Final Reflection

[Cyndi Danner-Kuhn]

This should be the last thing you do. If you have not done the other discussion topics yet, STOP NOW and do them first.

This last reflection should discuss five things that you say WOW! this semester. Remember, this is reflection and should represent scholarly thought and writing.

[Brandi Patterson]

The first thing that made me say wow was realizing how computer illiterate I really am. I took a "technology" class last semester at a junior college that after having this class was quite pointless. This class didn't give you a text book and told you to read it and define a bunch of terms. You get in there and get dirty. You actually use the programs and don't just read about them. I am a very visual learner and so this class has been perfect for me.

The second moment for was yahoooooo to Firefox. I won't use anything else again. I definently will not go back to windows explorer. I had been having so much trouble with explorer before switching to Firefox I thought my computer was headed south for the winter. It never dawned on me that it was probably Internet Explorer.

The Third moment for me was that I really didn't have to continue to buy new programs that I could download them for free. I love free stuff, this was like my bargain find of the year. I had looked it to pricing Microsoft office for my computer last December. At that time I decided I would wait until I really needed it an them get the 60 day trial Microsoft offers. However that wasn't needed as I soon learned about OpenSource.

The Fourth moment for me is multiple areas in which technology is being expanded to aid in the teaching of our students. As well as the teaching of the teachers, and administrators. I always thought of my district as being up to date and techno savvy. I think they still are however they have a ways to go. We are on the right track and me learning these things I hope to utilize more of the same things next year. Next year students will be at school for and hour and a half when teachers are in learning communities one day per week. During this time we plan to use technology to the kids and expand on what they are learning as well as what they don't know anything about.

The fifth moment is that I have tools beyond my comprehension to use to help me keep up to date and refreshed on the happenings of the technology world. That to me is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae.

[Nakeisha Kinney]

First off, I would have to say that my number one wow would be: Wow! It's so easy to get so overwhelmed that you get far behind. An online class was a new experience for me and it was as difficult as I expected it to be. There were so many times when I was so frustrated that all I could do was cry, especially when it came to trying to get everything in. I don't know why I had so much difficulty when it came to trying to get things submitted. For example, the audio reflections. I got all of them done and it seemed like it was going to take a full day to submit each one. But I now truly know that when they say expect a workload that you should definitely expect it.

My number two Wow moment: podcasts. I really liked how easy they were to access and how much information was given. I hadn't ever worked with podcasts before and I truly have enjoyed them. As an English major, anything that you don't have to read yourself is a Blessing. I know that I would like to incorporate podcasting into my teaching in the future, and I will continue to work with them so that I am more educated in their uses. I'm glad we were given the opportunity to work with these simply because I had never learned how in any class. Of course this is an intro to technology instruction, so this should be somewhat expected.

Number three would have to be social bookmarking. I'll be honest and say that I was completely clueless when this subject first came about. When we first did the assignment for it I was so excited at what I found. I didn't really expect to find anything that I could, or even would, use in the future. I felt so out of the loop at the video conference we had at the beginning of the semester because I was so ignorant when it came to this knowledge. It seemed like every one had some understanding of this bookmarking. As we continued throughout the course I did learn more and more and continued to research whenever I had the chance. I plan to continue to add to my deli.c.ious throughout my life's career.

Number four would definitely have to be audio reflections. I dreaded these somewhat because I think I sound like a completely different person when my voice is recorded in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I think i sound like a man. I've been told that it isn't true, but I just don't think that people have their ears cleaned out very much. I liked that I was able to write out what I planned to say and could redue the recording until I was happy with it. I think that with practice I will grow more accustomed to the sound of my voice and will be more enthused to use audio podcasts of my lectures in my classes. I liked that we were given the opportunity to practice this and that audacity was very easy to use (the difficult part came when I was trying to actually upload the files on moodle :P). Overall, I did like the experience, and since I have audacity on my laptop, I'll be practicing whenever I can.

I would have to say that even though number five should really be my number one Wow moment, I'd have to say that technology and its uses in the classroom is. When I think of teaching English, I don't really see how technology can be used to teach all of the rules of grammar and the writings of Shakespeare besides finding them on the internet. I do truly believe and stand on the fact that technology will never replace teachers, but I do think that it does make life a bit simpler at times. During my observation at Hays High last semester, I was able to encounter Moodle and its use in the English classroom setting. The students were able to access everything that would normally be found on paper and in handouts on the web at their own fingertips. I really liked, most of all, the fact that the teachers all recognized that even though technology usage was convenient, they always had a back-up plan for each assignment they gave. We should never solely rely on technology alone, because having notes online does not do as much justice as having a teacher explain it to you one-on-one. I do see how technology can be incorporated in the English classroom, and I know I will use it when I see fit.

As an overview, despite the struggles I had pretty much after Spring Break, I've enjoyed this class. I have learned many new tricks, tips, and skills that will benefit me here in the present, and will continue to do so in the future. I've learned to expect more than you initially had because it won't always be a breeze like other online classes. I don't think the class as a whole was difficult, it was just work trying to adjust to having to keep up with an online class where you weren't with a teacher face-to-face. It made me appreciate my independence more and realize that there will be times when the teacher won't be there to be my aide. I only hope that I did a decent job and wasn't too much of a disappointment. I'm being hard on myself because I was so far behind at one point. Despite my difficulties, I've caught up, and I can be proud that I was determined to do so. I just want to say thank you to Dr. Danner-Kuhn for a great learning experience and I just wish for God to shower your life with many Blessings and Favor. This goes to everyone else who was apart of the class as well. I didn't know a lot of you, but I just pray that you continued to learn something new like I did.