Summer of eLearning

This was the beginning of my journey into technology. In April I began the "Introduction to Blended and Online Learning" class. It was offered through 5 Star Academy and was FREE with PGP points. How awesome! I was apprehensive since I hadn't taken a class in several years and never a class completely online.We started slowly with introductions and were told to setup a Blog. That went well - you are reading mine now. With my feeling of success in the online class I enrolled in the Greencastle TechCon 15 this summer and have been following new Tweets, Chats, and Blogs. Exploring PLN's beyond the Family and Consumer Science community. This is my summer of technology exploration and eLearning!

This has been a true learning experience. Our class moved at a good pace, even while we were completing our school year . I was encouraged to try new pieces of technology over the 9 weeks, but not all at once. I was able to use those technologies to better understand how they worked and to see if they would be helpful in classes for next year.

Our school is not going to be 1:1 for a few years. We are first upgrading the structure of our facilities (buildings, hv/ac, wiring). In the meantime I will use the computer lab, media center computers or the Computer on Wheels (COW) so that my students have access to the technology. This encourages me to plan ahead and make the reservations for enough time to complete projects.

I liked the ideas shared about using technology as a collaborative tool. When groups are working together, the gathered information is always accessible to everyone. Students can also do research beyond the walls of the classroom and media center.  Presentations can go beyond the hand drawn poster. Students are moving into the 21st Century and using the tools available to them.

Thanks for reading my Blog! Have a great summer!!! Becky