Week 2 Reflection

After going through the two week online orientation, I feel that I have a good idea of the activities I will be participating in and the time it will take to complete the activities. In order to be successful in completing the activities and being an active participant, I need to schedule time everyday to check in with my team discussions and individual activities. It is important to stay current in the team discussions so that I can post responses in a timely manner. It is also important to stay in contact with my team members and communicate any concerns or issues I may have. For example, I am expecting my second child at the end of October. This will impact my availabilty for a few days when I am in the hospital. My team will need to know when I am going to the hospital and how that will impact the group.

Time management has also been a weak point for me. Knowing this about myself, I have become very good at making lists and scheduling my time. Having a checklist is the best way for me to organize all of the activities I need to complete. I also create a timeline for the completion of each activity, so that I do not procrastinate. As a special education teacher, I am constantly teaching my students how to chunk long term assignments and create timelines, so it is only fitting that I do this for myself.

My communication inventory results were very interesting. I scored a three in the intuitor style and feeler style. I scored a 2 in thinker and sensor styles. I have always considered myself as a "big picture" person. When working on a project or problem, I am able to see the whole picture. I look at what has worked or has not worked in the past and then how the solution will impact the future. According to the Communication Styles Guide, feelers are past oriented and intuitors are future oriented, which is exactly how I think and work in group settings. I am respectful and consider others feelings at all times. The fact that I am always thinking of others feelings has led to me getting hurt because I never expect people to be hurtful. The fact that I am respectful and past and future oriented, I tend to do well communicating with others and working in groups. Overall, I would agree with the Communication Inventory results.

At this point, I do not know where I need additional support. However, I have not started curriculum yet and am sure that there will be some issues that come up over the course of the year. The biggest issue that I may have is time management, but at this time I think that I have a good plan in place to make sure that I stay up-to-date.

Orientation Week 1

Now the I have completed the first week of orientation, I feel rather confident navigating ELC. The scavenger was very helpful in showing me the ins and outs of site. When I first logged on, I was overwhelmed as I tried to understand and navigate the site. However, after spending time on ELC and completing the scavenger hunt, I feel more comfortable.

Online learning is a brand new experience for me. I just recently completed my M. Ed. at York College and the constant driving to and from campus and time away from my family was difficult. I enjoy going to school, but the time spent out of my home was too much. I think an online program will provide me with the joy of taking classes without the hassle of being away from my family.

I am very curious to see how the instruction will be delivered. I am also concerned with my own time management. I will need to make it a point to check in and keep up to date with my assignments. However, I do think that the online instruction will give me time to process information before responding, which I think will deepen my understanding. I find that when I have more time to process and make connections, my learning is enhanced.