Pages

Monday, July 25, 2011

D2L Discussion Reflection

I enjoyed our group’s discussion on D2L. The D2L discussion format is straightforward, organized in threads and easy to navigate. Unlike commenting on individual blogs, posting on this discussion board allows us to view all posts and replies in one place. It is much easier to follow and flows more coherently. That is not to say that we should not be commenting on blogs…each format has its own benefits.

The consensus of the group was that this class not only taught us a lot, but it also made us think about how we teach. Many of us, although excited to try out the new web tools we have explored, realize that we need to take it slowly. We agree that we should not use technology for the sake of using it, but as a means of helping our students learn science. We must constantly ask ourselves and re-ask ourselves what it is that we want to accomplish in our classrooms and which web tools (if any) would best help us reach those goals.

Although much more confident than when we started, many of us still feel overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of web tools available and the knowledge that that number is only going to keep growing! We worry about the time commitment required to learn the new tools ourselves, implement them, and teach our students how to use them. Yet we are relieved to know that our PLN’s have expanded, thus making us feel more connected and supported by others dealing with the same educational issues we are. And isn’t connection what it’s all about?

2 comments:

  1. Pretty accurate according to my experiences. I still have comments disappear from blogs that I know I left! Still cant figure out where they disappear to... but I agree entirely!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Josh,
    Your comments are being sent into my spam for some reason. Maybe that's happening on other blogs as well...
    Linda

    ReplyDelete