Coming to an End...

Well, here we are at the end of my semester! It's crazy to think my first year of education is pretty much over! Well, except for the 7 weeks of student teaching I have yet to do of course...

But it has really been an amazing year. I've learned a lot about myself as a teacher, as well as how I will (and in some cases, will not) teach my classes. Probably the most new things I've learned have been in my ICT class, though!

Before this semester, I had never used cloud storage for my documents... Everything was saved right on my computer or to a portable hard drive. I had a habit of emailing documents to myself so I could print them at school, and all this really did was fill up my inbox with empty emails. I have really taken to using google drive now, and I tend to create documents there too; it makes it a lot easier now that I'm using a Mac. (Side note: I don't think I could ever go back to a PC now...)

One of the main things I've learned this semester hasn't been how to use different apps and programs, although that has been really important. What I think I have taken away the most from this course is the importance of having a positive online presence. If I can show students how to use technology responsibly, and if I can show them how to appropriately represent themselves online, I think I will have taught them something very important. There will always be new apps to learn, but knowing how to use technology in a smart way is timeless.

Throughout this semester, I have been becoming more aware of my social media posts, and being sure that pictures and posts accurately represent how I want students, administrators and parents know me. Everything from Facebook to Twitter to this blog are representations of me, and I want to make sure they accurately show my potential.

Our major project this semester has been creating an eportfolio. This is a place where potential employers can find out more about myself, my interests and my abilities. I am pretty happy with how mine turned out, and although I am sure I will be adding to it in the future, I have already given out the web address to potential employers for summer jobs.

Here's a link to my eportfolio if you are interested in seeing it: www.kelseyjenningsportfolio.weebly.com

This has really been an exciting year, and as I head out to my second placement, I am really looking forward to using my new tech knowledge in the classroom!