Consolidation

 

As I reflect back on this program as a whole I see that I have affirmed my belief that life is interconnected. None of these areas of learning happened in isolation. Each influenced the other in different ways. When I look through all of my reflection on the artifacts I realize that the common thread is interconnectivity. Each of these three areas of learning directly correlated and influenced the other. They became embedded within each other. For example, in creating a website on leadership I had to apply what I learned in the area of digital literacies. I also applied my understanding of social and cultural contexts when I analysed character's actions in relationship to leadership theory. One of my greatest challenges was deciding where to put artifacts. I often felt they demonstrated each of the three areas. Instead I choose one theme to focus on, and then touched on the other two. Initially, I had hoped to find an underlying thread in the form of theory or paradigm. I suppose one could argue it is connectivism. However, that isn’t a theory that prevails within each individual artifact. It truly is the concept of interconnectivity. Even as I read through artifacts I found ideas that emerge over and over: identity, reflection, authenticity (to name a few). These ideas are like the chain links that bind together my three themes.

 

 For me, the most influential “reading” was not a reading at all. Rather, it was a white board animation by Sir Ken Robinson called "Changing Educational Paradigms". I was shown it during my Principles of Learning class. In it, he talks about the flaws of having a system of education that is so atomized. The flaws of the system in which I work are overwhelming. Some days I want to fix it all, other days I just want to throw in the towel. Changing an institution like education is a huge task. Some may say impossible. Truly, it is impossible for one person. In an interview I conducted for one of my artifacts the interviewee told me it is not my job to fix the system; it is my job to work within the system. I’m not sure I agree. Each day I go to my classroom and when I shut that door, it is mine for those 75 minutes. Each day I get to choose how I teach, what I teach. Maybe I cannot fix the whole institution, but I can make real changes to my practices that can impact my students. Who knows, maybe a few of them will go on to take those changes out into the world. Maybe one of my colleagues will walk by and ask me what I am doing and be inspired to change. Change comes slowly, but it always comes. Nothing is permanent. There will always be naysayers and critics, those who are afraid. Instead I choose to believe that I am privileged to work in a time of educational change and I get to be one of the leaders. Each day when I walk into my school I bring with me all of my lessons and learning from this program. Every day it informs the choices I make. It is okay if my name doesn’t appear on research articles in major academic papers or on a list of important TED talks. I know that it will be on my students’ assignments and, hopefully, on their hearts too.

 

As I leave this program I will take with me a lot of learning. Many people have been asking me, “So, what’s next? What are you going to do with your degree?”. Truly, I don’t have a specific plan in mind. I want to continue to work on improving my current teaching practices and try to integrate even more of my learning into my classroom practices. The transference from theory to practice is always an area of great learning. I plan to put myself through this personal learning challenge. While I currently believe my formal education may be at an end, I want to continue to explore my own personal learning networks. I want to continue to keep up to date with new research and trends in education. I also hope to continue to learn about the world I live in through travel and, hopefully, do some work abroad. I want to learn how I can apply my learning about education to my personal life as a wife and mother. I want to figure out what “having it all” means to me and I want to learn how I can find more balance in my life. I know I learn every day through reflection, critical thinking, relationships and experiences. I know that my life will offer me many more learning opportunities in the years to come. I hope I will be open and ready for them and I hope I can continue on the path less travelled.