Reflection on Professional Growth as a Educator

I’m struck by how far I’ve progressed professionally over the past seven years. I’m grateful to the students, parents, colleagues, professors, my professional learning network, authors, consultants and administrators who’ve contributed towards my development, thus making me a more effective educator. I look forward to continuing my professional growth, as I endeavor to prepare students successfully for the 21st Century challenges they’re certain to encounter.

Learning & Professional Knowledge

Through formal coursework (nine graduate credits) and numerous workshops, conferences, network meetings, etc., I have consistently added to my professional knowledge and learning.

Ask any colleague about my area of “expertise” and it’s likely they’ll mention technology integration. I’ve always considered this to be interesting, as just a few years ago the answer would be something along the lines of “He’s the literacy guy.” The fact is, both are correct. I’ve taken the leap into the realm of digital literacy, the 21st Century literacy. After having the good fortune of connecting with educators around the world via Twitter and the blogosphere, I concluded that not engaging students in various web applications and social media would be doing them a huge disservice. The very tools they engage with daily at home or elsewhere should be brought into the classroom to authenticate their learning experience. Also, when used in a targeted manner, with specific learning objectives in mind, they’re highly effective learning tools.

The two courses I’ve taken relative to this have enabled me to explore, experiment and create, thereby successfully integrate technology, on a large scale, into my classroom. Digital Storytelling compelled...

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...he state, district, and local assessments utilized in my classroom. I consistently utilize Razinski’s Three Minute Fluency Assessments, the Developmental Reading Assessment, the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Reading Assessment, and self-designed rubrics and checklists aligned with the grade-level expectations to inform my instruction.

Goal 4: I continue to expand my proficiency utilizing technology. This year I’ve collaborated with educators globally, via Skype. In October, via Skype, my class performed a poetry slam with another sixth grade, from the Chicago area. My goal is to connect with more classes and experts on a global scale via Skype.

Goal 5: All of my coursework is evidence that I have continued to develop my repertoire of teaching strategies, best practices and content knowledge in areas of the curriculum for which I am responsible.