Blog #9

I have actually had a pleasant time with distance learning. I thought that I wasn't going to like it when we first went online last spring, but I actually really like the flexibility of distance learning. I have been able to explore different study spots in Tallahassee and even do class outside when the weather is nice, which has definitely been a perk of having a lot of asynchronous classes. One thing that I dislike about distance learning is that it is harder to establish relationships with my professors and classmates, especially in classes that do not have a specific meeting time. I'm a freshman this year, so starting college all online has definitely been different from what I was expecting my college experience to look like this year, but I am looking forward to hopefully more in-person/hybrid classes next semester! When I am a teacher, I would improve online learning by creating group projects or other activities that students can do outside of class to help them get to know each other and interact with their classmates in a non-academic environment.

OER or Open Educational Resources are resources in the public domain that are available to all teachers. They range from tests to full textbooks, and they are open for teachers to use and adapt to fit their needs. The website below outlines some of the best OER resources available to teachers. One of the resources mentioned is OER Commons, which is a very helpful website where teachers can look up specific resources that they need for certain subject areas and education levels.

Webite: 16 OER Sites Every Educator Should Know

I have not had much experience using PowerPoint in the past, so Assignments 4 and 5 allowed me to learn many new skills, including creating and naming my own slide layout and creating a non-linear presentation. I loved being able to make the powerpoints my own and coming up with fun ways to engage my "students" in the material. I think one thing that I could improve on my Assignment 4 powerpoint is making the transitions between slides more interesting so that the students stay engaged throughout the entire presentation. One thing that I could improve on my Assignment 5 powerpoint is maybe adding in some bonus questions that pop-up at random times throughout the presentation to keep the game interesting. Overall, I really enjoyed these assignments!