Module 7- The end is near

It's evaluation time.  I know there are one or two pieces of unfinished business with one or two of the modules (voice thread in particular) but basically I have completed this online course and learned much in the process.  Here are some of my thoughts.  Since so many students dropped out it was hard to communicate with fellow class members on a regular basis.  Also, since I chose to work ahead since I knew the end of the semester would be crazy because of our new master's program, I put myself out of the loop.  Since we will all be teaching blended courses I think it would have been helpful to meet face to face at least once every other module.  I believe many of us struggled with the same issues and could have learned from each other and from Rick's extensive knowledge in technology.  When this course is taught again, this would be valuable to add (and I would probably elect to join some of these person to person sessions.  Regarding the evaluation of my own work...I know I put in MANY hours of thoughtful time and energy and learned much in the process.  In addition I actually worked on two rather than just one course so that should give me a few extra points.  The courses are also very different, one lasting 15 weeks and the second 3 weeks, two days per week.  Both required very different ways of adding technology but yet both used some of my favorite new technologies such as using an avatar to introduce myself and weekly online quizzes.  In summary, this was a worthwhile and productive class and one I believe we should all be held accountable for doing, and doing well.  Kudos to fellow classmates who completed it...Becca, Irene and Derrick.

Module 6- Let's be both honest and fair

Reading about both Fair Use and Copy Right issues was fascinating.  I'm always thinking about plagiarism, especially as it applies to my student's writing but haven't put much thought into either Fair Use or Copy Right issues.  I've always intentionally purchased all of my own videos and DVDs to use in my classes, hoping that by owning them, I can show them once a year without too much worry.  I also find it interesting that I consider it a real coupe when I am notified that someone has cited something from a paper I have published...I consider it an honor that someone would want to "borrow" my words and use them in their own work.  I will still need to study these issues further, especially as they apply to online materials.  I certainly don't want to act illegally or use materials that are not mine to use.

Module 5- This course is coming to an end...at least for me

I loved learning how to make a Voki avatar and a voice thread this week.  I'm anxious to use this technology in several of my courses as they add so much interest and fun and learning should be fun.  I'd love to have a virtual Voki classroom!  Last semester I added a virtual game, Spedville, to my SPED 420 class and everyone had to add an avatar to their classroom and then fill it with things needed in a classroom such as desks, bookcases, school supplies, a white board etc.  They obtained these supplies by doing "jobs" such as answering a difficult question from the weekly reading, listening for a scrambled word said in class and then telling me both the word and the time I said it, and coming to class on time.  This is a course I will not be teaching in the future but I may take some of these components and add it to one of my other courses...just for the fun of it.  I've added my avatar link below.  Like Rick's, it's a younger version of me :)

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=5670151&height=267&width=200

Module 4- I'm finally making some progress and this is actually becoming fun!

I believe I've turned the corner this week.  As I've begun (and almost finished) Module 4 the work I've done is coming together in a way that makes sense to me and hopefully will make sense to my students as well. I'm the power point queen so making a power point for this module was not a difficult task but adding Jing to it will be a challenge...a challenge I'm actually looking forward to.  I'm seeing the advantages of less words and more visuals on my power points and am anxious to try to put a sound track to my power point.  I can see so many benefits for this use of technology both in my traditional classes as well as in my blended class.
Since my syllabus was almost complete before I began this online course, adding the modules to it and rescoring several assignments went well.  I've decided not to include my rubrics for various assignments in my syllabus but instead, will put them on Moodle as resources.
Having completed my first two Moodle quizzes, I finally have the hang of doing that and am anxious to get the rest completed and on Moodle as well.  Since next week is spring break to be followed shortly by advising, I'm trying to get a bit ahead of the game now.  Then I can REALLLY enjoy spring break in Barbados with Rick.

Module 3- I'm finally getting the hang of this...with a little help from my friends

I actually love blogging and currently have three blogs going, one personal (laughing, learning, living, loving, luxuriating- wordpress), one for my oneline class, and one for the online class I will be teaching.  I've found in the past that the more I write, the clearer things become and the better connections I am able to form about both myself and situations I find myself in.  I also am able to take information from readings and apply them again to both myself and my life.  I read a book last spring that said that writiing should be a part of every class taught and I tend to agree with that statement.  You can read something and even discuss it, but until you put pen to paper and write about it, it doesn't become your own.  So what are some of the things that I learned from Module 3?  That designing questions that really get at the learning objectives is not easy and am fact I keep putting off this assignment because it scares me a bit.  I love getting new ideas about how to engage students and like to try at least one new idea in every class I teach so many of the required readings were very helpful to me.  I already am a rubric freak but again got some new ideas on how to refresh some of my old rubrics and build some new ones.  Feel free to visit me on my wordpress.com blog...if I can find the time to get back over there  :)

Philip was privileged to communicate first with an angel of the Lord and then with the Spirit of the Lord himself or the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit of the Lord dwells in us, we too have the supernatural ability to speak the words of the Lord in a way that others will be able to understand. When Philip spoke to the Ethopian eunuch there is a chance that there was a language barrier but the Spirit was even able to break through this. How fortunate we are as Christians to be able to call on God before, during, and after we teach, seeking wisdom and discernment both for the subject matter we teach as well as for each of our students. I, like Philip, need to know when to speak the Lord's truth to someone, when to listen to what the Spirit would have me speak and when to be quiet and listen to the Spirit speaking to my heart. We are all human and will struggle each day with that humanity..."but we have the mind of Christ" so we can be confident that He who began a good work in us will see it to completion.

 

Module 2

Wow!  I thought I understood Bloom's taxonomy but boy do I have a lot to learn.  It was so meaningful to have each level explained in such detail as I read Bloom's Digital Taxonomy online, because the site shared verbs that are appropriate for each level.  Even after reading a detailed description of Bloom's work I still found that I could not get a perfect score on the quiz related to that question- so frustrating!  Several of the levels are so similar in my mind that I am still confusing them.  I am hoping that as I go through the process of writing my own goals, the various levels will become clearer to me and I will be able to write goals that are appropriate and clear for each level.

It is also challenging to write appropriate learning goals for each module.  I've written goals before and even taught students how to write goals but the challenge comes with incorporating them into the right Modules and then developing online activities that support goals that are meaningful for master's level students.

Right now it's two steps forward and one step backward as I struggle through learning a lot of new technology on top of developing a new course.  It is definitely more work than I anticipated but I'm hoping that the final product will be well worth the effort.

Module 1- is this even possible?

As I was doing the work for Module 1 doubts began to set in as to whether I could actually find the time and energy to complete this online course.  My life is a bit complex right now: starting a new master's degree in special education, having my daughter, Kaitlyn, and her dog, Keefer living with my husband and I AND having her back at Trinity which makes me her live-in support and report reader,  preparing for an international conference in the summer, and taking on two presidential roles in two different special education organizations, one national and one in Illinois.  It makes me tired just thinking about it.  But I am excited to learn this pedagogy and know it will be an essential part of several of the new masters courses in special education so that keeps me going.  I've written my face-to-face course and my condensed summer course for the new program so all that is left is this blended course.  I have it down as I would teach it if it were face-to-face but am struggling with which pieces are best delivered online.  I'm sure I will find direction as I continue through the modules and hope to gain ideas from my fellow "module makers."  Here's to all of us making it through this course with a new course developed by the end of the semester.