It does allow others to add easily to the work in progress as they find things (kind of in keeping with the “find a penny, take a penny” container at the cashier…). I know I like to feel helpful and a contributor to someone else’s journey and not always be taking, taking, taking. That is the beauty of the wiki vs the blog. And am I right in thinking that not all parts of the wiki needs to be open to the world? That you can lock areas that you want to not be changed?? If so, then maybe this is the way forward? Who has got the missing pieces of my puzzle? And if you have one, would you please share it?!
 * Project idea:** continue to expand and build upon ECI 831 blog space for professional development personally and for my work as a consultant to help support other teachers who want to connect to professional development readings, links, discussions and other content.
 * Rationale:** I have to read professionally and respond to books in book circles, PLC groups and other areas. I could record my reflections and thoughts about what I was reading in this space, and invite other teachers in my division and world audience to also respond and participate, lessening the need to drive long distances to still participate and feel part of the conversation and learning.