Monday, April 19, 2010
Journal #5
For this course I would definitely be sure to keep the assignment due dates in places I normally venture. I felt that my unpreparedness for due dates is what kept me from doing quality work. I also feel that it's really important that I begin assignments with more time before the due date so that I can look over the material/assignment and even have a peer review my work. My moment of victory has yet to come in this course. I honestly feel it will come after completing it and seeing my final grade! This course is the only one of the three I am taking this semester that has given me a "run for my money". Overall, the course was intense but informative and really gave me an understanding of the theories. However, I feel that I also rushed through a lot of this course so some of the concepts were not as clear to me as I would have liked them to be. I hope that I can take a bit more away from this course by the end of the semester and also be able to apply what I learned here to what I can use in the future, whether in another course or in a real classroom/school.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Journal #4
Some of the same things that have been going on for me in this course are beginning to get better. I am more organized and strategic about how to complete my work in this course. I have a handle on how to check things and am more motivated to get things sooner so I am not working up until midnight on Monday nights! I also feel like I am beginning to understand the content a little better so that I am able to complete assignments in it's entirety and with a more critical eye.
My frustrations lay with my group work. I believe that all my group members are motivated to get our assignments done but I think that the chaos of life is beginning to slow down our progress. I really hate waiting until the last minute (even though I am guilty of doing so) and so it's really been a stressful situation when we don't really meet often enough to get our work done completely. The chaos is what frustrates me because I like to be a very organized and prepared for assignments.
As always, I am always online so incorporating learning has not been a big issue for me. It does become an issue when I am at the computer for hours upon hours because I am doing school work in addition to what I already do online (committees, national leadership for my sorority, web design, blogging, etc). I have tried to tone it down and at least do as much work offline that I can (like reading or jotting down ideas). Overall though, this experience as an online learner has still been a positive one. We'll see what happens at the end of the semester!
My frustrations lay with my group work. I believe that all my group members are motivated to get our assignments done but I think that the chaos of life is beginning to slow down our progress. I really hate waiting until the last minute (even though I am guilty of doing so) and so it's really been a stressful situation when we don't really meet often enough to get our work done completely. The chaos is what frustrates me because I like to be a very organized and prepared for assignments.
As always, I am always online so incorporating learning has not been a big issue for me. It does become an issue when I am at the computer for hours upon hours because I am doing school work in addition to what I already do online (committees, national leadership for my sorority, web design, blogging, etc). I have tried to tone it down and at least do as much work offline that I can (like reading or jotting down ideas). Overall though, this experience as an online learner has still been a positive one. We'll see what happens at the end of the semester!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Journal #2
So far, what is going well are the assignments using web tools such as blogger and cmaps. I also feel that I am getting better with understanding and have knowledge about the deadlines which is obviously helping me out in succeeding! What's going not so well? Reading! I don't know what it is this semester but reading has become difficult for me. I am hoping that this will change, especially considering how much reading we must do in this class. I am confident I can motivate myself and it's just a matter of time really! I also feel like the group work is starting to take a toll as I become a bit panicked and frustrated with getting that started. Otherwise, everything is still on the up and easy and I hope it continues to stay that way!
Learning about Operant Conditioning right now couldn't have come at a better time. I am also taking EPS 605: Educational Psychology and we are just finishing up operant conditioning. It's really a fascinating topic and I never realized how well it can be used in a classroom setting. It's amazing to know that all this really began with experiments involving animals and how well it can be applied to human learning. It's been a fun process figuring out how I can apply this concept in my classroom and I look forward to learning about more tools to do this!
Learning about Operant Conditioning right now couldn't have come at a better time. I am also taking EPS 605: Educational Psychology and we are just finishing up operant conditioning. It's really a fascinating topic and I never realized how well it can be used in a classroom setting. It's amazing to know that all this really began with experiments involving animals and how well it can be applied to human learning. It's been a fun process figuring out how I can apply this concept in my classroom and I look forward to learning about more tools to do this!
And when I think of Operant Conditioning, I think of B.F. Skinner and his pigeons...
Monday, January 25, 2010
Journal #1
So far I am enjoying the activities and lessons for this course. I consider myself pretty "tech savvy" so a lot of the assignments so far have been fun. My frustrations actually only lie with myself: I find myself slightly behind but I hope that I can change that after getting back into the groove of classwork. I know I will enjoy ETC 547 so I hope that is enough motivation for me to succeed.
I have not had too many accomplishments that I relish in. The biggest has been my degree from NAU in Biology. I am a first generation student in my family and the success I have had that has resulted in my degree brings me tremendous joy. I must say I appreciate the value of a college degree and definitely do not underestimate nor understate my degree. I worked hard for it! Another accomplishment I relish in is the short amount of success I have had in a little amount of time. I have not had a full-time job since graduating in May 2008, but I have had opportunities which allowed me to progress further than some of my peers while also preserving my interests and talents. I currently have in progress two scholarly science articles to be submitted this year. These two feats come really close to my degree and I am not afraid to "flaunt" it. It's been a major experience in my life and I will probably never forget nor downplay it for as long as I live.
My life, plainly put, is very tech-centered. I grew up around technology and have grown a found admiration for it as well. Being online and using different tools has allowed me to open my eyes to the uses and benefits of many programs and tech (for instance, I discovered iGoogle and everything great about it just last year! I don't think I'd be able to live without it now!). I love being online which is why I believe this class and others like it will suite me just well. That enthusiasm and energy, I hope, will made me successful in classes such as ETC 547.
Lastly, blogging. I LOVE blogging. I suppose that's an understatement. I have my own domain (several actually) where I blog (personally) and provide my input on the issues facing our world today. When blogging in a classroom, I find it is advantageous because it really helps to facilitate how you feel about something in almost an unfiltered and "raw" way. The only disadvantage is, at least for myself, is that I could write on and on and on about certain topics and forget that someone has to actually read this!
I have not had too many accomplishments that I relish in. The biggest has been my degree from NAU in Biology. I am a first generation student in my family and the success I have had that has resulted in my degree brings me tremendous joy. I must say I appreciate the value of a college degree and definitely do not underestimate nor understate my degree. I worked hard for it! Another accomplishment I relish in is the short amount of success I have had in a little amount of time. I have not had a full-time job since graduating in May 2008, but I have had opportunities which allowed me to progress further than some of my peers while also preserving my interests and talents. I currently have in progress two scholarly science articles to be submitted this year. These two feats come really close to my degree and I am not afraid to "flaunt" it. It's been a major experience in my life and I will probably never forget nor downplay it for as long as I live.
My life, plainly put, is very tech-centered. I grew up around technology and have grown a found admiration for it as well. Being online and using different tools has allowed me to open my eyes to the uses and benefits of many programs and tech (for instance, I discovered iGoogle and everything great about it just last year! I don't think I'd be able to live without it now!). I love being online which is why I believe this class and others like it will suite me just well. That enthusiasm and energy, I hope, will made me successful in classes such as ETC 547.
Lastly, blogging. I LOVE blogging. I suppose that's an understatement. I have my own domain (several actually) where I blog (personally) and provide my input on the issues facing our world today. When blogging in a classroom, I find it is advantageous because it really helps to facilitate how you feel about something in almost an unfiltered and "raw" way. The only disadvantage is, at least for myself, is that I could write on and on and on about certain topics and forget that someone has to actually read this!
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