As I reflect on the second half of the course, I think about all of the new concepts I was exposed to and attempted to assimilate into my realm of understanding.
I had often read wikis, but had never thought of contributing to or creating one. I was not familiar with e-portfolios, although I had been required to create my own webpage before in other classes.
I was overwhelmed and intrigued with all of the dilemmas and ideas that my online classmates brought to the table as many of them strived to reinvent themselves from f2f instructors into online “guide on the side” cyber instructors. Their experiences gave me a better perception of the problems that cyber instructors face as they try to model a virtual class that reaches and is meaningful to as many students as possible.
I struggled with new technologies and contemplated the best approach to each problem as it arose. I was very familiar with being an online student and yet had not attempted many of the new projects that challenged us. How to negotiate the maze? How to master the technologies? I have such a passion for this medium and yet I have so much to learn.
I love the potential of wikis. What a great way to corroborate on and build new bridges of collaborative knowledge. I can see the possibilities for e-portfolios. How many more dimensions can be explored with an e-portfolio as opposed to a paper resume’? It gives each designer the opportunity to continuously improve his/her portfolio through reassessment of where he/she is today as opposed to where they were yesterday. There is also the availability of the use of so many varied mediums to enhance its content, add new dimensional qualities and make it much more interesting and engaging for potential readers.
Maybe that is what I love best about the world Online, the new dimensions that it adds to each of our worlds. Virtual classrooms force us to stretch and to form new dimensions of education. As an instructor, it is no longer enough to be the sage on the stage. It is no longer enough as a student to read a text and regurgitate the content.
There is a huge web of knowledge dangling in front of students in cyberspace and it has many different routes and many different angles. It is up to the cyber instructor to help to create clear maps to help students navigate through the maze.
This body of knowledge is like a huge body of water, constantly moving and changing with immeasurable depth. One can learn to surf the waves and appreciate and respect the depth of the currents or one can be swallowed up by its power.
I think the greatest thing that I have taken away from the second half of this course beyond the teaching and learning principles and the new software is an even deeper appreciation for the power that the Internet has and the power that it has as a potential lifeline of educational advancement for so many.
When Jacque talked about the student who is gaining an education in a rural area in Africa online, my heart leapt at the potential. That is the complex power and the simplicity of the potential this medium holds. It can literally move mountains and open doors for those who have not been able to scale these obstacles in the past. It can bring knowledge to their doorsteps with the simplicity of the click of a button. And that potential is not just a stride for that singular human being, but it is a stride for each and every one of us because their ideas can add to this one giant wiki we all are a part of called humanity.
I hope to improve my skill levels as we move forward into the next class. Hopefully, I will polish the skills I have began to develop and continue to learn how to successfully translate learning into learning and teaching.
This class has been “a maze” but piecing the puzzle together has enabled it to become an “amazing” experience.
I had often read wikis, but had never thought of contributing to or creating one. I was not familiar with e-portfolios, although I had been required to create my own webpage before in other classes.
I was overwhelmed and intrigued with all of the dilemmas and ideas that my online classmates brought to the table as many of them strived to reinvent themselves from f2f instructors into online “guide on the side” cyber instructors. Their experiences gave me a better perception of the problems that cyber instructors face as they try to model a virtual class that reaches and is meaningful to as many students as possible.
I struggled with new technologies and contemplated the best approach to each problem as it arose. I was very familiar with being an online student and yet had not attempted many of the new projects that challenged us. How to negotiate the maze? How to master the technologies? I have such a passion for this medium and yet I have so much to learn.
I love the potential of wikis. What a great way to corroborate on and build new bridges of collaborative knowledge. I can see the possibilities for e-portfolios. How many more dimensions can be explored with an e-portfolio as opposed to a paper resume’? It gives each designer the opportunity to continuously improve his/her portfolio through reassessment of where he/she is today as opposed to where they were yesterday. There is also the availability of the use of so many varied mediums to enhance its content, add new dimensional qualities and make it much more interesting and engaging for potential readers.
Maybe that is what I love best about the world Online, the new dimensions that it adds to each of our worlds. Virtual classrooms force us to stretch and to form new dimensions of education. As an instructor, it is no longer enough to be the sage on the stage. It is no longer enough as a student to read a text and regurgitate the content.
There is a huge web of knowledge dangling in front of students in cyberspace and it has many different routes and many different angles. It is up to the cyber instructor to help to create clear maps to help students navigate through the maze.
This body of knowledge is like a huge body of water, constantly moving and changing with immeasurable depth. One can learn to surf the waves and appreciate and respect the depth of the currents or one can be swallowed up by its power.
I think the greatest thing that I have taken away from the second half of this course beyond the teaching and learning principles and the new software is an even deeper appreciation for the power that the Internet has and the power that it has as a potential lifeline of educational advancement for so many.
When Jacque talked about the student who is gaining an education in a rural area in Africa online, my heart leapt at the potential. That is the complex power and the simplicity of the potential this medium holds. It can literally move mountains and open doors for those who have not been able to scale these obstacles in the past. It can bring knowledge to their doorsteps with the simplicity of the click of a button. And that potential is not just a stride for that singular human being, but it is a stride for each and every one of us because their ideas can add to this one giant wiki we all are a part of called humanity.
I hope to improve my skill levels as we move forward into the next class. Hopefully, I will polish the skills I have began to develop and continue to learn how to successfully translate learning into learning and teaching.
This class has been “a maze” but piecing the puzzle together has enabled it to become an “amazing” experience.
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