CTER reflections

As I continue to procrastinate on finishing my last paper in my master's program (sorry Vanna...I promise it will be done on time!) I thought I would take this time to reflect on the CTER program and my experiences over the last two years. First, let me say that I can't believe how quickly the last two years have gone. It seems like yesterday that I was on campus at the summer orientation getting to know the people that I would be taking classes with for the next two years. About those people, I have to admit that I have gotten to know some of them better than the people I saw every day while doing my undergraduate work. While we very rarely meet face to face, we have some very in depth, interesting conversations. I have learned about their families, their hobbies, and their teaching experiences. Some of them (aka Rita) amaze me with all of the activities they are able to balance and it challenges me to be a better, more organized person. I think it is the personal experience with these people that I value the most. They are people just like me with a passion for technology and a love for teaching. It is those values that brought us all together in the CTER program.
While the personal relationships were great, the classes I took were also great. Ok...so maybe there was one classes that I could have done without...Freud and Pavlov just aren't two people that I care to learn any more about! Overall, the other classes were very eye opening and introduced me to a world of available technology that I had never used. They challenged me to learn more and not be content with my current knowledge of technology. While I may not have liked doing the work at the time, the lessons focused on activities that I could take back and use in my classroom. I think that is what I found most valuable. I wasn't just doing busy work, rather the fantastic teachers were helping me learn about things that were applicable to me and my life. I can't wait until I have a little more free time to truly implement more of my work in my classroom.
The CTER program has been an amazing experience. Between the amazing people, the fantastic teachers, and the classroom experiences, I would highly recommend this program to anyone interest. Thanks for all of the great lessons and memories!