Well, after trying yet again to open a google word doc. on my laptop ( with no success), I have come to work today to do some catching up. I decided to give it a shot while I was here, and by gosh it worked!!! The good news, it’s not me, the bad news, there must be some configuration on my laptop which is preventing it from popping up. Any suggestions? It does make me feel better that it was not the user in this case, as most of us know all too well. So part of a hurdle is crossed, now to figure out podcasts and yugma. Perhaps that will be on tonight’s agenda.
As far as Glen’s latest blog goes,I am a firm believer that one gets out of something what they put in. For me, I want to acquire some new tools and skills from this course and utilize them well. Does that mean I need to learn a specific number? I think not, however, I do need to show evidence of what I have acquired through application. I don’t think that is necessary to comment on every blog each day, but rather, comment when you have a reflection or want to credit the person for what they have said. I do read each day, so as to practice the tools I have thus far acquired, but I don’t always comment. This is where my time management comes in, each day I devote time to checking in and keeping informed, but I do the bulk of my work load, such as commenting on weekends when I have more time to reflect. I agree with Cheryl that putting quotas would only cause me to obsess, when I should be focusing that energy on exploring and self-directed learning. I didn’t sign up for this course to only do what was required and then stop upon its completion. As a life-long learner, you take a course to “jump-start” the learning, and as a life-long learner, you keep applying what you learned and build upon it on your own. Being an on-line course does not change the energy I put into it or what I want to get out of it.
3 responses so far ↓
glen // November 4, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Thanks for the feedback and I wont be putting any quotas on contributions or anything for this course. I know that everybody here has a lot on their plate and if they can figure out how to use the tool and get in the habit of using it they are more likely to use it as you describe, to support lifelong learning.
If you are still having trouble with the Google Doc may be we could Yugma about it.
Michael // November 4, 2007 at 8:08 pm
I agree with your points, especially the life-long learner part. Now if only we can convince our students to buy into that philosophy….
sunnytechgirl // November 8, 2007 at 7:25 pm
I think the life-long learner part is an acquired skill. Just like everything we need the motivation. I hope that when this course ends I’ll be comfortable and appreciate the value of some of the tools that we’re using. I’m excited about the amount of interaction that these tools encourage. I’m slowly changing my mind about security issues. I hope that I’ll have settled on at least three edublogs that will encourage me to continue and keep me excited about the possibilities and opportunities that the web presents. Today I found a site that listed a number of applications with the “iPod touch.” http://kathyschrock.net/blog/2007/10/ipod-touch-online-applications-for.html
I’ve been wondering how you’d use iPod with your students since I learned that Winnipeg One wanted to buy them for some classes. These are not things that were set out for us to learn and yet learn them we do.