Final Blog Reflection

Comparing the posts that I have written during this course, I should confess that my perception of teaching, learning, and innovation has changed. I was also primarily interested in reading and relating what I read to what I already knew about education. The course has improved my way of thinking, making it more personal. I did not merely think about the ideas in the readings; I started by asking myself what they mean in practice and what impact they have on my thinking about teaching.

This can be seen in one of my posts about Historical Foundations of Teaching and Learning. As I was reading about schooling in Lower Canada as discussed by Curtis, I understood that education has not been the sole means of learning or empowerment. It was also employed to shape behaviour and strengthen political power in certain instances (Curtis, 1997). This has refuted my previous assumption that reform and innovation in education are always positive. It helped me understand that innovation is not necessarily seen as progress. Rather, it should be scrutinized, particularly when it is bound to broader social or political objectives.

The greatest lesson learnt during this course is that innovation in education is not only about new tools or new technology. Initially, I believed that innovation was a new method of teaching or a computer tool. The readings and my reflections on the blog helped me realize that innovation may also entail preconceptions about how learning takes place, whose voices are heard, and how classrooms serve diverse students. Concisely, innovation can be said to begin with the challenge of the status quo, and not necessarily by the introduction of new things.

The course readings were very powerful in influencing my thoughts. The Indigenous perspectives readings were particularly significant to me. When I compare the posts I have written throughout this course, I must admit that my thinking about teaching, learning, and innovation has changed. I was mainly interested in reading and connecting what I read with what I had previously learned about education.

 In part, I considered the argument of the significance of identity, belonging, and cultural respect in education, as one of my blog posts on the topic mentions (Toulouse, 2008). The reading also reminded me that teaching is not just about transferring information but also about making students feel respected and ensuring their experiences are not overlooked. It also made me wonder how educators can use various modes of knowing and learning in the classroom.

I can observe definite signs of development when I go through my blog posts. At the beginning of the course, I was thinking about teaching techniques and classroom practices. My thoughts expanded as the semester went on. I started thinking over the historical, cultural, and ethical aspects of education. Then, I also began to challenge and question assumptions about curriculum, reform, and innovation outcomes.

My blog has become a learning process, developed over time through reading, thinking, and writing. Blogging gave me a critical eye for course materials and how they can be applied in my own teaching. According to the Blog Reflection Rubric and the level of involvement in my posts, I can consider my blog to be at the advancing professionally level, which indicates regular reflection, close connections with course readings, and the obvious development of my perception of teaching and learning.