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Unit 5: Next Steps...

The end is near! Sometimes I find that I have more thoughts and questions at the end of a course than the beginning. However, I don't think that that is a negative thing. I think that it means I have considered different thoughts and ideas, and am open to seeing where those lead. Throughout this course I feel as though my perspective has broadened and I have another lens from which to look through while planning and designing learning opportunities.

Artifact #5:PechaKucha Video
The PechaKucha Presentation was new to me and put me a little outside of my comfort zone. I encountered some technical difficulties with uploading and formatting which was so frustrating, especially when I thought I would be done in a few simple clicks! However, I suppose there is a lesson to learn. I quickly wanted to give up. I can be a good problem solver and critical thinker in many situations, however, when it comes to technology, I get instantly frustrated. I imagine this is on some level how my students feel with many academic type tasks. It gave me an opportunity to practice some of the strategies I teach and practice with them. After some deep breaths, a break, and some positive thoughts (thought admittedly the positive thoughts came after quite a few negative frustrated ones), I proceeded and eventually got through it. Though it's not perfect, I am content with what I was able to do. I think this would be an interesting activity to try with some of my students with the right supports set in place. I like the structure of the 20 slides for 20 seconds and I think this is something they could do depending on the topic.

Below if my PechaKucha video I made which takes you through my thoughts, ideas, revelations, and reflections from throughout the course.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ni8vaUsQxLcTNe2pFVhpJp3Eh26_KOdH/view?usp=sharing


Building the stairs
"Building the stairs" by Christine und Hagen Graf is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

My thoughts for my next steps are as follows:
- re-evaluate some of my 'go to' learning activities to see if they meet the criteria of meaningful, memorable, and motivational
- tweak the activities to be meaningful, memorable, and motivational
- continue develop meaningful and appropriately levelled learning opportunities
- develop resources for topics covered each year for parents and families (i.e. electronic resources that are easily accessible for things like preparing to attend an IPP meeting, what a transition plan is, and what community resources are available for a variety of different needs).
- develop e-resources for teachers with information and support for things like programming and preparing for IPP meetings so that they have easy access to elearning opportunities for students with diverse learning needs.
- develop a yearly plan for my role as a facilitator (including things like preparing for IPP meetings, when and what support to provide for teachers, EPAs, parents, students, etc.)

It has been an up and down journey for me. I expect it will continue to be. However, after this course, I will proceed with an open mind, equipped with new knowledge, skills, and tools to build effective web based learning (for students, EPAs, teachers, and families) relevant for my teaching context.

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