Nowa Techie

Six months ago I began a journey into a certificate program, Innovative Educators Advanced Studies Certificate. I first became aware of it late last summer via Twitter. The description sounded interesting and right up my alley. It was incorporating technology into the classroom. What a ride it has been, and now it’s over. And I’m feeling a little sad about it.

When others heard that I was taking classes, they immediately assumed I needed to move over on the salary schedule. I still find that such an odd response. I know many people do that, but we should also take courses in things that we are interested in. I could go on about that, but will save that for another post.

So here was the deal, 6 months to do 9 classes. Looking back at it, it sounds like a lot, but fortunately for me I liked the topics, enrolled, and didn’t really think too much about it. I’m really glad I didn’t! I think if I had really thought about it, the amount of work would have scared me off. In retrospect, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Yes it was work, but well worth it. I met some fabulous educators who inspired me, who made me work hard, who made me think more, and who made me a better teacher. Our cohort was small, 9 students and 2 lead learners.

Last Wednesday, we had our last synchronous session together. We each presented our ePortfolios we had been keeping for the course. It was amazing and inspiring to see everyone’s hard work and dedication. Then came our final good-bye’s. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I can say that it left me feeling a little sad. I realized, okay maybe it just hit me, that I would no longer be working with these people on a regular basis. I mean it has been 6 months of collaborative projects, discussion boards, and synchronous sessions, now nothing. Many of them are on Twitter, and I follow them. I’m pretty sure I will see a few at CUE events, like CUE RockStar, and that will be good to connect. But in the end, I was a little lost.

Since our last meeting, I’m getting into a new routine. One that does not include homework, well at least for a while. Now I’m thinking of going back and getting another Master’s Degree. This time it would be in Instructional Technologies, or something along those lines. Overall, it was an awesome experience, and I am now looking forward to many new adventures!