Course+Embedded+Reflections+-+EDLD+5364

This course is the last one for me before graduating, and I must say that it has been a wonderful and challenging learning experience. At the root of this course was the opportunity to work cooperatively online with fellow classmates in an effort to complete a given task. Throughout the course we read and learned of numerous Web 2.0 tools and teaching strategies that would assist us in the completion our task, as well as add to our personal knowledge base of what integrated instructional technology would and should look like in the classroom as a result of thoroughly planning activities that meet the various needs of our students.

I have been working in the field of Instructional Technology for the past 5 years and I have had very little experience working in a cooperative group via the internet. I really feel that this type of cooperative learning experience is exactly what I was missing in regards to my personal knowledge and understanding of online learning. Through the planning and creation of our group and individual UDL lesson plans, we utilized a variety of technology resources to help accomplish our task such as Google Docs, Google Sites, Skype, CAST UDL E-book, Podbean, Audacity, Microsoft Word, Inspiration, Animoto, Glogster, and Wallwisher. I have never been involved in an activity that resulted in the use of so many different resources all while collaborating with my group members completely online. It was challenging and meaningful at the same time.

As I reflect on all of the course readings during this course, I really feel that Chapter 7: Cooperative Learning within the book titled, //Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works// to be the most pivotal. All of the learning experiences that were planned for this course seem to be representative of the message being sent in this chapter.

"The instructional strategy of cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning. When students work in cooperative groups, they make sense of, or construct meaning for, new knowledge by interacting with others (Johnson, Johnson, & Stanne, 2000.) As Thomas Friedman notes in //The World is Flat// (2005), we are living in a time when learning and innovation are increasingly global. To be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malensoski, 2007, p. 139).

Having gone through this course as a //student//, I am now able to understand appreciate the truth in the statements made above. As a Technology Integration Facilitator, I have colleagues in my department that have been tasked with the creation and facilitation of online professional development courses. I have personally done my best to steer clear of these types of experiences. My unwillingness to participate in online courses was due to my lack of first-hand experience and understanding of this type of learning scenario. Now, through this course, I have at least a basic level of experience and a much greater appreciation for the time and effort it takes to participate in this type of learning format. I can honestly say, that I feel this course has helped me to become more prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malensoski, 2007 ) that I am presently apart of.

** References **

Friedman, T.L. (2005). //The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century//. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., & Stanne, M.B. (2000). //Cooperative learning methods: A meta-analysis//. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota. Retrieved May 4, 2006, from [|http://www.co-operation.org/pages/cl-methods.html]

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works//. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.