WASCD Blog 3

After reading the 51 Competencies for the Online Instructor and completing the self-evaluations, here are my strengths and weaknesses.

MyStrengths:

1. I am well-organized, thoughtful, creative individual.  I create to-do lists and complete things ahead of schedule.  I can create a syllabus and a good rubric.  I like to know what I need to do in order to learn at my best.  I would be able to do the same for my students as an online instructor.  I am also good encouraging high-quality work and giving prompt feedback, i.e. grading in a timely manner with an appropraite rubric.
2. I am a life-long learner.  I love learning new things and going through the learning curve/process--hence the reason for taking this class.  :-)
3. I enjoy reinventing parts of myself with reflection.  Reflection has made me a more effective instructor and a better person.

My Weaknesses:

1. I do expect things to work, especially after I've pretested them.  How many times have any of you had everything ready to go for class, technologically speaking, and it's a bust?!?!  The server is down, the Internet is slow (as I type this on Cyper Monday), the computer locks up!  Am I frustrated--YES!  I would have a backup plan (that's the planner in me)--but it wouldn't be as good as the original.  I would definitely use humor (Murphy's Law, anyone?), but I would have to better learn how to tame this beast of frustration!
2. Keeping up/informed with the latest technological trends is increasingly more difficult with each year I'm teaching.  As soon as I feel comfortable with one program, poof!--a new and improved DIFFERENT one is out there.  Yes, I let the students show me, but what I really need is the time to learn it on my own.

Bottom line:  I believe this is a definite educational trend, especially in the wake of all the virtual schools coming into existence in the last half decade.  My greatest fear is that I won't be equipped with the resources/equipment required, i.e. those components where I have the least amount of control.

WASCD Blog 2

After learning about the different browsers, I decided to get off my Internet Explorer habit and focus on some more secure browers.  I think the only reason why I never considered using other browsers was that I felt comfortable with IE and never really had any issues with it.

After Thursday's class discussion on browsers, I decided that I should try a more secure browser and just learn how to use it in the comfort of my home. I downloaded and installed Mozilla Firefox.  I liked that it imported all of my bookmarks, cookies, and homepage.  I'm learning how to utilize the tabs, as I am unaccustomed to this layout.  Luckily my husband uses this browser all the time and has been very patient with me.  I also have been accessing all my homework using Google Chrome, and I really am liking this as much as IE.  In all honesty, I would have never done this if I hadn't been taking this class.  Wow!  :-)

ADDED 11/13/12:  I just thought that I would add that I now feel more savvy in helping my students/colleagues with browser issues.  I feel very comfortable in Chrome (which many of my students prefer) and am getting to be proficient in Firefox.

WASCD Blog 1

When I first began teaching, personal computers were a rarity, the Internet was there but not really utilized, and wireless phones were the closest technology to the cell phone.  In the last 20+ years, standard textbooks with pencil and paper just aren't the norm any longer.  In this class I am hoping to further my tehnological skills.  I feel like the proverbial "fish out of water" when trying to keep up with all the latest technology (software and hardware).

I have just begun utilizing Moodle at my school district this past Spring.  I am now trying blended/flipped class learning for my students.  My goal is to learn how to incorporate the technologies/information learned in this class to become a more effective 21st century teacher.