Course Evaluation (10.2.12)
Another semester is in the books and the chapter New Media in FLE is now (finally? unfortunately?) finished; at least regarding my studies of English. The end of the semester is also a time for students and teachers to reflect and evaluate (if you're not completely caught up in frantic exam preparations). So, without further ado, I'd like to share my thoughts on:
...what I've learned:
The most striking thing about myself that I realized when I started writing this piece is that I might have changed my stance regarding interactive whiteboards. While I do realize that this is not a skill I've acquired or a bit of knowledge I've memorized it nevertheless symbolizes that this course has given me new insights about this didactic tool. It is true that some of my initial skepticism remains. The conviction that the SmartBoard notebook is NOT the software for years to come is still quite strong with this one. However, it can not be ignored that the SmartBoard offers another alternative for teaching and a fun one for students, as it is. I have to concede that what persuaded me to change my stance was not rooted in the course itself but rather in my discussions with Ms. Fernandez, who hit home the argument that students motivation multiplies manifold times when teachers include the SmartBoard. As I prepared my teaching idea, I learned (or maybe realized) another thing. I may not wish to seem arrogant but what you can achieve with the SmartBoard depends almost entirely on the teacher and his or her ability to work with the SmartBoard software. It's a skill one must master but when you do (and I'm not saying I've left my apprenticeship behind) it's another powerful didactic method at your disposal.
...the course itself:
I have mentioned it to Ms. Fernandez before and I will say it again: obligatory feedback rounds from your fellow students enhances the motivation for writing these piece by a great deal. I had partaken in this course a couple of semesters back with Mr. Sperl (and didn't complete it since I decided to take a break from the university altogether) and it was part of the course to comment on the entries of other students. This exercise was not futile but quite the opposite: it made you feel like someone actually read your entries and thoughts rather than the empty feeling of knowing that these line are merely a lost bunch of letters in the vast realms of the internet. I would have also preferred this course to have an Ilias section in order to check on assignments or slides again. It seems odd that a New Media course does not make use of the digital platforms the university offers (it could've also made use of the VLZ).
...the module New Media in FLE:
As I had already completed Presenting Content prior to this course, my studies regarding New Media are now done. It succeeded in convincing me to take a long, hard look at using New Media tools for the preparation of teaching sessions and, by forcing me to use them, taught me how to apply these tools as well. It makes sense to integrate New Media into the classroom as it is the medium both my future students and I fall back on the most - research, presentation, structure, spare time, digital life...
I'd like to close this chapter of my life by saying that I am now an enforcer of the just cause of bringing New Media into the classrooms. Just last week I argued that the Institute of History would do well to include a module such as this in their didactic teachings. I am a convert, a zealous Padawan paving my way towards the true force, using the New Media as my light saber to cut through the thicket of boredom within the educational system.
...what I've learned:
The most striking thing about myself that I realized when I started writing this piece is that I might have changed my stance regarding interactive whiteboards. While I do realize that this is not a skill I've acquired or a bit of knowledge I've memorized it nevertheless symbolizes that this course has given me new insights about this didactic tool. It is true that some of my initial skepticism remains. The conviction that the SmartBoard notebook is NOT the software for years to come is still quite strong with this one. However, it can not be ignored that the SmartBoard offers another alternative for teaching and a fun one for students, as it is. I have to concede that what persuaded me to change my stance was not rooted in the course itself but rather in my discussions with Ms. Fernandez, who hit home the argument that students motivation multiplies manifold times when teachers include the SmartBoard. As I prepared my teaching idea, I learned (or maybe realized) another thing. I may not wish to seem arrogant but what you can achieve with the SmartBoard depends almost entirely on the teacher and his or her ability to work with the SmartBoard software. It's a skill one must master but when you do (and I'm not saying I've left my apprenticeship behind) it's another powerful didactic method at your disposal.
...the course itself:
I have mentioned it to Ms. Fernandez before and I will say it again: obligatory feedback rounds from your fellow students enhances the motivation for writing these piece by a great deal. I had partaken in this course a couple of semesters back with Mr. Sperl (and didn't complete it since I decided to take a break from the university altogether) and it was part of the course to comment on the entries of other students. This exercise was not futile but quite the opposite: it made you feel like someone actually read your entries and thoughts rather than the empty feeling of knowing that these line are merely a lost bunch of letters in the vast realms of the internet. I would have also preferred this course to have an Ilias section in order to check on assignments or slides again. It seems odd that a New Media course does not make use of the digital platforms the university offers (it could've also made use of the VLZ).
...the module New Media in FLE:
As I had already completed Presenting Content prior to this course, my studies regarding New Media are now done. It succeeded in convincing me to take a long, hard look at using New Media tools for the preparation of teaching sessions and, by forcing me to use them, taught me how to apply these tools as well. It makes sense to integrate New Media into the classroom as it is the medium both my future students and I fall back on the most - research, presentation, structure, spare time, digital life...
I'd like to close this chapter of my life by saying that I am now an enforcer of the just cause of bringing New Media into the classrooms. Just last week I argued that the Institute of History would do well to include a module such as this in their didactic teachings. I am a convert, a zealous Padawan paving my way towards the true force, using the New Media as my light saber to cut through the thicket of boredom within the educational system.