Today I am introducing a new name for my blog. The old name, IT&DML, stands for the name of the sixth year program I am just completing, Instructional Technologies and Digital Media Literacy. I came up with that name last year when I started this blog as one of the first assignments for my classes. I was new to blogging, hesitant about putting my ideas “out there,” and did not know if this blog would go beyond the scope of my sixth year program, so I thought the name was appropriate.
It is now clear to me that this blog will continue beyond my sixth year studies. Over the course of the past year, I have developed my professional learning network, created a digital learning hub, designed my digital portfolio and more. I also started a separate blog for my Fulbright-Hays project in Morocco this summer. Blogging has changed from an assignment to do for a class to a way for me to reflect, share and connect with others. Because of that, I decided I needed a new name for my blog. It will now be called:
- a reminder of the kind of teacher I strive to be. I want to promote change in myself by continually learning, experiencing and connecting with other educators.
- a reminder of what I want for my students. I want them to see their education as a means to changing the world for the better. To do this, I must provide them with authentic learning tasks that are relevant to them, connect to the outside world, and provide them with multiple perspectives.
- a statement that new is always better than old. I learned many strategies and methods in my first year of teaching 27 years ago that are just important today as they were then. Change does not require throwing out everything you learned and starting new. In fact, many of the progressive educators I admire were around long before I was born.
I am also working on a logo using Canva.com. Here is a draft of one possible logo. I need to work on making it fit in a small space. I’ll need more time to play around on Canva; it is a lot of fun.
