Reflections on the course thus far

We are about half way through the course, and the "semester" is flying by. So far, I have learned a great deal about new technologies that I can use in the classroom. In the beginning of the course, I was a bit worried that we would spend our time on PowerPoint, reviewing very user-friendly and simple technology. I was pleased to find that we would have the opportunity to use Photoshop and NVU. Although these programs are not overly complicated, they are tools that I have never used before, and hope to incorporate into my teaching down the road.

The frustrations that members of this class have, including myself, are of no surprise. This is an intensive summer course, so clearly we feel overwhelmed by the work at times. It's not that the work is too demanding, it's that in general, our lives are. As a full time teacher, planning lessons, grading papers, attending meetings, I rarely have time for anything outside of my job. Thankfully, today was the last day of school for me (with the exception of more curriculum planning days this week). This will free up a lot more time, so hopefully I'll be able to better keep up with the EDU 400 classwork at hand.

In summation, I'm enjoying the class thus far. Despite the stress of trying to finish all the work on time, I've had fun using new technologies. I often teach with an LCD and PowerPoint, and am always looking for more helpful technology in the classroom.