I find it so amazing that 13 weeks have come and gone so quickly. This course was jammed with so much insightful and engaging material, activities and information that I can hardly believe I made it through! I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, although I think I still need much reflection and further thought as to how to navigate the LMS environments out there. Along with LMS technology, I will continue to search out new and innovative ways to use the iPad in the classroom, although not many technologies mentioned in this course related to tablet devices.
John, thank you so much for not only providing a stellar example of how to teach online, but of your consistent and thorough feedback and comments throughout the course. I’ve never experienced such scaffolding during my 8 courses in the MET. Thank you!
Flight Path:
In retrospect, I ought to have continually checked back on my flight path each week, to ensure I was on course. I never really felt off track, but I think it was mostly due to the fact that my flight path was somewhat simplistic. The main goal for me to create an online environment was something I wanted to address, and I feel I have done just that. I have to say that at first I didn’t really like Moodle, but now I can see from an administrative perspective how easy it can be to work with and how inexpensive it is. As well, with a little experimentation and knowledge it can also be user friendly and present content in a professional manner. I applaud those of my classmates who have created some absolutely impressive online environments.
Although I have set out what I intended to accomplish, I feel somewhat disappointed that my goals were not as specific as they could have been. My efforts to learn more about Moodle’s affordances didn’t come to fruition until the final portion of the course, as my frustrations with intuitiveness and user-friendliness detracted my efforts away from the actual building of my site. I tended to focus more toward reflecting on what other tools could work better, as I rarely envisioned myself using Moodle in my own classroom. As well, I feel that because we use iPads so heavily in the school I’m at, that I could have made applications – and HTML 5 technology – more of a priority. The web offers so many great resources, but often I find that Flash capabilities get in the way with the iPad’s functionality.
I was disappointed that I didn’t get to learn more about GoogleSites, as I believe this may be another option for me to utilize in the GAFE-oriented school community that I work in. In some ways, I feel slighted that I didn’t really get to use the tools most inherent in my own working environment. I feel grateful to my colleagues and to John for introducing countless technologies that could be explored further, but I’m skeptical as to when or where I will be able to actually implement these tools in my practice.
Reflection on E-Learning toolkit:
I must admit I did not use this resource as much as I thought I would. Upon first glance I enjoy the ‘Wiki’ template, as it sets out information in a structured and organized way. I often find myself, however, looking elsewhere when I have a question or I am in need of assistance. I’m not sure I truly utilized this resource as much as I could, although it did help me quite a lot in the creation of my Moodle site. Some of the links therein provided ample information and access to data I don’t think I could find easily or elsewhere. I find it interesting that Wiki’s often come with the stigma of unreliability, as they are such a great jumping off point when searching for certain information or assistance.
The Weblogs portion of the toolkit was quite useful, and I enjoyed seeing other blogs and examples out there. I use a blog for my Grade 5 class and I have thoroughly enjoyed the affordances of such technologies. I use WordPress for my kids, as it is compatible with the iPad and the students’ writing is vastly improving when using this tool. I find that if the students know their writing is going to be seen by the school community – or the global community – they often put more effort into the creation of ideas and thoughts. Editing and proofreading has also increased and improved by using this online resource. As I mentioned in one of my posts, however, I do need to manage this service, so it can be a little time consuming authoring all of their work before it goes ‘public’. A small price to pay for improved work I say.
As the toolkit is now part of my resource bank, I’m sure I will spend quite a bit of time on the web design portion as it fascinates me how web sites are created. I have never really understood html(still don’t really) but I enjoyed looking through examples of really poor sites. I also liked learning about NVU and Iweb. Although this was a great resource to have I still found myself ‘googling’ things that I was confused about though. I’m not sure why, but Google seems to have a strong hold over how I research.
Overall:
ETEC 565 has shown me an entire universe of tools and resources, and has also shown me how to go about choosing the right tools to use in certain circumstances. Learning about the SECTIONS and Seven Principles frameworks has added to my repertoire of selecting the right tool for the job. It has also alleviated some of my frustrations involving the time it takes to select the right resources. I find this to be one of the most important aspects of ETEC 565, as one of my main beliefs is that we should not only use technology for the sake of it, but that it must have a purpose. Finding tools that meet these standards often takes time without truly knowing what is important to certain users. These frameworks act as a guideline for choosing technology that will not only be appropriate, but also be transformational in nature. I am a firm believer that technology needs to enhance the learning, and not just simply be a replacement for a stick in the sand.
This course has humbled me, as to the know-how, amounts and intricacies of technological tools and resources found online. As well, my fellow classmates have demonstrated the vast knowledge base and professionalism that exists in online communities such as ours. The thoughtful sharing and commenting in the discussion forums was where I learned most, and it was also a place I felt I could ask questions and add my own personal opinions. It felt safe and scaffolded. Everyone seemed to find the time to contribute in meaningful ways. As I move forward and perhaps one day teach online I can only hope that I can inspire my learners to contribute and be engaged to the same level. In a smaill way, I have taken what I have learned here into my Grade 5 blog, and because of it the students are not only commenting, but offering deeper insights on top of others’ comments. We’re creating a real sense of knowledge construction!
Moving forward:
As I am not an online educator, and only use certain tools in my practice I feel my path will continue in much the same way it has. Only now, however, I will be armed with a framework for choosing certain technologies that meet specific criteria that I choose. As well, the continuation and evolution of how I use my blog will be something I’m really looking forward to. Finally, as I have delved into the world of the LMS I am intrigued as to other options – Schoology, Edmodo, GoogleSites – for use with my Grade 5 class. I am using a WordPress site at the moment, and it seems to be satisfying my need to present students and parents with all they need to know about my philosophy and about Grade 5 in general. An LMS, however, does offer added benefits – like the quiz option – that I thoroughly enjoyed learning about. Perhaps later in my career, when I’m not parenting a toddler, or heavily involved with a Masters program I will continue down the path of the LMS.
For now, I am confident that I have armed myself with not only a wonderful and useful selection process for choosing appropriate technologies, but have solidified my resolve in utilizing weblogs, and have catalogued many more useful web 2.0 tools to use in the future. Thank you for a wonderful experience and for providing a stellar example of what an online community/course can look like.