Final Reflection

What aspects of this course did you find most beneficial?

I felt that the variety of topics related to current issues in educational technology were very beneficial during the course. Learning about these things made me much more aware of important and relevant issues in educational technology that I need to keep up with as a teacher. However I particularly liked the more hands-on activities related to technology usage, like using Twitter, creating a website, using Schoology and EdX etc. The reading was very informative, but I much prefer the hands-on activities.

What aspects of this course did you find did not meet your needs?  Please make suggestions regarding how your needs might be met. 

I felt that all of the aspects of the course met my needs to understand educational technology's current issues. However, some of the reading was a bit too dry and complex. I realize that as a grad student that is going to happen, but I just felt that some of it was a bit too challenging. I consider myself to be fairly intelligent and well-read, but a couple of the articles went--at least in part--right over my head. That becomes too challenging, and when it does I simply do not retain the information. And I really do want to retain as much of the information as I can.

What topics in this course were most interesting to you? 

Constructivist Learning, Twitter/Global Communication, and the Copyright/Fair use topics were most interesting to me. I think that Constructivist Learning was my favorite topic, and I think that's why I chose Genius Hour for my Professional Development activity. Genius Hour lends itself well to Contsructivist learning and inquiry-based learning, which I love more and more, the more I learn about them.

What topics in this course were least helpful/interesting?

The Cultural Diversity module was the least interesting for me. Some of it was actually interesting, but some of it (particularly the article about black women and technology and identity) made me yearn for a root canal because it would be more enjoyable (no offense).  I also didn't care for the activity where we had to connect with a teacher in another country. While I can appreciate the reason for it to some extent, having to contact someone abroad when I'm not even teaching seemed kind of pointless. I got one reply from the few teachers I contacted, and she didn't even reply again when I asked her some more specific questions about her teaching experience at an International school on Hong Kong. I think she thought I was just some sort of weirdo masquerading as a college student. But I gave it a shot.

How did your knowledge of issues in educational technology evolve over the semester?  Did you have any "Aha" moments? 

 I think my knowledge evolved in that there were many topics I had only a general awareness of, based on the two prior courses I'd taken up to this point. Since I'm not currently teaching, I'm not quite as in tune as I'd like to be with issues in educational technology. But this course helped me to go a bit more in depth in my learning and understanding of these issues, which makes me feel much more on top of things and I appreciate that. It has also made me want to keep learning, so I've followed many teachers on Twitter, and I use that as a way to keep learning and connecting with other like-minded educators. 

I think my biggest Aha moment was really about Genius Hour and Inquiry-based learning. Because I researched that topic so intently, it just made me realize how much more I need to do as a teacher when I'm teaching again--and how much more my students can and should do as well. I really hope to be able to incorporate Genius Hour into future classes once I'm teaching again.

Any other thoughts you want to share...

I was iffy about this course when it first started, and some of the reading was a bit daunting. But in the end it's been one of my favorite courses so far. I learned a lot and it has made me want to keep learning. That's all I can really hope for when taking any course, but it doesn't always happen. So I'm glad it did this time. Thank you, Dr. A!