"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." ~Winston Churchill

Although Churchill was referencing a battle victory during World War II in the above quote, I think it is appropriate to use as this course ends.

As teachers we are in battle everyday, fighting for the best possible learning experiences for our students. There are plenty of obstacles to learning, both obvious and transparent, and part of our job is to try to mitigate these obstacles in order that our students have many high-quality and varied learning opportunities.

As this course ends, I'm happy to have had the opportunity to not only learn more about the assistive technology itself, but also about the philosophies and principles behind AT. While I'm only starting my own learning journey to fully understand the cognitive processes happening when we read and write, these concepts are important for me - and really, all teachers - to understand. This seems especially true for those who wish to specialize in the support of students who are challenged in school. Even for classroom teachers, knowing at least a fraction of what is happening inside our students' brains as they read and write might provide us a better understanding and insight into what they are experiencing, especially as they come to us saying, "I don't know what to write about." It forces me to consider whether this is work avoidance, or something else altogether!

It is also important, for me, that these graduate courses are not simply a means to an end. If the goal of an MEd is to improve upon one's practice and reflect on - and perhaps try to change - problems in education, then the end of our studies really do present just the end of the beginning. When I return to teaching in September, I look forward to having new knowledge and new reflective thoughts to help guide me as I try to improve my pedagogical skills. My hope is that I'll be able to contribute more thoughtfully (and competently) during Program Planning Team meetings, to attempt to be genuinely more collaborative with parents, and to experiment with - and put pressure on the bureaucracy to accept - new and exciting forms of technology.

I don't know many Latin quotes, although I read this one years ago and it stuck with me (although I'll admit I need to look it up every time I want to use it). As we continue to find the best ways to support our students, we teachers shouldn't allow barriers or push-back to stand in the way of what would be in the best interests of student learning.

Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito.

Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly against them.