Week 1 discussion Topic 1

Topic #1: Briefly share an experience about using media (visual and/or auditory) in class or during a presentation, focus your comment on any work-arounds or solutions you used when the tech wasn’t quite working or when the tech wasn’t adequate to do what you had originally planned.

Sometimes in my school I have felt like I was trying to build a rocket ship with sticks and rocks. Going through the EMDT program has helped a lot, especially since I have acquired some software and equipment along the way. One problem I have worked around is Moodle access. I loved Moodle, and used it quite a lot for 3 years, but there were always access problems for roughly 25% of our students.
This year, in addition to using blogs created on blogger to deliver content, I have used Google accounts to share files with students and as a place for them to turn in work. My blog pages contain videos and links, as well as an embedded Google calendar. Having students turn in work through their Google accounts has really helped, especially in the creation of our class digital storytelling project. It has also facilitated feedback as I email back and forth with my students about their assignments. Next year I intend to teach them how to use Google to create their own PLEs.
I have also used my school web pages for surveys, videos, and links, but the blog also has the advantage of allowing for comments. I think if I have students set up iGoogle accounts and create tabs for things, including my class, I can have them embed the links they would need for my course so they are all in one place. Also, if they have their own iGoogle accounts, they will continue to have their PLE after they graduate.