At the first meeting of the class, I was extremely unhappy to hear that I would need to keep up a blog as an on-going assignment for the semester. Not being a computer-savvy person or having an interest in working online, it seemed like it would be a chore to log on multiple times a week and post my thoughts. I had some trouble getting used to it in the beginning, but to be honest, it is not nearly the daunting task I thought it would be.
Before taking this course I did not read or follow any blogs, but it is obvious after looking at the websites listed in module 4 that many people are very interested in it. Most people are tied to computers for work or as a hobby, and blogging has become a practical and convenient way to communicate information. Blogging has been a great way to keep this online-based class personal. I feel I am in touch with my classmates, and can get a sense of who they are through their blog postings. I still much prefer face-to-face class meetings, and would rather not have to depend on the computer for everything, but I am glad I was forced to try something new!
We can't avoid the path technology is pushing our society down, so I guess it is important to embrace the ways of the future and start getting comfortable with it. I still hope that online education will not fully take the place of traditional education, because there is nothing like the personal contact experienced in the classroom for sharing ideas and experiences. Maintaining human contact is important for learning social skills and being able to work cooperatively with others. I am impressed with how easy it has been to manage a blog and stay in touch with my classmates, however I miss having immediate back and forth conversations, and it would be nice to know what my classmates looked like.
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Ginette,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posting.
You explained, "I still much prefer face-to-face class meetings, and would rather not have to depend on the computer for everything, but I am glad I was forced to try something new!" This is great. Everyone has preferences, but learning something new is how we make ourselves better. You know what you enjoy, but you also know you *can* do it this way.
Thanks and you are doing a wonderful job!
I also miss the face to face interaction, except that in this way I believe we all have more time and freedom to participate in a topic due to the time restraints a classroom has. Sometimes as I can observe in my own students there are students that tend to be more assertive than others leaving the shy ones behind, this would be a great tool to get all kids involved.
ReplyDeleteI agree that interaction is an important part of the learning process, but in this situation we are all given a chance to place our thoughts up for debate. Often times in a class ideas are missed because someone is afraid to speak up or there simply is not enough time. At least this way, we all have a voice even if we don't have a face.
ReplyDeleteEddie has a terrific point!
ReplyDeleteThis venue gives you chance to reflect and even do some research before reacting.
I agree in the fact that face to face interaction is more productive than online blogging. However, it doesn't hurt by having an online blog as it can be a useful addition to a face to face class. Students can expand and express their own personal thoughts that maybe they would rather talk about on a blog rather than in the classroom.
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