The journey comes to an end...

OK, well I guess this is just about it for Online Pedagogy in Practice!

I have enjoyed the course and do feel that I have gained new skills - I can't say that for some of the other courses I have undertaken as part of my GCTE!  I gained a lot of new skills via Assignment 2 both from facilitating the actual event and from the feedback and discussion from those involved.  I have also enjoyed using WIMBA within this course. As a distance student - feelings of isolation can be prevelant - so having the opportunity to engage with other students was good.  I would have enjoyed it more if there was more use of the camera - I like to be able to see who I'm speaking with. All this said, I am happy to say that I am leaving this course with a greater understanding of Pedagogy and the world of the online and virtual - the harder part with be working on the implimentation of these skills into my own teaching journey!

Ok, well that's Assignment 2 completed! Yippee!  Overall I was really happy with the way my online event went and happy with myself in that I am now gaining confidence in setting up Wiki sites.  I think using a Wiki worked well in that it was easy to access for participants and they did not need to log in with passwords etc and the site was fully open in all aspects and ready to go as per the advertised date.  I also learnt a great deal from particpants comments in my event - a range of applications I had never heard of - so that's certainly been a bonus!

I think other event that needed log ins etc did experience some problems in that sites were not always working as well as they could which inhibited participation - I did find this frustrating and am now more understanding of student complaints :).  All this said, no site is perfect and I will continue to browse other online media that I could potentially use in the future.  I do feel that I am gaining more confidence in the online virtual arenas - and will more investigation and practice this can only continue to improve.  All in all, I feel I have gained a lot from this course and have learnt a range of new skills and discovered a new world of online teaching strategies for use in the future.  Onward and upward!

How time flys when you're having fun!  Well that is the saying I guess, but currently time is flying and I'm not having too much fun!  Work and family illness have been absorbing all of my efforts of late and I do feel that I haven't participated as much as I would have like in the online presence aspects of Assignment 2. Working full time and having two young children, that seem to be constantly unwell of late really is starting to take its toll..But onward and upward!  I have tried to enter a few different online areas linked to Assignment 2 and have been amazed at the diversity of presentations and themes here.  The areas I have entered have given me a range of new ideas and techniques to both follow up further on and look at introducing to my current area of work.  So while I haven't been into them as frequently as planned, I do feel that I am gaing value from the work here of others. Go team!

The mind is a blur!!

Collaborative and non-collaborative learning/ social media/ student-centred learning/asynchronous and synchronous /wikis/blogs/google docs/pedagogy..the list goes on..I think sometimes it all becomes a bit of a blur!  Trying to stay active and engaged in creating and participating in a ‘online presence’ has become a task and a half!  Perhaps I needed to allocate my time better by being more aware of over-lapping dates for these events.  Being unwell during many of them also didn’t help..sigh!  I do think it will be harder for those students that have added events later to have the number of students active that is really required to facilitate a well- rounded discussion. But I will do my best here.

Assignment 2 - Online Pedagogy in Practice

Well my Wiki for Assignment 2 has been open for student discussion for a little over 24 hours now and already the discussions are flowing free!  It's great to see that fellow students are getting active and engaged in this assessment piece and still with three more days of converstation left!  As I am 'first off the mark' so to speak with this assessment, I am sure I will see far more fabulous events for others as the assessment item progresses that will give me more ideas for online presence in the future. 

The Wonderful World of the Wiki!

Ok, well my Wiki to use in my second assignment for Online Pedagogy in Practice is done and ready..well just about ready..for action!  Being a Wiki novice, it was a real experience to get one up and on the go.  In talking to work colleagues the general response is " Gee I know nothing about them - don't think I could do it!"  My response now, is "Hey it really is quite easy - even I can do it!".  The challenge for me now is to look at areas within my area that we can use the wonderful collaboration that Wiki's provide with our current student cohort.  Have in all reality had a lot of fun working with this Wiki, albeit a very simple Wiki - but it has certainly given me a taste for it.

A bit more calm than manic..well for today..

Ok, that's the first assignment - Literature review - done and dusted!  I really have found researching the particular topic I chose - Barriers to educators in adopting e-learning technology- to be really interesting.  I have now also discussed with work colleagues the potential of turning this area into a paper for the next Australasian Enabling Conference as it is such an important area of education. Funnily enough, I am now looking forward to Assignment 2!