599 Last Post EVER!!!!

This feels good. To say that this is the last post for my Masters Degree is amazing. I can't believe how fast it all went by. Even more so I can't believe how much I learned in that short amount of time as well.

Doing the portfolio project was a pain in the ass to be perfectly honest. I had to redo and redo. My links were not working, things moved around as if they were operated by a ghost, and worst of all I forgot to save some things from time to time. With that said... it was a great experience!

I learned do much from this project. Not only is it an important piece to my academics, it is also an indicator of all that I learned. I never thought that I would have my own website. Who new I could embed files? Can anyone say Google Docs?

It has been a long journey to my Masters Degree. I can't wait to go on my next journey... the one that incorporates the knowledge that I gained on this one... the one that will increase the knowledge and interests of my students.

599 Blog 2

Well, I can see the light in the end of the tunnel. I had a great start in the beginning. All except for a recent talk with my instructor, Louie, that really kicked me when I was down. Come to find out... I put links in my portfolio that were not public. There was no way for anyone to access any of my info! No wonder I did not get any feedback from anyone.

This really put me behind. I spent a lot of time making up for things that I should have done right in the first place. Well, I guess that this is all part of the learning experience right???? I can see from reading other blogs that others were having some kind of difficulty as well. It does make me feel better to know that I am not alone.

With the time that I have left in this week I will spend it making all of my handouts and presentations. This too is proving to use more time than I originally set aside for. I can live with that because the end is near. A few more hours won't kill me. That is unless I upload everything wrong again. Well, I learned from that mistake so I hope everything is smooth sailing for the next week.

I am excited that the project is almost done and I am more excited to implement into the curriculum in a few weeks. Until then. . .

The Final Class: Post 1

Wow! It is hard to believe that I am here already. It has gone by fast and I have learned a lot. My memory seems to be on overload. I have a terribly feeling though that this class is going to be the beast of them all.

I have begun the timeline. At first, I was having a difficult time trying to think of things to come up with the 60 hours. I was beginning to think that my project was not complex enough and that I would have to start from the beginning. After a short time more of thinking about it I began to realize all of the "little things" that need to be taken care of. Now, it is becoming apparent to me that I may need more than 60 hours and that I am in over my head! This project was easy to underestimate. I look at it the same way that I look at grocery shopping.... Shopping could be a 45minute task unless you forget all of those little things such as spices, a head of lettuce, frosting and toilet paper. Then it seems as if I have to go back and just those few things take an extra 45 minutes because they are in opposite ends of the store. I am learning a great deal just by putting my tasks down on paper. I am more organized and I have a better idea of what I need because of the timeline... Perhaps I need to start making grocery lists! :)

Week Six

• How has your definition of leadership altered or been reinforced? Your definition of teacher leadership

• Has your opinion of your leadership potential changed?
• Do you agree with our textbook's assertion about "improving education from within"? If so, what will you do to help?

I always knew that being a leader is hard work. I never exactly realized how much work it is however. Being a leader, especially and administer truly takes a specific state of mind. A leader's job is to always look at the system as a whole. Leaders are not responsible for one task but many. Theses tasks often cross the paths with many people may be very different. With such a complex environment comes a very complex job.

I believe that I am a good leader and that I do possess a lot of the skill required to be one. On the other hand I do not have an interest in doing so. I've been told by several instructors and administrators that administration would be a good Master's Degree for me. But as you can see I did not go that route. I believe that it is a very demanding job.

565 week 4

This week was insightful. The game specifically was eye opening. While playing the game in class I began to realize that we were no good to say the least. As we were playing our strategies made sense. But after each round we faced more and more rejection. None of our players were progressing and our strategies were not improving. This experience has opened my eyes to the difficult tasks that leaders have to face when it comes to making systems work. There are so many angels that need to be looked into and when you think that you have it all figured out, things still may not turn out as planned. I hope that we have a better insight next week.

565 Week Three

I know i did a week two blog but I must not have saved it??? Well, this week has been insightful. I see, so often, everyday, teachers, parents, and students, who only think about themselves. The problem with this mode of thinking is that we are all a school and the school runs as a system. It does not matter how perfect or new a part of the system is unless it is working with and communicating with the rest of the system.

This is becoming apparent this time of year especially because all I hear about is scheduling. This teacher wants this and that teacher wants that. Well, did any of these teachers sit back and think that their demands may not be what is best for the school as a whole... NO! The selfishness is mind boggling. If each teacher would think about the "system" meaning not only students but other teachers as well, things might just start to run more smoothly.

565 Week 2

This week again was interesting. I was different to take on the viewpoint of an administrator. It was also interesting to take a look at interview questions. I am always the type of person to get into an interview and "wing it." This is probably not the best technique however I can imagine that if I were to review good interview questions from an administrative point of view, I may be able to better answer questions for my own personal benefit.
Again, this week, I am beginning to gain a whole new appreciation for what it is that administrators need to do. They definitely need to be diverse and well rounded. I can also say that it is a position that I never, ever want. :)