Course Module Reflection

DEVELOPER NOTEBOOK LINK

ONLINE COURSE MODULE LINK


Creating this course module has been an experience which was frustrating, interesting, but overall rewarding at the end. I never realized the many steps it takes to create and design something meaningful. The goal is to create a tool that can be easy to navigate, study from, and use. It also should aim to provide a positive learning experience for the students. I like to think that I have developed into a good teacher and can use many pedagogical strategies successfully in the a face-to-face learning environment. However, while creating the online course module, I learned to reflect on my teaching skills and improve on them so that they can be used both in the classroom and online.

Choosing the right Course Management System was a dilemma for me. Haiku is presently used in my district, but I have realized throughout the weeks that it is not my first choice. But I do feel that I must stick to it since it will be beneficial for me if the chance comes to teach an online course at my school. I think there is not one CMS that is perfect, so you definitely have to find something that fulfills all your needs. Although, Haiku would not be my first choice, it does provide for myself an easy sense of use and navigation. I looked at other CMS's in the showcase but felt that none of them as user-friendly as Haiku. But as I mentioned before, depending on your own needs, CourseSites, Weebly, or even Wikispaces can be the right formats for you.

Creating and designing the layout for the course was not the hardest part for me, it was deciding how and what content to include in it. Initially I wanted to create a fully online course but after many considerations I felt that creating a hybrid course was a better way to go. I was definitely not ready to complete full online course. This meant I would still be able to conduct certain aspects online and some in a face-to-face scenario. It became difficult in creating a progressive learning environment. In other words, I wanted students to build online from what they learned in the classroom. I had to carefully choose strategies and assessments that could have a positive affect in the student's learning, I did not want the online portion to be simply reverberate what the student learned in the classroom. Although, I am sure I did not accomplished this completely, I was able to provide many areas for the student to improve their learning of the subject.

Overall, creating my first online course module was a great experience. Even though there are plenty of areas I need to improve on, I believe that there is so much for a student to learn from my course. It is engaging and give room for collaboration, communication, and helps develop the student into a successful 21st century student. I recommend you to take time in considering which CMS to use, make sure it is the right fit. Don't try to reinvent your pedagogy but instead transform them so that can be used positively both in the classroom and online.