Week#10 Game Continues!

This course has been an eye opener on a very important topic.  It offers a unique opportunity to stay abreast of world class education.  I started with very little knowledge about the topic and ended up feeling like an expert in the field.  At the beginning, ten weeks seemed too long to commit myself to a course, but I cannot believe it is over. I have gained tremendous knowledge and hands-on experience and a worldwide network of contacts.  I am so lucky to be part of this course and to get to know and work with everyone.  

I have enjoyed every single aspect of the course, the readings, class discussions, blogging, trying out new ideas and tech tools, doing mini projects every now and then, and creating an online class as a final project.  I, especially liked that the course itself and all assignments were student-centered and they fostered learner autonomy and project based learning.  Everything was very well organized and goal oriented.  I am amazed at the knowledge and experience I have gained and wish there were a sequel to this course.

Integrating technology into classroom teaching offers endless possibilities and is guaranteed to bring out positive and radical changes to any schooling system.  I will share the knowledge and experience I have gained in this course with other educators believing that this is the age of technology and we cannot continue to approach the 21^st century generation using the 19^th century tools.   

As much as I am happy that this course has finally come to a close, I will miss everyone, but the only consolation is that we will stay in touch and continue to share ideas and learn from each other's experiences in pursuit of professional development.

Let's stay in touch and wish you all the best!

Week#9 Learning Styles: Technology Connections

Hello everyone,

There is nothing better than the sense of fulfillment and achievement. This week was really the busiest. I was behind schedule with my final project plan and creating the technology tools and setting them up with materials for students to use. At some point, I felt working on this project seemed an endless task. Things took longer than expected and I doubted that I would finish it on time and was about to ask for an extension. However, I had to plan things out and stay focused to get the whole thing done on time. I am aware that it is still a tentative plan and ideas will be refined to suit students real needs during project implementation, but I have selected materials carefully to address the learning problems the project is meant to solve which took quite a while. I had a eureka moment when I put the final touches to the class blog and the Padlet page making sure everything was ready for students to use.  

Discovering a person's learning style and personal intelligence can help this person understand him or herself better and select the right materials to learn and reach their full potential. I am not good at following instructions whether verbal or written, but I comprehend something better when I get to see how it is done in front of my eyes and this makes me more of a visual learner. It is crucial for a teacher to be able to identify his or her learners' learning styles and to diversify their materials and techniques to cater for the learners' diverse needs, and intelligences.  

This class was a significant milestone in my professional development.  I am pretty certain it will turn my career around and open doors for me. I have given it my all and I am sure my hard work will pay off someday. Seeing pictures of school children using laptops and tablets in class has always intrigued me and made me wonder how technology is incorporated into classroom teaching and this course has provided many answers. I am planning to start my own school but was looking for a unique concept and technology was the missing ingredient.  

I do not like farewell moments as I am not good at handling them. The course not only introduced great ideas, but also wonderful professionals.   We have worked together for the past nine weeks and shared knowledge and learned from each other's unique experiences.  I have learned a lot and was inspired by everyone. I wish we could stay in touch with each other as professionals and continue to further develop ourselves and learn from each other how to incorporate technology into classroom teaching.   

Last but not least, our lovely instructor, Dr. Donna Shaw, takes the credit for making this course a unique experience for everyone; she has added the human touch to a virtual class and brought life to it inspiring and motivating everyone with her dedication, friendliness and professionalism. I have never had a better instructor and this class proved to be second to none.

Have a great time!