Wow! As sat through our last night of presentations Monday night, the same thought kept coming to me over and over..."What a diverse and interesting group of educators!". I really was impressed with the final projects each person presented for their final projects and I was so glad that we were able to share with each other. Thank you, each of you!
As I reflect back on the quarter, I can't help but feel that I most certainly have more questions than answers. Throughout the semester I have been challenged, outraged, aggravated, curious, and inspired, and that's just my knee-jerk reaction to the ideas that we've scratched the surface of!!!
I really appreciated the courses where we defined things, such as democracy, schooling, and education. I think that SO many words get thrown around in education, without people completely knowing what they mean in general, let alone within the context of education. The reminder to be aware of definitions was an important one.
I think the most important thing I’ve taken away from the class, is the reminder that in order to be a good educator, I must also be a good student. Authentic and honest inquiry is at the root of what it means to learn. This course has reminded me that quality educators not only provide excellent instruction, but they too are always in the process of questioning and learning more about their field, area of focus, and the world around them in general.
Thus, I submit to you, the top 3 things on my “list-o-further investigation”.
1) The John Dewey Society ~ http://cuip.net/jds/
It seems that Dewey came up a lot in our discussions, and though I appreciate Craig’s knowledge and individual enthusiasm for Dewey, I’d like to know more.
2) The U.S. Department of Education Website and NCLB Resource Page ~
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
I don’t fully understand NCLB. I wish I knew more. This seems a good place to start!
3) UMass Social Justice in Education Homepage ~ http://www.umass.edu/sje/
I didn’t know programs like this even existed…I wonder what great ideas they’re coming up with!!!
This, by no means, is an exhaustive list, rather a starting point of acquiring more knowledge. I look forward to the process!
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