Week 19 – POTCERT

 imagesCAG6C42SI’m catching up little by little….  Whole lotta interesting reading this week.   I started by reading chapter 13.   I would say that my current f2f classes are web enhanced.  I post lectures, links, videos, tutorials, syllabus, extra credit assignments and grades on Bb.  The textbook we currently use has all the assignments online as well as a Vtext that students can access.  I notice that my students could give a hoot about all the cool technology.  I am constantly amazed at how underwhelmed they are.  Really?  I can’t help but think back to the days of when I was a student… none of this stuff was available.  Heck, we thought fax machines were cool!   What the hell is wrong with these students??!!  In fact, when I did create more techy assignhments and embedded them into my Bb site, they complained!  Whatever!!  :/

As far as lecures go, I post pdfs of my PPTs and links to my Prezis.  I constantly tell students thay are there and to feel free to print them out and bring them to class.  That way when I am lecturing, they can just add interesting notes to them.  Rarely do I see any students taking my advice.  Really?  They just scatter to write everything down that is imagesCAAJCS5Hon the PPT or Prezi….  I need to rethink why this is?  Lazy students or outdated methodology?  When I ask them this question, they look at me like I have 2 heads… 

Looking forward to incorportaing the discussion board and/or blogs into my online class this fall…  Freaked out about testing since my college has no proctoring center.  I’m going to have to get really creative until I can convince the higher ups that we NEED a proctoring center…  Office hours: planning tio use Skype or Wimba, I’ll see which one is better.  Wikis… LOVE them for group projects!  I’ve used Pbworks in my f2f classes and it is very easy and user friendly!

On to the articles…imagesCA2TBBP3  What I got form the Grahm article was that it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference who is in the class, unless of course the instructor makes it his/her business to foster a relationship between participants.  This will be essential in my Spanish class as students will need to be paired for oral practice and group projects.  What I git from Siemen’s article is that MOOCs are here to stay regardless of what the teacher’s unions say!  Ha!  The unions have been up in arms about these MOOCs.  If people want to join in on a class with 3,000 other students, feel free!  They just won’t get any personalized feedback from the instructor.  Michael Wesch’s class page gave me a headache at first glance.  As I dug deeper I found it fascinating.  I expecially love the “the wall.”  For now, I am sticking with good old fashioned Bb.  The students at my new college are far less sophisticated technologically speaking; no way in heck I’m going to add that page to their plates… they’ll drop like flies.

On to week 20… only 5 weeks to go fearless compañeros!!

 

 

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4 Responses to Week 19 – POTCERT

  1. Rachele DeMeo says:

    I enjoyed your post.
    I love Skype and have used Skype for office hours (when students weren’t able to be physically present). I found it very useful. 😉

    • Do you have Wimba built into your textbook? I used it with a Pearson product (My Spanish Lab) when I taught at Palomar and I loved it. I was able to go through essays with my students on a white board, put others in a waiting room to chat while I was busy with another student, etc. It was pretty cool. I think it offers more features than Skype…

  2. “Lazy students or outdated methodology? When I ask them this question, they look at me like I have 2 heads… ”

    I hear you, Donna. All too well.

    You know, Claire and I had a conversation about flipping the classroom — http://clairemajor.net/2013/03/17/whats-in-a-name/ — and what that might mean in a Web-enhanced or blended classroom. I wonder if your students could benefit from a little flipping? You could record your lectures/resources and provide the PowerPoints or Prezis for them to do Pre-Class. Then during class you could engage them in some interesting activities so they’re “nudged” into applying what they were to learn in the Pre-Class.

    Do you think that might be a way to engage your students and encourage them to be more responsible? Of course, you’ll probably get the two-headed treatment at first 😉

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