Week 3 Reflection

"May you live in interesting times" - Unknown

Funny that we are discussing all these different methods of assessment and ways to get information to and from students electronically, and we have another method added to the list in the middle of the Module. The iPad made it's debut today and it came with promises to change the way that information is used. They even say that it can save traditional media. Personally, I think it just sounds like a big iPhone (of which I have and am addicted to) without the camera and phone part. Still, it sounds like it has the capability to replace the laptop, or at the very least, present itself as a viable competitor to it. So, in a few years will all students be carrying an iPad that links directly into their courses for a semester? Probably.

Concept Map

Module 1 Assignment - About Me

I guess I wan't alone in having difficulty having a partner, so I will be introducing myself also.
Q: Why have you chosen this course, this university and/or this program?
I chose this course because it was one of the steps to the online certification. In my area it seems to be a growing trend and I feel that online education is a trend that I can really be at the forefront for and it's something that I am fascinated by. I was a Stout undergrad and I didn't have the time resources to be able to get my masters traditionally, so I looked at who offered online education masters and that's how I got back into Stout.
Q:Tell me about your background, experiences, and/or skills.
I'm a 33-year-old first year teacher. I teach computers and PE in a K-8 Catholic school, but I'm a 9-12 experienced, business education certified Lutheran, so go figure ;) I also coach football, baseball, and in two weeks archery.

Q: What do you expect from this course?
Probably to learn a lot. This will be my 4th online course that I've taken and all of them have taught me so much that it feels a bit overwhelming.

Q: What is one thing we might never have guessed about you?
I live in Western Wisconsin and I'm a Chicago Bears season ticket holder.

Q: Who is that special someone, thing or event that you cherish and would never want to give up?
My family. My wife is an Assistant Principal and our son is almost 5. We also have a baby on the way, and I wouldn't trade my life for anything.

Assessment in E-Learning Blog #1 - Week 2 Reflection

I found that as I was reading this chapter that I was trying to find a connection to learning styles from traditional classrooms that were similar to this. The "Edublogs as an assessment tool" reading really sparked it for me when they discussed that blogs were started in the early 1990s as a diary. I seem to recall several times writing in a journal for english classes and things of that nature. The main difference being that those journals were meant to be between student and teacher only. It feels unusual that we are basically doing the same reflections, but now not only is it not private, we are required in some cases to comment on other student's reflections. I agree with the study that there is a high degree of individual accountability mixed with group processing.

I had read earlier that student results would increase if the student took ownership of the assignment. I believe that most post-secondary students would take ownership of an assignment such as this solely because of the knowledge that it will be read and commented on by their peers.

JH