Final Post of the Class: Honest Reflection

This post is in reaction to Dr. Strange's Honest Reflection Questionnaire:
http://www.johnstrange.com/edm310/FinalPostSpring2010.pdf

I have learned so many things in the EDM 310 class. I have learned a lot, that I honestly thought I would lose my mind!! These are the things I have learned: Blogging, Google Presentations, Google Earth, Timetoast Timelines, Videocasts/Podcasts, Vocaroo, iTunes, PLN, Twitter, Movie Maker, Google Docs/Forms, Delicious, YouTube, ACCESS/ALEX, and Commenting on other blogs. The purpose about learning these things is to incorporate them into education. These tools are very useful and should be use more often. In my future as an educator, I would definitely some of these tools because it will help benefit my class better. Out of all of these, I would probably use Movie Maker and Google Presentations/Docs/Form the most. Movie Maker is more fun than the rest of them and I think it would be more beneficial for children with hearing disabilities. The only thing I have left to learn for this is how to add close captions when uploading the video through YouTube (which I am still trying to figure out). Google Presentations would definitely be helpful because it will show visuals. Many children rely on visual learning as well as I. Google Docs will allow me to share anything I do to others, so they will have a copy of the materials. Google Forms are a great way to make up quizzes. Also, another thing that I think I will use the most is probably a blog. This way, I can post everything we do in class online and if students miss school for some reason, they can check the blog and not get too far behind. This will also allow parents know what is going on in the classroom and enhance communication skills between the students, parents, and me. I do have a feeling that I will use ACCESS/ALEX to help will lesson plans and guide me through teaching my students. I may use timelines and google earth when necessary. I will definitely keep up with twitter, just for fun, and continue to build up my PLN and Delicious. I will use iTunes to download videos I could use for my class. All of these are great ways to help enhance education.

There are things that I wish were included in the EDM 310 Curriculum, but they are not: how to add close captions in videos, how to incorporate audio into text for the deaf community, and how to incorporate text into audio for the blind community. There are probably many more things I wish I could have learned, but I cannot think of them right now. I would love to learn how to do these things because I am a Special/Elementary Education major and I want to teach to children with hearing and seeing disabilities. It would be very important to add close captions to video or incorporate audio into text so that deaf students can understand what is going on in the video. So if I make a video myself, then I need to add the text into it to help the deaf children. It would be the same way for the blind. I think it would be beneficial if these three things were added to EDM 310 curriculum.

If there is anything that I wish I had not learned in class, it would probably be the vocaroo voice recording. I do not think I would ever use this tool if I am planning on teaching to the deaf community or anybody with disability with the exception of the blind community (I would rather read out aloud to them than for to listen to a voice recording). I do not think that a voice recording is reliable in education because it does not benefit everyone in the world; therefore, I do not see a point in using this particular tool. Vocaroo is probably the only thing I wish I had not learned, even though it was kind of cool.

At first, I was thinking what have I gotten myself into when I signed up for this class. I started hating the class in the beginning, but when I got to the Substantive Project using any tool in class, I decided to make a movie and it was so cool. After that, my attitude changed right away. I was beginning to have fun with the class. When I was making the movie for my project, I was learning things outside of what the class taught: Editing Music!! I was playing around with this particular tool and fell in love with it. I tried using this attitude towards the rest of the projects and I was having more fun. Everything I have learned in class are useful to me and I will use them in education!

I believe that this entire class is intellectually challenging because I was learning some of these things almost at the same time. I believe I was doing four projects at the same time at one point. It was so stressful that I thought I was going to have a mental breakdown. Eventually, I got through it. I made it through. Come to think of it, I always like a challenge because it pushes me to work hard and be successful!!

I was never bored with this class. This class kept me busy everyday. It feels like a 8-hour job. Every night I was working on something in this class, whether it is small or big. Again, I was never bored with this class.

If there is anything that I would choose to change this class in any way, I would probably choose alternatives videos for students who have disabilities that may be going into education as a major. I would make sure that this class could be beneficial to EVERYONE, not just the people who could probably handle the class.

I would not say that I am 100% technologically literate. I am sure I have a lot more to learn in the technology world. However, I would say that I know a lot more than just researching for a paper, emailing, facebook, downloading musics, and typing papers for school. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best), I would probably be a 7 in the technology world, unless there is something I do not know about that I have not learn yet. Just in case, I would say a 6. I do not think I would ever be 100% and I do not think it would matter as long as I am willing to keep learning about the technology world.

I think that keeping in touch with Dr. Strange and being active in the EDM 310 Alumni Blog will definitely help me improve my technology skills. I would be willing to keep on learning and being part of the Alumni blog will help me to do that. If I stay active on the blog, then I can always get help whenever I need to!

Overall, I am starting to like this class. I wish there would be another one like this as a follow up to help me be an expert in this. But I can always ask around if I need it. I really did learned a lot and I did not expect to do so. This is a really useful class. Yeah, it is a lot in one semester but in the end, it is all worth it.