Personal Blogs

The reflective process involved in part 2 of the TMA has involved assessing our approach to writing this report. It is challenging as having completed an assignment often the last thing we want to do is to think about it!

I have enjoyed and benefited from the theme of reflection that exists on all the OU courses I have completed, I believe my submissions have increased in quality as a result. It has also helped in sharing thoughts with colleagues, and finding tools to aid the reflective process. I think the course may benefit from a post-TMA thread where reflections can be shared.

Having used a mind-mapping approach on this TMA to document some thoughts and help with structuring a short word count, I decided I would pop them up here:

This is an excerpt from a thread in the café:

Hi Richard, Emma and all,

I changed the subject in the hope others may think its very controversial and join the thread!! I've also posted this into my tutor group I hope this is ok!?

I'm glad you posted this Richard, as I think it's a crucial point. I am getting more from this course on both a learning/development front and on a practical impact on my learners [front] then any other course I have done - by a long way actually.

The TMAs do feel a little out of place though. Recently, I have been wondering why research papers seem to be the only academic route? We're asking how learners receive learning, what tech's they're using and how
teachers can incorporate this technology. Yet we're still obsessed with reports, papers and empirical research!

I do admire the OU for respecting the concept of reflection, opinion and activity. Llike you say Richard I guess they have to grade something!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Karl

This is my first blog and therefore my first blog post.

I have found the first 2 weeks of the course a real mixed bag. On a positive note it is great to be back into formal [ish] learning. For many years as a trainer I have being doing short skills based courses and a rather large amount of development. Career wise the development has been extermely beneficial and has an immediate impact, but as I said it's great to be back at, if not in, college!

Another positive element has been the challenge of elearning, having to check websites, mails and forums for all the information is new to me, and has given me a new insight into my career goal of setting up a blended learning program with my employer.

Finally it has given me a renewed interest in the Internet, I used to love the web but using it as a tool for work has taken the fun out of it, I do use facebook but generally do not use many of the "new internet applications".

I find the OU website slow and am having difficulties with the FirstClass software, but I guess these maybe just tech issues relating to Vista and my b-band connection.

As a trainer though, I am constantly assessing training methods, learning objectives and the organisation of training. I was initially apprehensive having not used the OU or elearning before, but I was rest assured when I spotted others in the same boat. I did find it tricky though in terms of the answer to everything seems to be to set up a forum! So I log on to do a bit of study but spend the best part of an hour bouncing around forums reading endless posts etc. There was also a bit terminolgy flying around, "lets set up a wiki!" I firmly believe that if elearning is to transgress away from highly technical people to the general learning public, this jargon based style will have to change, we can't be slaves to forums, we should be using them!

I was on holidays last week and I felt under pressure having to complete a group activity online with strangers, while still getting used to the elearning culture, suffering tech issues and on a subject completly new to me: eportfolios. I stayed up to 1am Friday morning to submit work to my group, but realised that not everybody was doing it, in fact people were still joining the course! What's that all about? Maybe we should create a forum about it!!