Week one follow up #seaccr

Week 1 follow-up

I felt like I was on information overload this week.  Learning about the intricacies of twitter, adjusting my blog site as well as my week one response, working late every night, and getting inundated with info on common core standards at work, I ended my week frazzled and worn.  Thankfully, in the midst of the chaos, I discovered M&M’s would be coming out with a pumpkin spice variety.  Hope was restored and new energies descended on my weary bones.  (Sometimes, it’s the little things that get us back on track.)

This week’s Twitter session was a revelation.  I appreciated the fast and seemingly chaotic pace for the simple reason that I was able to do side-by-side comparisons of Twitter, Tweetdeck, and Twubs. Tweetdeck will definitely be my choice during subsequent twitter sessions.  I appreciated the ability to isolate parts of the conversations.  Twitter and Twubs were too chaotic for me.  During this session, I was impressed with several students’ ideas for the class and enjoyed the brief insights into the different personalities.  It is apparent that we have several inspired individuals in our group.  It was motivating to see that several people already have excellent ideas for their research project.  I am still sorting through ideas but as of yet, I am still undecided what to research for the next 9 weeks.  Should I look into the adoption of common core standards for math, which are currently creating extra work and added challenges to my busy schedule or should I focus on a technology related topic?  Since I am enrolled in the EdTech master’s program, I feel as though I should focus on the technology side.  One way or another, my final decision will be made this weekend.

It was interesting reading through other students’ blog postings this week.  I noticed a common theme throughout most of the postings.  Most agreed that educators typically engage in action research on a regular basis.  I had the same thought as I was writing my blog post.  I made it a point to mention this idea as I commented on their postings.  Although much of our research may be on a small, informal scale, it is a continuing cycle.  We notice an area that needs attention, seek ways to address it, and then make the necessary adjustments.  Our next step is to re-evaluate and start the whole cycle again. Obviously, educators are not the only ones who do this but it is something that is significant in our chosen profession.