What’s New ????
Social Media
I am really trying to appreciate using social media as an educational tool. I think I am so overwhelmed right now with life, that I'm not enjoying or utilizing it as I should. I realize the purpose is to gain experience in the asynchronous world, HOWEVER...... (I regress). The blog is a nice tool for voicing opinions, expressing ideas, and revealing discoveries. I've enjoyed reviewing classmates entries. It makes this asynchronous existence a bit more real-world-like.
Ah-Ha Moment
I finally submitted Assignment 1 for grading. Don't you hate when you submit and then decide to read it again? You see all kinds of things you wish you had changed. Overall, I think I did pretty good. I pressed enter at 11:56 pm (just making the midnight deadline). I guess the ah-ha moment was when I realized "girl...get yourself motivated; you are either in or out" (in my Heidi Klum voice)
New Terminology
Here is the introduction to assignment 1 entitled Exploring the Perception of the Effectiveness of LMSThe perception of the effectiveness of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) has been a concern in academia since the inception of distance education. The acceptance of technology is proportional to its perceived usefulness and satisfaction. This acceptance varies depending upon whether the user is a student or instructor. Learning managements systems facilitate an active learning environment while addressing the learning styles of the tech savvy student; and the needs of the instructor. Although LMSs have a number of strengths, there are weaknesses that expose the necessity to further investigate methods to enhance and support the online learning environment. This essay will discuss the various perceptions of a LMS, and the associated strengths and weakness.
References
Bates and Sangra, Chapter 2,
"Recent Developments in Technology and Education," pp. 25-51
Anderson, T. (2009) Social Networking in Education. A draft paper to STRIDE handbook for The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Retrieved: April 27, 2009, from http://terrya.edublogs.org/2009/04/28/social-networking-chapter/
Kurtz, G., Sponder, B., Litto, F.M.,
& Oshima, J. (2011). Using Web 2.0 for fostering students’ creativity and
supporting diversity in online courses: Strategies and practices. A paper
presented at the 24th ICDE world conference, Bali, Indonesia. Retrieved
September 9, 2012, from https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzA_NTEhbdH8RTQyc0wtNDE2S1k
Wiley, D. (2010). Openness as
catalyst for an educational reformation. EDUCAUSE Review, 45(4),
14–20. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume45/OpennessasCatalystforanEducati/209246.
Wiley, D. (2010). Open Education and
the future. (15 min video presentation) Retrieved May 2, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb0syrgsH6M&feature=player_embedded#!
Renee,
ReplyDeleteI am not the commentator for your blog site but thought I would read your posts as I appreciate your comments in the discussion sessions. It is funny to see how many of us in this class are struggling with the balance of work school family, etc. I do feel a sense of camaraderie when I read everyone's blogs as it does give me a sense that I am not alone. I also think that as an educator I will remember these feelings and hopefully appreciate what my students are going through.
On the flip side I am gaining much information as it relate to online education and DE. The discussion of social media last week was interesting. I am not a big advocate of using this avenue to educate but I can see how it could impact learning.
Take care
Kelli
Hi Renee,
ReplyDeleteI've never really blogged either. I've looked at blogs related to my profession. In HR, it's tricky deciding what to write about on social media sites. So many things are taken personally nowadays. While you could be speaking of a topic in general, someone could think you're speaking about them directly. So I've learned to only share information that is very vague or general in nature. However, most of my HR related sharing is done on LinkedIn vs. in a blog.
Hi Renee
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post. I can also add that one of the main benefits of social media is that there are many tools to choose from. Most of university students spend most of their time socializing using these tools. Hence many institutions have started adopting these tools in order to enhance teaching and learning.
Cheers
Blessing