So as the class draws to a close, I must reflect on my experiences. First, the discussion aspect was very challenging for me to handle. As a relatively quiet person, I find it difficult to interject my opinion or question when it has already been addressed. I don't want to say something just to say something. I understand that discussion needs to be part of the online experience, but I find that it pales in comparison to live conversations.
Second, the web quest was the most challenging assignment in the course simply because it is so far outside of my comfort zone. I think this is due in part to my subject area and in part to my lack of experience. I really see the value in the web quest concept. Having students engage in authentic problem solving using modern technology as the primary resource is a huge step in the right direction. Unfortunately, I feel as though I may hold my students back in this regard simply due to my ignorance. I am relatively young, 28 years old, and I have always had computers as a part of my life. However, even when I was a kid, the internet was just being born and has exploded only in the past 10 - 15 years or so. While that gives me an advantage over some of the more veteran teachers, compared to the students, I am sort of outdated. This experience has taught me that I must push myself to excel, even when I am not forced to.
Third, the podcast assignment was probably the smoothest, but since I am slightly anal retentive, it took me a while to get each recording just right. As an educational tool, I can certainly see the value here. However, in mathematics, not much lends itself to the audio format. I think that video podcasting would be much more useful, especially as a tool to help struggling students or those who are absent.
Lastly, the instructional website and CMS were the most interesting assignments. I found myself dabbling with all of the features and finding it difficult to hone in on what features I actually could use. In both of these assignments, I was actually overwhelmed with choices. I suppose that's a good problem to have. These tools are certainly relevant and I dare say necessary as we enter deeper into the technological age.
So, I guess this is it for this blog series, maybe more to come?
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
I guess this is the homestretch...
So, I have finished the podcast and the website and I must say that I learned a great deal. Being an online class, students must really learn to fend for themselves and dig for information. I really appreciate all of the information provided in the course management system (which I now know what that means), but I found myself digging beyond that into other sources of information. Fortunately, I have some friends that have done and continue to do the website building. They were a fantastic resource, but I suppose that not everyone has that luxury.
As far as MOODLE is concerned, I am actually picking it up quite quickly. We use moodle in our district, so I am familiar with some of its quirks. While it may not be the most user friendly, I can be a powerful tool to bring multiple forms of information together, such as documents, audio, video, discussion, etc. My experience with LEARN is limited and only from a student perspective. I like Vista much better. LEARN seems sluggish and the user interface is not very intuitive. Perhaps the instructor utility is much better. As far as a CMS in my classroom goes, I don't think it's there yet (or at least my understanding isn't).
Keeping up with the blogging and discussions was actually tougher than I thought. The few times a week requirement is simple enough, but I kept putting it at the bottom of my list thinking "I'll just get to it later." I put my priorities on the other big projects and my typical forgetfulness stepped in. I can see the value in blogging as a form of journaling, but not in my classroom just yet, although maybe in the future. The website and podcasting are on the top of my list for implementation. I can see them going into effect this next school year. I've been meaning to keep an updated website for some time, but my district's website provider leaves me wanting. Now that I've played with WEEBLY, I think that the user interface no longer hinders me and I can use the website as a regular part of my instruction. Well, today's blog was a bit long, but that's what's going on in my head lately. I suppose I'm in the homestretch now?
As far as MOODLE is concerned, I am actually picking it up quite quickly. We use moodle in our district, so I am familiar with some of its quirks. While it may not be the most user friendly, I can be a powerful tool to bring multiple forms of information together, such as documents, audio, video, discussion, etc. My experience with LEARN is limited and only from a student perspective. I like Vista much better. LEARN seems sluggish and the user interface is not very intuitive. Perhaps the instructor utility is much better. As far as a CMS in my classroom goes, I don't think it's there yet (or at least my understanding isn't).
Keeping up with the blogging and discussions was actually tougher than I thought. The few times a week requirement is simple enough, but I kept putting it at the bottom of my list thinking "I'll just get to it later." I put my priorities on the other big projects and my typical forgetfulness stepped in. I can see the value in blogging as a form of journaling, but not in my classroom just yet, although maybe in the future. The website and podcasting are on the top of my list for implementation. I can see them going into effect this next school year. I've been meaning to keep an updated website for some time, but my district's website provider leaves me wanting. Now that I've played with WEEBLY, I think that the user interface no longer hinders me and I can use the website as a regular part of my instruction. Well, today's blog was a bit long, but that's what's going on in my head lately. I suppose I'm in the homestretch now?
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