I've reached the end

This week I enjoyed reading and thinking about the hybrid classroom. While it's a much different approach to the way I've normally taught, I think it could work with classes that I'm teaching. I'm more of a doing person than a personal thought and reflective type of person so this week stretched me somewhat. I enjoyed the your turn part of the class where I had to pose a question that had no right or wrong answer. I love nationals parks and was saddened to hear how our national shutdown effected them so much. Putting the question out there of how we can proactively think of solutions would get some good discussions going.

This again was an extremely busy week. I'm looking forward to next week when life will slow down some. May 30 is around the corner!!

I think Week 3 has been my favorite

I really enjoyed this week because it stretched me to try and use things that I probably would have stayed away from. Last week I was using Powtoon with my 7th graders. I had many moans and students that requested that they just use google slides because it was easier. I encouraged them to think outside of the box and try new things. The students gave those presentations today and did a great job on them. Just like my 7th graders, I like to just use the same old--same old. But week 3 caused me to see and understand that new things aren't really all that bad. There are many Youtube videos that you can check out for help in understanding.

It's been an extremely busy week

Wow!! Okay, I didn't plan taking this class at the correct time. This week has been crazy. Three exercise appointments, a dentist appointment, a dermatology appointment (ended up to be 2 hours), taught two nights at Trinity, taught six and seventh graders during the day, graded too many papers, went to a funeral, did my Saturday errands run. Now I'm finally ready to finishing my online class. Thankfully I'm staying healthy through it all.

Finally understanding this moodle thing

I'm feeling good about my moodle page. Yes, it took a while but I'm finally beginning to understand it. Many times during the process I had to redo what I had completed. I searched videos and YouTube to try to make sense of what I was doing. Many time I felt like throwing in the towel. But I usually took a break then and came back to it. Spending time away also helps me to refocus and think of new ways in which I can solve my problem.

One thing I found out that it's good to read all directions before starting and refer back to them often. When I first set up my moodle page I only included 6 weeks. Then when looking back over the directions I read that we had to have 8 weeks. I had to go back and redesign the labels that I had already made.

I still have a few questions that I didn't find answers to. I'm sure if I had searched more I could have found the answers. One of the questions that I still have is that I'm not so sure how to more the weeks around in moodle. For example I wanted to add a picture to the beginning of my page. To do that I had to move everything down. I think I took the long way around doing that.

Overall I understand more about moodle that I did before this assignment and for that I'm grateful.

Adventures of creating a Moodle course

Okay first part finished! Now I'm wondering what assignments have to be about. Hopefully I can ask a question in the coffee house or discussion room or FAQ and figure it out.

At the end of Module one...I enjoyed looking at another online class. It gave me a good overview of the types of things that are included in an online class. I remember when writing AEDU368 that I had a strong desire to see other classes and know what kind of expectations other course writers put into their classes. I wrote the class in 2012 and had my first students in 2017. After teaching it once, I saw many areas where I needed to improve things. I think it is good to evaluate yourself. By focusing on this evaluation process it gives me a good stepping stone for revamping my class before I teach in again in the spring of 2020.

I'd also like to include on introduction video in the classes that I teach. Even though they aren't online classes I think that if would give students a heads up on me and what to expect out of the classes that I teach.

I've wanted to include more videos also in my Junior High classes. I haven't taken the plunge yet, but it has been on my mind for many years. When reading through the articles again I was reminded that I need to be vulnerable. I guess this seems hard for me with junior high kids. They are always so critical of things. But I need to get over that and just go for it. Being a perfectionist with videos is something that will also be hard for me. I think I have to just give up being so critical with myself. I have a dry sense of humor and find it easy to laugh at myself so that part of online teaching/video reviewing will be easy.

Okay, this blogging thing might get the best of me yet. I finally figured how to put it on the OL 101 page. I guess walking away from it for a few days and then coming back to it helps. I had a great spring break, but I also took a break away from this class. So tonight I'm all in. Hoping that everything goes smoothly.