Self-Assessment and Metacognitive Journal Post

Genevieve Salerno

I.                    Introduction: This class has been one of the most interesting and curious so far. What started out as a very flat portion of my pathway to a master’s has become an eye-opening exercise in sharing experiences with others. I have had to think very carefully about how to answer the questions posed by this reflection assignment. I could probably fill many pages but in the spirit of brevity, I will try to keep this short!

 

II.                   Strengths: One of the strengths I felt I was able to more fully explore through this class was my appreciation for new material, especially when it came to listening to the perspective and observations of my peers. I have never thought of myself as a particularly close-minded person, but I have thought about the use of technology as a mixed bag of blessings and curses. The idea of looking at literacy as anything other than the ability to read and write in a chosen, standardized language, seemed to be a way for standards of education to be weathered away. When I first came into this class, I was concerned I would be learning about ways in which students were no longer going to be held accountable for learning established methods of expression. As a college instructor, I felt a little threatened by the idea that I would be going up against peers who felt that anything a student did, as long as it was expressive, was totally perfect. I was also concerned that I would not meet anyone else in the class that held the same reservations regarding the Internet as I do. I was relieved and excited by the different viewpoints of my fellow teachers. I learned that they ask the same questions and face the same struggles as I do as far as how to utilize the resources around us to create meaningful lessons for our students. Only through a willingness to see the viewpoints of others without immediately shutting them down in my mind was I able to get the most out of the discussion forums. I felt the blog format made it very easy to trust my peers and respect that they have put as much thought into their words as I put into my own. I feel my strength of rapport building helped me interface with my classmates in this manner. I also feel that my open mind made it possible for me to explore resources in this class that I did not completely agree with, such as the idea that video games will save the world, and the idea that hip-hop ought to be brought into the classroom space. I was able to elaborate on why I disagreed with these ideas, while still recognizing the value of them. This, to me, proves that I am learning!

 

III.                Improvements: I feel that I need to improve on time management. This is the first semester where I have had to ask for an extension and I feel it is due to my lack of skill in prioritizing things. Because of my workload and how much I enjoy working with my students, as well as the wild animals I care for, I often times was unable to fully digest the materials offered in this class. I regret this because a lot of what I read was truly thoughtful, ground-breaking work! Although one strength of technology is its ability to make work completely portable and available anytime, anywhere, I have begun to question the efficacy of this methodology. At one point in my life, I was able to sit down and really FOCUS on a task. This semester has found me scattered and distracted by the multitude of demands I must meet. I feel I am capable and up for the task, but I would like my engagement with my master’s courses to be more purposeful and more thorough moving forward.

 

IV.               Insights: In order to be a teacher, in what ways can I improve my understanding of literacy? How can I meet my students where they are at, and encourage them to go beyond that point in their understanding of the world. My ability to reach my students seems to stem from my ability to recognize the different lenses or contexts that they operate in. How much of my own personal framework should I consciously apply to these scenarios? Much of what I took away from this class is the power of technology is its ability to encourage the expression of the self. What are the limits of expression and identity development as far as career training and cultural literacy? I am curious to see where these questions lead me as I move forward. One thing I have been able to learn is that by letting the students know I see them and celebrate them, I have been able to reach them. This is a tenuous place as a figure of authority. I hope that by continuing to look at myself and the world in the same curious spirit as I regarded much of this class, I will be able to stay relevant in the lives of my very electric students!

Again, thank you for the opportunity to explore such a rich vein in education! If it were not for this class, I honestly would still be thinking that books are literacy and computers are the same as vacuum cleaners 😉