Challenging Me

I am always telling my girls that they need to challenge themselves and do things that scare them scare them in a safe way...
I realized that I am not setting a good example.  Sure I took my first dance class this summer and it was terrifying and embarrassing and painful and fun but I need to do more.  I decided a few weeks ago it was time to challenge myself once again and sign up for a class.  While that action alone was terrifying, the content of my class is really the terrifying part.  The focus of my class, K-12 Teaching in the 21st Century, is about implementing technology into the classroom.  TECHNOLOGY in the classroom is terrifying for me!  I know it shouldn't be.  I know enough about technology that I know I would be capable of doing some really fun things but I am stuck in the rut of "same is safe".
I started this class thinking "I will learn and participate but I probably won't actually be able to use these things in MY classroom"...
End of week 1 and I have already changed my way of thinking.  :) This week we are discussing Connected Learning.  I assumed this was either knowing your students and being able to connect with them about things that are important in their lives or that it was cold, impersonal learning that took place on the computer because the student is "Connected" to the Internet. After I watched Connected Learning: Relevance, The 4th R  I thought to myself, "Duh!"  Sometimes I really shouldn't share the things I am thinking or not thinking.  Connected learning is not only a "sorta" combination of my two prior thoughts, a way to connect to your students through things they are interested in AND using technology to connect your students to learning but it is also a way to engage our students.  A way to make our students excited and passionate about learning.    It is a way to help support students as they develop their interest in learning.
Towards the end of the video a woman says that the challenge will be finding what works for us and what works for each individual student because we are in essence used to teaching cookie cutter lessons.  Good news for me, as a special education teacher I have never gotten to experience a "cookie cutter" lesson.  I have always had to work at developing lessons that will reach all learners.  I have always taught with the idea that what works for one, won't work for all.  So that means this should be easy for me...
Honestly, I am really excited about this learning experience.  I am confident that my passion for teaching will be renewed.  It is terrifying to change what you are accustomed to doing. BUT being terrified is good, otherwise horror movies wouldn't exist.