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 * Personal Growth (Personal Learning Environment) **

I have been teaching for twelve years and as I reflect on my teaching and the development of my personal learning environment (PLE) I realize how technology has played a role and continues to aid in my growth as an educator. For example, twelve years ago in Iowa (where I taught my first eight years) I had no desktop computer, no on-line grading system or even a computer with excel to keep a digital gradebook. I guess I was old school! However, within my first three years as a teacher the district began to invest in technology. I received my desktop computer, and was given my first professional e-mail account. E-mail opened the door to communication for myself and colleagues. At first I e-mailed with colleagues in my building, next within my district and eventually I would e-mail with science teachers from around the country. I used e-mail as a way to share and exchange best practice and ideas for the science classes I taught. In 2005 I moved to Colorado and began teaching at Arapahoe High School. I will admnit that I was intimidated with the progressive, forward thinking ideas I encountered among my new colleagues. I was intimidated but also excited and willing to learn how they used web tools to enhance their teaching. My first realization was that I needed to learn how to use power point presentations. Each classroom I would be teaching in was equipped with a LCD projector. I enrolled in a class at School of Mines to learn the in and out of power point. That year I was introduced to blogging (which I had never heard of) and in turn, used it my classroom. By the end of that first year I had a web page for each of the classes I taught, although looking back they were very "rough". I still keep in touch with co-workers from Iowa and as I would e-mail them links to my blog or web page they began to think of my as high tech, which was flattering but far from the truth when surrounded by Karl Fisch, Brian Hatak and Anne Smith! The next big step I took at AHS was joining our professional development group "21st Century Teaching with Technology". This group revolutionized my teaching. I was given time to meet with colleagues outside of the science department, collaborate, bounce ideas off one another all while being exposed to the newest web tools. This year was my third year as a member of 21C, and I still value my time spent meeting with this group of teachers. I have made tremendous changes in my classroom, not only with technology but also using constructivist teaching practices to let students have more control over their learning.

As I think how to grow my PLE in the future I cannot say exactly what that will look like. Each year new opportunities present, such as this Learning 2.0 class offered by Randy and Dana. I can say that I am a teacher that will continue to take classes that will enhance my teaching, seek new web tools that my students can benefit from and collaborate with colleagues on best practice. I do have two goals for next year: one is to incorporate moodle into my teaching and secondly to learn how to use the smart board effectively in the classroom. I have listened to others in my science department talk about moodle and I would like to use it as way to assess my students learning throughout a unit of study.