1. What I learned from my book of choice.

Stuck in the shallow end was a powerful and profound book for me. I remember my grandmother telling me about the Jim Crow south and her memories back then. I guess i never connected why swimming is so ignored in the black community I discounted how history affected the present. I am even more upset at how i failed to see the relation to technology and  minority America. Same problem just a different time. I swear to prevent this technologic drought in my community the best i can. I hope to make nerdy cool, i want to make sure my students know it's okay to  be black and intelligent.

 

 

 

1. What I learned from the focus group and teaching demonstration.

I learned that my students want to take pride in their learning. They were just waiting for the opportunity and space to do so. I honestly don't think they were ever told that's it's okay to talk in class, I honestly don’t think they were even given a chance to debate and discover new ideas from their peers. I am guilty of being a lecture focused teacher, but this past year I've done so little talking it’s weird. My students are performing academically better than the past and they are so entrenched in finding new knowledge it's created a culture in my building that others have noticed.

 

 

 

1. What I learned from my colleagues.

I’ve learned to approach problems through new lenses. I’ve also gained a new passion for teaching. I was stuck on a plateau of sorts and really gained inspiration from my peers. In my building there is rarely an opportunity to commune with  other teachers  while also learning. I’ve had some amazing discussions from people I probably wouldn’t have met before. Being a teach often feels isolated, learning from other excited educators was wonderful. I’ve become a better teacher.

 

 

 

1. Between writing the implementation report and now, what insights do I have on my ImagineIT?

I think that I'm ready to flip my classroom. I was so afraid to give my students so much responsibility. My imagineIT and my focus group forced me to accidently  face that fear. Seeing that side of my students, witnessing how much they love learning  is encouraging. I’ve changed the culture in my building an involuntarily built the self-esteem of so many of my students.

 

 

 

1. Looking forward, what key items would I change when I implement round 2?

Documenting and saving artifacts are important . I lost a ton of brilliant conversations because of human error. Taking advantage of cloud technology and google apps is the way to go. My student  podcasts and forums were all lost because I washed a flash drive with everything. For round too, documenting and displaying is my main goal. Having evidence of my student's mastery is important. It gives them the opportunity to add knowledge, correct errors, and most of all be proud of their progress