Bringing it all back home

With apologies to Bob Dylan for stealing the title, that's exactly where my final thoughts reside. My kids went back to school yesterday (Wednesday, August 13). They attend a school which uses inquiry in everything it does. This literally brought everything we've been doing for the past 6 weeks back home for me. As the teachers were talking with parents at the welcome back event, I heard a lot of familiar language and concepts, and found myself thinking back over this course.

A couple of the teachers have become friends, and as I was chatting with them, they were very interested in what we've been doing in this course. They were also extremely interested in my own interest in redesigning schools, and immediately had some ideas and suggestions, which was incredibly rewarding.

As others have said, it's impossible to encapsulate absolutely every aspect of the incredible amount we've covered in such a short time. I honestly feel that I need a lot more time to think, reflect, and really absorb everything.

I was--to be perfectly frank--somewhat skeptical of the blogging piece of the course, but it has turned out to be perhaps the most valuable piece. Expressing my own thoughts and feelings gives me a fantastically valuable record to refer back to. Reading everyone else's blog reminded me how different responses to the same material can be. The various perspectives were fascinating and incredibly valuable. Responding to the thoughts of others pushed my own thinking further and in different directions. That's definitely one of my most important take-aways.

I think my other biggest take-away is around the area of authenticity. This may well be because it's also an extremely important concept in current approaches in ESL teaching and learning. Making learning "real"--authentic, relevant, meaningful, and connected to learner's lives beyond the classroom walls seems so incredibly important!

Thanks to all for a totally enjoyable experience. I've enjoyed learning with and from everybody in the group. I'm looking forward very much to "seeing" everyone in the future, continuing to share ideas, and working together to transform teaching and learning! All the best to everyone!