My Final Post, here it goes…

I am sure we can all agree that the Cohort experience has been quite the learning journey. I definitely recommend this PD to any teacher looking for one that is EFFECTIVE. It was interesting to discuss what other Cohort members were thinking of for their action plans, where they were going, how they narrowed their HMW questions down, and how it all unfolded. For some people, this was an easy task, while for others, this was more of a challenge. The Cohort 21 facilitators were awesome at making each and every one of us feel like our HMW questions were important. Thank you @gnichols for reminding us of this. My HMW question changed over time and speaking with others helped me to narrow my focus to: HMW find and use meaningful technology to improve the primary classroom experience?

I enjoyed my Cohort21 experience for several reasons. Some of these reasons are listed below. They are not in any particular order.

1. I have a well-stocked tool kit that can be used for years to come.
2. I enjoyed working and collaborating with like-minded people. It was interesting to hear about what is happening at other schools.
3. I loved that the Cohort experience allowed me to forget about everything and to reflect on my teaching. Something I find very hard to do with 2 little ones.
4. The facilitators did an AMAZING job providing us with their guidance and support on all HMW questions, no matter how small. THANK YOU!
5. Cohort21 got me out of my comfort zone through some of the activities we did and it challenged my thinking. It was great to take responsible risks and try something new.
6. Cohort21 held me accountable. I had all of these ideas in my head, but never set aside time to just dive in!

My program has improved this year, because I have been able to provide the students with several opportunities to learn using resources beyond the walls of the classroom. Students really enjoyed participating in various Google Hangouts. During our World Fair unit, students had the chance to learn about different countries using Google Expeditions. We were also able to connect with people in the USA, Brazil, China, Australia, and Africa. That is pretty amazing considering we didn’t even leave our classroom!

I learned how to tweet. Although I am not a pro yet, I am getting better. I will continue to tweet for the remainder of the year and will share my twitter handle with parents at the beginning of the next school year. Students are using Sesame portfolios to reflect on their work and this has also been a great way to keep parents informed.

Students learned how to code using code.org and Scratch Jr. They also attended a field trip where they learned about Lego Wedo. Students learned how to program Dash and Dot.

I am very happy that I was able to introduce my students to different kinds of technology this year. Not only were students enthusiastic and engaged, but now they are also one step closer to being better prepared for the future with technology.

Now what?

My goal is to continue to try new kinds of technology in the classroom as I hear about them. I will continue to collaborate with Cohort 21 members for ideas and guidance.

Click here to visit my Slide Deck:

Thanks to @gvogt ,@gnichols, @ddoucet, @jmedved and @lmcbeth for all of your guidance and support!