Monday, February 21, 2011
You will never be the same again
I have been reading journal entries and discussions about experiences so far with blended learning. There have been mixed feelings but generally I am getting the sense that planning for a blended course will be influencing your teaching and even you as an individual with regard to your levels of comfort with technology. For some its a challenge to start to think about delivering their courses in a new way and for others its really just adjusting something that you have already been doing to take account of different tools. Generally though I get the impression that you and your teaching will never be the same. Am I right?
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Yes, Dear. D. you are quite right. I believe after this experience I will be more comfortable to use the tools, therefore in my case my teaching will never be the same again. I will utilize it whenever I can.
ReplyDeleteI would like to use it a lot more but I can't help to bear in mind some of the limitations. I think that a virtual e learning storm filled with logic, comments, suggestions and reflections would be created once students and faculty understand the methods and reasoning behind it all. Only then can they become accepting of it and it being successful. Comments that I have received online thus far have not extended beyond, "Thanks" and "thank you"
ReplyDeleteI guess that is where the different tools come into place. Nevertheless, Dr. Dianne, you are correct, I will never be the same again as I currently enjoying learning about newer tools. I will continue to be patient with the evolution of blended learning.
Its true one can never be the same.. For me personally what I am seeing is that the online teaching has made me or is making me re-examine or re-define my personal teaching style. This will help me choose the media elements that can best be integrated into the teaching methodology. I have to re-organize my information, match the media tool to appropriate content AND pedagogical need….eg the needs look like they are different for my first year classes as they are for my third year classes. There definitely is a lot more planning.
ReplyDeleteDr. Dianne, you are so right. Although we face the challenge of coping with the continual change that comes with higher education and technology, I think it's fun, as educators, to be part of that dynamic.
ReplyDeleteYes, for me it's about adjusting so that I can learn about and accommodate other tools as I use Moodle (myeLearning) in my courses to make them more blended. I've been using Moodle for about three years now, but this course makes me realize how much more I can be utilising the resources available in the medium.
ReplyDeleteOf course you are right! After doing this programme, my teaching and I will definitely never be the same again. Every course we complete adds a new level to my teaching. Learning about blended courses is so very interesting. Since we've started, I just been thinking of ways to incorporate some of the tools in my courses. I've also realised that in creating a blended course, I would be learning more about my own course. This is a bonus that I did not expect.
ReplyDeleteI find that blended learning becomes almost addictive. You keep searching for things to add to your course or to change to make it better. You keep checking to see what your students have added and you get excited when there is interaction, even between two or three students and as you get excited, it encourages your students.
ReplyDeleteA real eye opener for me was when I realised that my four year old nephew could only spell his name when on the computer. When I chat with him on skype/msn he uses all the emoticons to express himself and he is usually very accurate in matching his feelings to the symbols. The new generation is coming prepared for us so we need to be ready.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true that we'll never be the same again.
This blended learning course is really way above my head. I am feeling very frustrated working on my storyboard. At times I feel so lost and alone, I feel like giving up.
ReplyDeleteThis whole MHED course does not allow time for practicing new items that I learn in class because of time constraints. I am always in a rush. It is almost end of semester and there is a lot of course work papers waiting to be graded before exams. I will continue to burn the midnight oil.
Teaching and learning is very stressful but as it is said before, I will keep going on and on and on...............
I did not expect to change this significantly. I see teaching and learning in such a different light. I am always thinking of how I can create teaching/learning memories. I must admit that I do not automatically reach towards blended learning but I am excited about creating an effective online presence and contributing to the memories of students in a different learning space.
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