lifelong learning…

This first module has been a bit of a whirlwind. I feel like there are so many new aspects of this course to learn including diigo, twitter and moodle. Diigo is a really neat tool that I wish I had in all of my other online courses. Not only does it allow you to highlight, bookmark, and make notes, you can share web site with classmates! I’m not sure I really know how to use twitter yet, but I’m sure time will help!

The course readings were very inspiring. I feel that those who aren’t familiar with the online format of taking courses should read these articles to get a better understanding of what they entail. I think that the average person doesn’t realize how much reading, writing and deep thinking is involved in the online learning environment. As mentioned in the Kassop article, Internet learning actually may surpass the traditional F2F environment in that it allows users to develop better writing skills and really allows students to elicit deep thinking about the subject materials at hand. I personally believe that as I have progressed through the CDIT program that I have really honed my writing abilities and am more careful and articulate about what I write any time I respond to written prompts be they assignments or discussions. I have also noticed that most of my online classmates are great writers, and very good at conveying their ideas with text. I feel that the discussions in this course are very challenging because they force everyone to rate themselves and their peers in every post, which I have never done before. I’m sure that as the semester progresses that I’ll be able to speed up my response times and the rating system will become second nature. 

In the discussions for this module I was able to think about how I was going to create a course in moodle, who my target audience was going to be and the best way to take learning in the traditional classroom setting to the e-learning world! I originally thought I would like to try to recreate a performance realm (like chorus)…but discovered that it might not be best suited to online learning. Steven and Alex told me about realtime applications, like Secondlife, that I could use to simulate a choir experience, but the information I found regarding this subject was skeptical. I decided to regroup and think about how I could create a different kind of learning environment. I must admit that it took some hard thinking in deciding what I would carry into my course from what I currently teach. Interestingly enough, I recently found out that I will be teaching 6th grade general music next year, which I haven’t taught in 2 years. I was actually pretty excited because there were aspects of this course that I wanted to revamp after teaching it for 2 years…now I have the chance to do so in my online course! I am going to create a course that is geared toward upper elementary students, and most likely use it with 6th grade students next year. 

The video: Did you know? that we watched in this module mentioned Alan November, which I was really excited about because I had the chance to see him speak last year at a Superintendent’s Conference Day. He came and presented much of the information that was contained in that video. I am so surprised that the number one language in China might soon be English! This fact is mind blowing when considering how large that country is. I was also struck with the fact that there are more honors students in China than there are students in the U.S. How’s that for being competitive in the global market? 

Overall, I have felt a bit scattered and at times trying to keep up with all of the activities in Module 1, but I am certain that as I learn more about how to use the new tools in this course that I will feel much more relaxed. Thanks for all the help everyone has been giving in learning thus far!

-Aubrey

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