When I walked into this course, I had the hope that I would be able to build upon my prior experiences with the Brightspace LMS and find ways to move out of my “comfort box.” There has been a huge shift in my understanding about blended learning environments. The edges of the “box” are falling apart with the end result that I am engaging students in a wider variety of collaborative learning opportunities through rich communication strategies and outcomes-based projects. Seeing the excitement in my students’ faces and the increased levels of engagement have added value to all of the effort that I have put into developing a multi-level and diverse learning classroom environment.
When students are motivated to learn, they will be active participants who are moving into new territory. Students will move around the classroom, whether online or face to face, with renewed vigor, becoming content creators or curators for materials and other media that can be used to drive learning.
Teachers can create safe, wide-open spaces that encourage creativity and individuality where learning is driven by student interest. This is my ideal classroom that I am striving towards. My journey is heading in that direction with erasing the box and stepping out of my “comfort box.”
I invite you to explore my Summary of Learning to view my learning journey over the ECI 834 course. Thank you.
Patricia,
I appreciate that you found ways to stretch your knowledge-base about blended learning, even though you already came with a wealth of experience!
Allowing students to get creative in online spaces can be challenging, however you did a great job of accomplishing this in your major project through at-home experiments and allowing students to share their thoughts through various modes of discussion. I like your analogy of erasing the box in order to allow for more creativity and risk-taking by moving beyond the LMS for teachers and students alike!
It has been a pleasure learning alongside you this semester! Best wishes in your future courses!
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. It has been wonderful learning alongside you as well! I only have one class left, my capstone class, and my journey will be complete!
Hi Patricia,
Fantastic summary of learning! Thank you for sharing your thoughts around expanding and opening your mind to new ideas. Sometimes as teachers, we do get stuck in a rut. It is wonderful that you have found ways to connect with your learners.
It was great learning from you this semester!
-Kendra
Thank you, Kendra! I enjoyed learning alonside you as well. You always had a lot of enthusiasm and joy that came across clearly. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Hello Patricia,
I appreciate your metaphors throughout (seasons and the “box”). You clearly summarized your learning throughout the course and connected it to your daily practice. It’s so valuable to bring theory into your classroom and experiment with what works (and doesn’t) for your students. See you in the Capstone!
Hi Leah! I have appreciated your support throughout this class and the others that we have shared. Your enthusiasm for learning is motivating. See you in the Capstone!