Reflections on Online-Teaching and Learning

mod 6 midway

This learning experience has been intense!  I know that I have learned, for god’s sake I created an online course!  I think about the insecure me 3 months ago, so afraid to be pushed out of my learning comfort zone.  Alex and my peers, pushed me and I waded out there, well, it was actually like tredding for dear life. No, it was in between the two.

I learned to not be afraid of trying things on the computer, that the computer is not going to break or all things lost.  I remember how awesome it was to realize that i could text code online docs through diigo.  I remember how long it took me to figure out what a tag was and how to do it.   Although, I still can’t say I know how to use them. And you know what? I don’t care!  Setting up accounts on Voicethreads and edublogs was crazy to me.  I didn’t know that i could do that.  I felt scared and now I feel empowered.   I think I can give myself some credit but, alex has been an amazing facilitator.  Her feedback has been gentle yet, demanding that i meet high expectations.  My peers have also helped me to feel comfortable.  If I ask a question they are there.  If i don’t delve deep enough, they poke me.

I learned about this whole other world that people are engaging in. Now I understand why students are so disengaged in class. I am not teaching them authentically.  Not that high stakes testing is helping this.  But, I can find ways to work with both.  Bringing Web 2.0 into the f2f classroom opens doors that were closed before.  I see Web 2.0 as a way of getting kids to interact with one another and other kids around the globe.  I see Web 2.0 as an enhancer of content as well.

I also learned so much about teaching and learning by designing an online course.  If learning is a social activity then, I have to have these kids doing that.  Discussion and debate in which all kids participate is absolutely necessary in schools.  I know that I hav learned this because it is becoming part of planning without being afraid to do it.  I have learned in this course that inquiry-based learning isn’t just a buzz word.  I know that i have learned this because it is also becoming a natural part of my planning process.  I am not saying that it is that easy and that i am a master at it.  I just don’t feel so afraid of it anymore.I do not feel that i did that great of a job implementing either into my online course, however.  I can improve my discussion questions.  I can adda reflection forum.  i can allow students to inquire more through those outlets.