Week 10 Reflection

After ten weeks of hard work, the course eventually comes to an end.  However, I think it is just the beginning.  We are now equipped with some skills and knowledge of integrating technology into our teaching.  The next step is to implement them into our class effectively.   The challenge is whether you are willing to take the time and effort to make a change in the classroom when it is not a requirement anymore or assignment of a course.  You might have to spend 10 hours creating and setting up an online activity for your students. In addition to that, you still have to prepare a back-up plan in case technology doesn't work.  With so much work, are you tempted to go back to the basics without technology? Moreover, every time you make a change, especially with technology, you are taking a risk because you don't know how receptive your students will be. 

From time to time I recalled the school years when I was a kid.  I thought I could have done better at school if I were born in this generation.  Lessons I had in the past were lecture-style, having the teacher standing in the middle of the platform, talking with the textbook in hand or reading from the textbook.   What's worse, all classes were conducted in English, except Chinese lesson, and I am a visual learner.

 

 

Having this experience, I always remind myself to consider the learning styles of my students and try to accomodation their needs.  With the advance of technology, I think this is feasible.  Even though it takes extra hours in lesson preparation, it is worthwhile doing it, and it is rewarding when you see your students progress.

The image below is a reminder for myself when I am frustrated.  Hope you like it.

Week 9 Reflection

 

 

I can’t believe that we are in Week 9.  Time flies.  When I went over my notes for the past eight weeks, I am really proud of what I have achieved.   Though difficult, I tried to make some small changes in class and in the curriculum.  It’s rewarding and encouraging to see some progress.  For example, I strongly insist to develop a workable objective and rubric for our writing assignment so as to achieve standardization across multiple sections.  Furthermore, I proposed the idea of teaching students research skills such as evaluating Internet source during the e-learning week and also promote student collaboration using tools like discussion forums.   I understand that some teachers may be reluctant to change because that means they have to move outside of their comfort zone or they may think that the way they teach is the best way for their students to learn because that is the way they learn best  (Groat & Montgomery, 1998).  I think reflecting upon our own teaching methodology regularly is essential. 



 

 

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences is not a new subject and it is a good thing to review it every now and then.  With the availability of technology, it should be easier to create a range of activities or lessons that can address individual differences in the classroom.  At this point, I recalled what I did last semester with my classes and I must admit that I didn’t do a good job.   Perhaps joining a teachers’ networking group is a good way to keep myself current and motivated because I can get support, ideas and feedback from other teachers like what we did in this Webskills course. 





Week 8 Reflection

 

This quote from Voltaire is exactly how I feel after trying out most of the online tools this week.  With so many resources available, it is difficult to make a decision.  I was tempted to create a class site but I hesitated because I would like to make something that my students can use in class at this time of the course which is tie to their materials.  Therefore, I created a crossword puzzle which will be used as a review of the vocabulary that students have learned.    Actually, I had started to create an exercise using “Worksheet”, one of the applications in SMILE (http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/mimea/smile/v2/index.php), but I got stuck.  I created a drag and drop exercise but I couldn’t drag the answer.  With the deadline approaching, I had no choice but to give up.  One interesting feature in this worksheet is to record the pronunciation of vocabulary words and students record their own after listening to yours.  I need more time to learn how to use this application, but I think it is worth it.

 

The most rewarding part of this week’s assignment is to write the first draft of our project report.  The prompts in the project report template guided us to reflect in details about what we have done, why we made certain decision and its impact to our own teaching and students.  I think reflection is essential and that is how we can learn.   Though it is not a huge leap, I did bring about small (new) changes in my teaching and my mind is fed with new ideas.