• What attitudes, skills, and concepts have
you gained from participating in the course so far?
Attitude
Changes Towards…
-
Online learning: it
can be fun! When done well (collaborative settings, ease in use, interesting
content) online courses can be just as challenging and engaging as in-person
courses. They can truly embody a constructivist core, and for this, I am a
convert!
-
Missing human connections:
When the course began, I was saddened to think that the semester would go by
without any actual physical connections. I am a people person who craves human
touch and connection, so I was worried about this being a missing piece. I
realized though that through the countless tools for connecting in real-time
(especially Skype!!!) as well as a balance with connecting with people from
class on occasion in person, human connections are not lost. Only connecting
with others through online formats is not for me (I do not think that I would
like a fully online program for this reason), but interspersing online courses
with in-person classes is the perfect balance.
-
Twitter & YouTube: Twitter’s
not just for celebrities and people with over-sharing issues. It is a fantastic
tool for building my PLN and staying connected to what is happening in all of
the worlds I am interested in (ECE, ed tech, ed policy, CPS, etc.). YouTube isn’t
just filled with silly, funny, and sometimes stupid content—but can instead be
used to learn tons of new info!
-
Being constantly connected: I
worried in the beginning of the course that it would require me to be
constantly connected, or that through learning more, I would want this myself
(I have a somewhat addictive personalityJ). I
realized though, that again, balance is the key. Saving my online and connected
times to certain times of the day, and taking occasional breaks, made the
transition into having more of an online presence realistic and practical for
me.
-
The bigger picture:
Before taking this class, I had many beliefs about how being connected and the
Internet in general had to do with me. Now, since taking this course, I have a
better understanding of what this means within the bigger picture of local,
national, and international considerations. I have truly appreciated the
multiple perspectives shared here (especially the Schooling the World videos).
I feel that I now have a more well-rounded picture of the benefits and costs of
technology across many formats (at the national level with the NETP, at a local
level with funding differentials, and at a global level). I feel better able to
engage in critical discussions about the use of technology and its implications
now.
Specific
Skills Learned—bullet-style…
- - how to save my Internet content through Diigo
- - when and how to post to Twitter
- - how to corral all of my online content through my
reader
- - to renew my interest in blogging (I created a
blog for my family too!)
- - how to create a VoiceThread
- - how to collaborate with group members when we can’t
meet in person
- - how to access always new and changing info in the
world of ed tech (through my PLN!)
- - how to create my own course Wiki (having been inspired
by this course’s)
- - how to be more concise through blog and discussion
posts and my Pecha Kucha (always the challenge for me!)
Concepts
Gained—again bullet-style…
- - Connectivism
- - Project-Based Learning for incorporating tech
- - Wow! Some crazy-awesome new tech pieces specifically
(through our group project)
- - An awareness (and small fear) of Big Brother
(tracking online users)
- - Digital citizenship is necessary and there are
many tools to help me teach it
- - NETP—it’s strengths and weaknesses, but it’s
constantly forward push into the future
- - Standards for online learning
- - That theories from the past (Dewey-1910) are
still applicable and necessary today in the world of ed tech
- - (not new, but just reinforced) The importance of
being a critical consumer of everything I encounter also applies in the world
of tech
• What have you learned in the course that
you will not forget tomorrow?
Umm,
all of the above! I am so thankful to be able to reference back to our course
Wiki when the course is done so that all of this stays fresh in my mind. Some
pieces I will continue to use daily upon the end of the course like my reader
and Skype; whereas others will not be revisited for some time (iNACOL
standards, digital citizenship pieces, NETP components). Having the Wiki
available will make it easy for me to come back to grab content and ideas.
• How will you apply what you have learned
to your teaching and future learning?
In my
personal life…
- - I will apply what I have learned about online
collaboration to personal interactions online and continuing to follow my PLN
and blog subscriptions
- - I will continue to use these to try out new ideas
on the web.
In my
professional life…
- - I am creating a Wiki for C&I 277, which I
will be teaching in the fall
- - I am also creating one for the professional
development workshop series I will be leading for the Chicago Public Schools
this upcoming year.
- - I will be applying the new tools and strategies
(VoiceThread, Scribd, Google Docs, Dropbox, Diigo, and more) to the content that
I teach within these groups.
- - I will be exploring what a flipped classroom
would look like in each of these formats and attempting to use flipped
components in my practice.
- - I will insert all of the awesome sites, blogs,
people, and connections with my students and in-service teachers.
- - I am sure that there are more ways that what I
have learned will come out in my teaching on top of these listed here!
This
reflective post cannot begin to describe the ways in which I have been impacted
by being a part of the 579 learning community. It is my hope that I will take
what I have learned and continue questioning and learning. One specific
question that I have been playing with…is related to how the internet is
shaping history. If there are companies that will erase your online presence completely,
and the plight of libraries are very real, where is real history being
collected? Hmmm….see---like I said, always questioning and learning! :)
