Blog #4

Prior Online Learning Experience
My online learning experience began in high school and picked up dramatically during college. In high school, my teachers frequently made use of the Moodle platform. I also used Youtube, especially Khan Academy, to watch videos on topics I needed further help with. In college, I have used Canvas a great deal, as many professors use the platform as a means for assignment submissions and assessments, and I have taken several online FSU classes. I have also used LinkedIn Learning to learn some skills in various subjects. Additionally, I have used Duolingo to advance my Spanish and German language skills. Canvas and Moodle, which are forms of blended learning, are technically asynchronous but are more synchronous than the asynchronous learning management systems of Khan Academy, LinkedIn learning, and Duolingo, seeing as anyone who uses these latter platforms could be at any skill level, at any place in the "lessons", and can access the information at anytime. On the other hand, Canvas and Moodle are more constrictive in that each student in the class are at relatively the same place in their learning and in the lessons and are limited by when they can submit assignments and take assessments, because they are technically all together, if even at a distance. While I do very much value the real-time presence of a teacher, among other benefits of classroom learning, online learning has many advantages. In regards to college, online classes prove greatly beneficial in that they do not require the time it takes to go to campus, sit in class for over an hour, and then either go back home or wait around for your next class. This ultimately frees up a lot of time for students to take other classes, study, have a job, etc. Online learning, outside of college, allows people to access a great deal of information without having the pressure and time commitments that formal educational experiences place on learners. But again, there is tremendous value in being in a physical classroom with a "real" teacher.


Open Educational Resources
Essentially, open educational resources (OER) are  pockets of information and material that is available for others to use, with specific and conditional rights in regards to editing and sharing. OERs are extremely important to teachers, as such resources can provide teachers with ideas for their next lesson plan, or could even be their next lesson plan- no changes necessary. Considering teachers' many responsibilities and the vast amount of time it takes to create and prepare for lessons, these OERs can be lifesavers for educators.

An example of an OER can be found here: https://www.calacademy.org/educators/lesson-plans

From the California Academy of Sciences, this particular site offers a great deal of resources to educators, including virtual programs, classroom kits, and lesson plans.


New Skills Acquired from Newsletter Design
Truthfully, I can't say that I learned new skills in working on the Newsletter Design assignment, as I have used MS Word, Publisher, and PowerPoint a great deal since middle school, though I started learning it on my own earlier than that. One thing I didn't particularly care for in the assignment was having specific elemental requirements, as it limited me on what I was truly wanting to do; however, I completely understand the point of these expectations. Meanwhile, I did enjoy the assignment, as writing and creating things has always been fun for me, so I quite enjoyed engaging my creativity and role-playing as an environmental science teacher, which I hope to someday be. To improve the newsletter, I would probably spend more time on the title portion and the overall design element, specifically coloration and placement. While I knew that newsletters existed, I didn't really have them in my schooling, so I was glad to have learned about them and all they can be used for. While I'm not entirely sure how frequent family/parent/guardian newsletters are for high school, especially upperclassmen, I'm sure they can be quite useful for middle school as well as for informing high schoolers' parents/guardians of field trips.

 

 

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