Where to go from here?
Frankly, technology is not my strongest suit – I am not the type who knows about the latest programs and gadgets, and there are quite a few things on my list that I have yet to explore. However, I have always believed that technology can make teaching and learning more efficient and have always tried my best to make use of it. My goal in ETEC565 is to find out more about available tools to increase the efficiency of learning and teaching science and math.
Moving forward with ETEC 565
Learning Management Systems – the Platforms for Learning
In the past, I have built class websites, mainly to post questions and answers, and to remind students of due dates. This allows students to learn at their own pace and get instant feedback on whether they got the questions right or wrong. Last year, a fellow teacher helped me set up a moodle account and I loved it ever since! It helps me organize and structure the course the way I want it and allows students and teacher to see the big picture of the course. It provides a better sense of how everything comes together, and because of this, it makes easier for me to improve the content I present on the LMS. Presenting the whole course on an LMS also allows students to go back to the section they want to review on, or to look ahead and be prepared to ask questions. I am excited to learn more about moodle and other LMS’s in ETEC 565.
Interaction and Assessment Tools
The closest I have come to in assessment with technology was students’ participation in the class blog discussions. After working with moodle, I learned that it is not just a tool for presenting, but also capable of giving online quizzes and tallying students’ results, so the teacher can focus on specific learning out comes.
I also have experience with synchronous interaction between teacher and students in an online course, where the teacher presents in real time, and students are allow to virtually “put up their hand” for questions by clicking on a button on the learning platform. I am hoping to learn more about these tools in this course.
Social Media
I have created blogs to encourage discussion of course topics outside of class time. This gives everyone an equal chance to participate, and allows students more time and resources to help them develop their ideas. However, the blog I used only allow comments in order of when they are posted. I know there must be better tools for online discussions. Also, it is important that student participate in a safe and responsible way. Looking forward to learning about web2.0!
Multimedia
Meeting the diverse needs for students at different levels is always a challenge. Using different tools like virtual labs, simulations, and videos allow students to learn/ express themselves in a variety of ways. I would love to learn more about what is available and pick suitable activities for the topics I teach.