I cannot believe that we are beginning the final week of the course. It is completely amazing and astonishing to see that the course is almost over. Once again, I am so sad to lose such a great group of friends and peers. I've learned so much from everyone, and I feel like I've a group of colleagues all over the world.
This coming week is a week of reflection. Course participants are asked to reflect on what they've learned over the last 10 weeks on their blogs. They are to read about the LoTI self-reflection levels of technology integration of their classes--both now and where they'd like to be in 5 years.
I think that the LoTi scale is interesting. When I read it the first time, I was teaching three different types of classes. One class is adult learners at a local community college. There is no technology in the classroom, and these learners have no access to technology either in the school or in the classroom. They really need to achieve computer literacy and are denied access by a horrible classroom. I am going to teach this class again this fall and I'm seriously thinking of buying my own projector to accompany my laptop so I have a one-computer classroom. While I won't have a computer lab to use, a one-computer classroom is better than nothing.
My second class is at a university and there is a projector in the classroom that I can hook my laptop up to. We use Blackboard in this class (in fact, using Blackboard is a program requirement) and I use BB daily to post grades, readings, writing examples, my syllabus, homework, etc. I love it.
The third class I teach is this Webskills course. It is 100% technology and I love it, too. To me, using technology enhances my teaching and my learners' experience.
Well, it's been a wonderful course with an incredible group of people. I will miss everyone. You are very dear to me!
Donna
Dear Donna!
ReplyDeleteI would like to sincerely thank you for the professionalism with which you handled this class. Beyond the theoretical and technical tools I learned from you, I think I also retained other things: motivation of participants, encouragement, presence, and availability. These are some of the "hidden" talents required from a good "transmitter of knowledge." If I did not have these skills, you taught them to me, and if I had them, I think you reinforced them. I'm sure you are a successful teacher in the eyes of your face-to-face students!
Best regards
Dear Daouda,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for such a lovely compliment! I so appreciate your kind words; they make me feel good and put a huge smile on my face.
Donna
Dear Dona
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your patience. I really appreciate what you have done on me. You have brought light to darkness of my knowledge. I have learnt so many useful tools for real life teaching. It was my honor being one of your students in this course. I am also grateful for letting people from far away in the world be so close in your virtual classroom.
Thank you for promoting understanding among the E-participants. Your teachings will be remembered for ever in my classes. Before entering this course, I have to recognize, I did not know about technological tools; now, after having had such a renowned professor’s teachings, I just feel happy and proud for that. Please, receive my apologies if I did something wrongly.
Holguer
Dear Donna,
ReplyDelete"Education is for changing the status quo, not maintaining it." This is one of my favorite words. What you taught in this course had changed the status quo of my teaching and will improve my students' learning, maybe will change English education in Japan.
The ten week course was a great experience for us because we learned a lot interactively even though it was an online course which is very individual setting.It was as if we had met and talked each other in the class! It was really fun.
Thank you very much,
Tomoko Kurita
Dear Donna! It was a wonderful and busy time in 10 weeks that we spend with You, with our Classmates, and with our Assignments :))and I love it so much! We could learn from each other, could share our teaching experience and discuss the issues of teaching in different countries. You facilitated this course perfectly!, always gave advice and answered on all questions immediately. I could practice so many technological tools (Web Quest,blog,Nicenet, ANVILL,test Maker, and many more) those were new for me and without you and the course I could not learn it never. The topics of the course were absolutely relevant to me, as I could already implement my new knowledge in 10 days training for teachers of science. Two months before I could never imagine that I will teach ICT person(!!!), manager from International office, and other colleagues how to use ICT in subject. Only thanks to your support and learning experience through the course I could do it! I left ANVILL and will explore it during the year. I have two my long-term plans: to continue professional development for science teachers, and to start a new Plan-Project for my biology students in the classroom. This is the best result of our online course that I can use my knowledge and implement them into real life! I absolutely improved my English language skills through readings and tasks that I did; computer skills; communication skills; and many more and this is only thanks to you and that learning environment that we had in a course! Everything was planned and organized at the course perfectly! Main website, tasks for us, readings, and so on. You created for us excellent conditions for study. Thanks to You I have Internet at home and will keep it! I could believe in myself and be self-confident at the course and especially in time of my training, and this is almost Your encouraging and engaging to our personal and professional growth! I will love to send you a letter, if I can....to ask some questions or just to say hello, because You is really My Friend and a Great Teacher! With Great Love to you! Success to you in your one-computer classroom:)) and have a good luck! Natalia
ReplyDelete