- Early in the course, you were introduced to the ELC, structure of an online course, various communication tools and strategies, the concepts of community and professional development, and working in teams. You also discussed some of the essential elements of online learning and design. Based on what you have learned and experienced what have you found engaging and helpful to your learning?
Having used the ELC previously was helpful in learning to navigate through this course. In the online course I took last semester, it seemed that the instructor did not utilize all aspects of the ELC, which made the course seem to be somewhat simpler. I like that this course uses the "coursebook" feature to include the readings/checklist and then activities. It is very clear and helpful when planning my week to know where I am going, what I need to accomplish, and by when. When guidelines are too general or flexible, I find it difficult to manage my learning and adhere to due dates.
I am also enjoying the exposure to a variety of new tools and the fact that we are encouraged to use them. Learning about them is great, but unless I am somewhat forced (or strongly encouraged) to use them to complete an assignment, they are just going to pass me by. I liked using Prezi for my e-learning platform, and I know that I will be using it again in the future. I think that researching a variety of web 2.0 tools and posting them on the Wikispace was helpful because it allows me to have a place to start, rather than doing all of the research myself and then becoming overwhelmed. I'm looking forward to trying some new tools with my students and coworkers.
I've always thought of myself to be a good worker, especially in a team, but I have to say that I'm finding the teamwork in this course a little bit difficult at times. Having not formally met face-to-face, I don't always know if I am reading emails or notes with the correct "tone." Sometimes teammates can seem to be a bit pushy or not understand that we all need to work at our own pace. On the other hand, when I was the team facilitator I was really trying to get the team to begin researching our project, but I did not receive much of a response. I was frustrated that we were working until almost the last minute to finish the assignment. I think that your feedback to our team has been very helpful in moving ahead and improving our collaboration in order to succeed.
