(Week 6) Towards a Theory of Online Learning

For Week 6, we had an asynchronous class where we were responsible for submitting a paper based on our reflection on Anderson's paper "Towards a theory of online learning".  For this paper, we were to consider our own needs as a learner in this online class and the elements of design which are optimal for them.

Having spent 15 years in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), I have come to a place where, as I reflect on this time, I see two particular areas of need bubbling on the surface. The first is my need, or thirst, for knowledge in the field of Educational Technology.  The second, is my need to be challenged and to approach topics from more of an analytical or critical point of view so that I may improve upon my current practice.  
I see these two needs being interlinked and because of that I would like to keep them in the same melting pot as I continue my reflection.

In my paper, I talked about the general design of the UOIT program and the affordances of the Internet, as I described what facets of the platform have been optimal for my aforementioned learning needs.  For this blog, I would like to reflect more specifically on Lorayne's Critical and Reflective Practice in Education.  I will start out by saying that this course has been the best one I have taken so far in the program because of Lorayne's emphasis on, as the name of the course mirrors,  "reflection" and about being "critical". Through the ongoing interaction within the breakout rooms and group work, I have been able to learn through other participants' perspectives and gather firsthand information from real-life contexts.  Like other courses, there has been an emphasis put on the core readings but Lorayne is able to bring the concepts to life by giving us the time we need to reflect on the ideas.  In other courses, I always felt pushed or rushed to move on to new concepts without being able to dive deeper into what was presented.  Because we were able to work together, and effectively share our ideas I really feel that I've belonged to a real community of learners and that Lorayne has kept the focus on student-centered education.  

As I wrote in my paper, I would like "to be able to incorporate technology into the classroom and feel adequately prepared for a world where everything is in constant flux".  Through the UOIT program, I have come to the realization that there is not one simple recipe which will work for every classroom and that a teacher has to be very flexible and open to new ideas.  

During the first 8 courses in the M.Ed program, I have been exposed to many different learning theories and methodologies.  However, it is through the collaboration and dialogue with other professionals that I have been able to synthesize and be critical of the  information and ideas, where i feel the real learning begins.  In this respect, I see this higher order thinking to be integral to any graduate program.