Post 2 - Lectures and Readings

Post 2 - Lectures and Readings - March 2015

Readings:

Chapter 1 of the text book - Meaningful Learning with Technology (Jan Herrington and Jenni Parker, 2014) was difficult to read at first. I had to read it three times before it started to make sense and gain meaning. I think this was due to the fact it is an informational text and foreign to me. After combining the reading of Chapter 1 and the lectures it all began to resonate. The characteristics of meaningful learning and authentic learning is paramount to this unit and my future teaching. 

Lectures:

Lecture 1 was fantastic. Very informative and provided a great outline for the wonderful semester ahead.

Lecture 2 isn't available on the University Echo 360 site and I felt quite frustrated as I could not find it and I had printed the lecture slides but received no audio assistance. This proves that words or text books alone do not provide adequate information to ensure meaningful learning.  I was fossicking  around the Murdoch University Website and finally struck gold! Yay! It was posted on The Lecture Schedule  page. Finally I was able to listen and make sense of my lecture slides. 

Lecture 3 was brilliant and gave a great insight to Task 2 and many privacy issues. I am very excited to hear more in next weeks Lecture.

Post 1 - Week 3 - March 2015

Post 1 - Week 3 - March 2015

Creating my website

Hello! This is my very first blog entry. It has been an emotional journey so far and week 3 has begun already. I am enrolled in EDN 113 - Living and Learning with Technology and this semester I will be learning many exciting and valuable skills to enhance my career as a future teacher. 

During the last three weeks I have successfully managed to navigate myself around the Murdoch University Website, read the first chapter of our text book Meaningful Learning with Technology (Jan Herrington and Jenni Parker, 2014), and create a website and a blog for Task 1. I have been very productive!

I must admit, at first I was very anxious when I began reading through Task 1. I had never made a website, a blog,  nor created a hyperlink or a contact form before and the fear of the unknown was very strong! But after trialing a few platforms and listening to the lectures I became more confident and decided to give it my best shot.

To create my website I used jimdo as my platform. I found this platform simple to use for a beginner. I have learnt so many new things like adding webpages, links, contact forms, hyperlinks, using creative commons, customising backgrounds, changing font size and colour and many more valuable skills. I am grateful for the Technology Toolbox for Educators website as this has become like a 'bible' to me. 

I believe Task 1 has inspired my creative side and through an authentic learning task I have grown and discovered things I had no previous knowledge about or experience with. Therefore my learning has been meaningful. I am now curious and await my next challenge in Task 2.

During the semester I will be regularly recording my experiences on my blog and updating pages accordingly. 

Let the learning and blogging begin!!