Module 3 is full of so many interesting new tools, I can barely process one before I move on to the other. And as I try to understand how one tool works, I'm simultaneously trying to think of ways to actually use the tools for an online/hybrid class.
My brain is tired.
Perhaps this is why I adapted to some tools more easily than others. Certain ones seemed to connect with me right away, and I immediately knew how to input content. Other tools just sort of sat in front of me... and as I flipped through old lecture notes, I still couldn't figure out a good way to use them for the fake course I'm designing. So I just sort of tried to use the tool itself, and perhaps later, I'll figure out the kind of content that lends itself more strongly to that medium.
Despite the fatigue, I was still able to reflect what resonated with me and what didn't:
FLIP GRID = Clearly, it's good for introductions, since we've all been using it in such a way. :) I also think it would be fun to have students summarize a chapter they read or give a 30-second explanation and example for certain terms or concepts. Basically, I love that you can change the amount of time for responses, which gives me so many ideas!
AUDACITY = I can see that the software is super cool, but I am soooo not a podcast person in the sense of a serial broadcast. (I'm not an auditory learner, either, so this isn't quite my thing... unless it's "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me.") And if it's just going to be a lesson, then I'd rather have a video than just audio because I really miss the personal connection in an online class.
SCREENCAST = Love this!!! It was really simple, although I had a hard time talking while typing and clicking around. I'm sure it's a learned skill. I don't have any other ideas for my course right now, other than the website I showed, but Beth and I talked about how this might be useful for reminding students steps of how they use the applets in MATH151.
EDPUZZLE = It may have worked. Maybe not. I think people need to sign in when they click on the link. And I cropped the video and added a question, but I don't think I quite grasp how useful this may or may not be. I use video clips in class all the time, but I didn't really resonate with this tool.
GOOGLE DOC = Great! I know people use Google docs all the time (my ultimate frisbee team used to use it to track attendance and jersey orders), so it was fun to think about how to use it in a classroom setting. Google docs: not just for ultimate frisbee.
GOOGLE SITE = I felt like this was unnecessary considering all the other tools we had available in moodle. But maybe I'm just not being creative enough.
So I'm tired. But I'm proud of myself for experimenting with so many different resources in one week. And I'm hoping that some of you can help bridge my tiredness by sharing some of the ways you were able to use the tools that did not work as well for me.
Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI actually really liked EdPuzzle. I hope mine worked that you can view it. I have a person on YouTube that I really like and want to use some of her videos, but my concern was if student will really do it or not (I know how it is to be in an on-line course and do the bare minimum work that is required). So I love that I can track students progree and also intersperse some review questions or audio of my own. So far I only did the questions, but I really can see myself using this resource.
I too enjoyed Screencast and think it is a valuable resource that I see myself using.
I do like podcasts and in F2F classes often use either podcast or voice over powerpoint when I want to flip class and have students listen to lecture prior to attending class.
Your Moodle page looks great so far!
Janna:
DeleteThank you so much for sharing how you use some of the other tools - especially the ones that I didn't use as well! I love that EdPuzzle works better for you since you have a specific person on YouTube that you like; this makes perfect sense to me and gives me ideas about how one might curate their EdPuzzles better. I was having a hard time with the question tracking in EdPuzzle, so I'll try to access yours and see what happens. :)
What feedback have you received about podcasts? Again, I'm more of a visual learner... but Aaron is an auditory learner, so he loves podcasts! What are some of the good things your students have said?
Thanks for giving all these tools a try. I know that everyone is not going to fall in love with and regularly use all of these, but I wanted them to at least know about them and then determine how or if they might be of use. I'm thankful that you found a few things that could be helpful for you.
ReplyDeleteRick: Thank YOU for taking all the time to introduce us to different tools. I'm trying to be as open-minded and creative as possible. I keep reminding myself that while I want to use tools with which I am comfortable, it's not all about me but rather about helping my students. That's why I love hearing which tools others like to use and how they can use them well, because they're connecting with students in different way!
DeleteLauren - I, too, like some of the tech options and didn't care for others. Audacity was one that I cannot really see using in my classes as of yet, but maybe with some more practice and development of an actual online class. I had some trouble with Google and getting the settings right for the class to be able to interact with the assignments and doc that I created, but hopefully that is all taken care of now. Screencast was also a favorite of mine and something that I think I will use quite a bit in the future.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand about being tired, I thought Week 1 gave us a BIG glimpse into online teaching, but Week 3's hands on aspects really brought that to light for me. It has been great learning these new tools to help us teach and I am grateful for that. But I will also be grateful when I have completed this class.
I think I can, I think I can...…..:)
Shari: YES, these modules have really shown how much work goes into online course planning. One of our articles said you should plan 3-6 months ahead of time, and they weren't kidding! I try to remember that and give myself grace that in four weeks, I can't expect to have a perfect understanding of all the components and aspects of teaching online.
ReplyDeleteI know you can, I know you can...