Final+Reflection

The semester started off with much anticipation and I guess some trepidation at trying a class online while still attending a weekly class. Would I have the discipline to keep up? It’s all relative now. It’s a relief to be finished with few regrets. I had a much more difficult time with setting aside time to complete the tasks and assignments. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but did have a preconceived notion that if the class was online it would be less challenging than in person. I’ve now learned that is not true. I think I benefit more from the interaction with others in person as opposed to finding time to reach out to my classmates. I have to admit that while I feel like I’m experienced and proficient with a computer, I hadn’t thought of how I might apply my abilities. This class experience has forced me to really see what I can do. Technology is becoming so accessible and simple that it really is a tool that doesn’t require extraneous time to add ideas for presentation of material or supplementing teaching methods. Also, while a majority of us consider ourselves handy with the computer, I’ll admit that I was unaware of some of the terminology that I’ve come across this semester. And at times, I was able to consider how I use some things like file management, but hadn’t really considered the different ways to organize, or thought about how I grouped files and kept them easy to get to. It was interesting evaluating how I search the internet. Anyone that spends a lot of time online has tendencies and favorite sites or search methods, so it was neat to try out other methods and overcome some biases I had previously. I think of the multimedia project as the big one. But, in reality it was probably the most enjoyable because it required me to branch out a bit, and really apply the skills I thought I had. I found out that using the technology available to me can be valuable in my instruction. It makes it possible to reach students with different learning styles, and also makes it easier to present demonstrations all day long. Showing a video of me performing yoga poses is a lot easier than performing them in person for 6 hours a day! With regards to online communication, I’m still not sure I can appreciate the messaging or social sites. I would consider some of it to be trendy, myspace is kind of on the way out for example, and can’t see any use for it personally. Email is great for moving info, but more pressing issues can be resolved on the phone by either calling or a text message. There are some good teacher tools out there that are of a great use to what I do. And the more the internet is made available to the students that I teach, the more I can envision being able to use a wikispace or other application where I can post news or assignments. If nothing else, my experience with this course has taught me to always consider technology when I plan what and how to teach. Not only does technology make teaching easier but can also make it more effective.
 * Arin Mitchell **
 * EDTC 5103 Final Reflection **