Thing # 3

The idea of using a blog in the classroom has a certain level of appeal. For me, the concept of blogging is to establish a form of communication by interjecting a thought, concept, or idea into the blogosphere in search of others retorts. As an educator, blogging will allow followers to subsequently respond to posts with their own insights which, in turn, will perhaps illicit responses from others. The possible communication benefits seem endless given the widespread coverage of the Internet today. Students and former students, parents and former parents, and many others can directly impact your blog. In my training for teacher license, I expect this blog will enable me to gain knowledge and appreciate the opinions of others; as well as see what others are blogging about. In the classroom, the speed of blogging can be used as an asset when information about daily, weekly, and monthly activities needs to be disseminated quickly and efficiently. Additionally, provided they are legally allowed by the school administration, blogs can be used to post schedules, up coming assignments, events, calendars, i.e. just about anything.

Thing # 2

For me, creating the blog was an enjoyable experience. I was actually able to maneuver through the sequence easier than I am finding writing about creating it. In naming my blog, I wanted to use a name that was simple and easy to remember. This is not very creative, but does allow me to recall the necessary information from memory versus writing everything down. I chose my avatar to be a pretty direct reflection of my physical appearance and personality. My current job as an infantry platoon sergeant in the military requires a substantial amount of stoic, authoritarian style leadership. This style enables me to have immediate results of my tasks with little thought and only minimal input from my subordinates. This not the most effective way to teach a student, but for military purposes while in combat, and when lives count, correct results tend to override other styles.

Thing # 1

The easiest habit for me is Habit 2, “Accept responsibility for your own learning”. As someone who has spent more time in the military than not, I have learned that being responsible for myself is extremely important. So, I find myself looking inward if a situation arises where I am not performing at a certain level or standard. I have learned how not blaming others, or society for my own shortcomings helps me to become a more focused learner. The hardest habit for me is Habit 7, “Teach and mentor others”. It’s not that I don’t enjoy, or are not comfortable with this habit. I feel it’s more that I want to do a great job at it. Since teaching and mentoring is judged more by the persons receiving the help, I feel it’s hardest for me to be satisfied with the job I’ve done.

Setting up this blog was not very difficult. I did have a bit of trouble registering it, but was able to figure out my error and correct it. The take away I most look forward to with this experience is to gain some insightful knowledge about using the web, its technologies, and how to properly apply it to the classroom.