Throughout the E-Learning for Educators course three areas of 
growth are evident; awareness, intrinsic motivation, and reflection. 
In summation, the understanding of my learning strengths and weaknesses has been reassured, my greatest learning comes from active inquiry to generate relevant learning experiences and through reflection I readjust my perceptions to continue to further expand 
my knowledge and skills.

Module 1 (Posted January 10, 2015)
As another new experience with online learning begins I am trying to quell my apprehensions. The format of this course has been quite different that my past online experiences as it incorporates weekly discussion posts. I have found it difficult to make meaningful connections with other members because there are so many in the class and I have no manner in which to link associations to create a persona. I am needing to find a better management system for reading posts and responding so they are not so confusing, time intensive but still valuable.

This week’s readings discussed intellectual property rights of online content and the inordinate amount of time it takes to prepare for an online class. This was rather daunting to read and almost discouraging to continue the class.

Module 2 (Posted January 17, 2015)
I am becoming more comfortable with the posting management component of the course but still feeling a need for connectivity among my peers. As I am aware that writing is difficult for me as it takes me extended time to articulate what I would like to say in a post graduate writing format. Let it be said, my weakest skill set is writing (maybe that is why I flourished as a graphic designer). Unfortunately, extended writing assignments with little or no “doing” impedes my motivation and retention of information. Still struggling as I have not been “hooked” yet with the course content. I have not yet been able to relate content to my personal or professional life in a meaningful manner yet. Within this week’s content, communication in online learning environments are key for student learning. I don’t necessarily agree with this point. My post graduate coursework was within an online format but had not discussion post component and it was the most valuable learning experience to date.

Module 3 (January 24, 2015)
Facilitation of my first Moodle discussion forum; I have delved into the actual process. I purposefully crafted discussion prompts that encouraged critical thinking by selecting question formats that aligned with Blooms taxonomy. I have really enjoyed having a hands-on learning activity this week. Thought I felt it was challenging at first, learning to use Moodle and creating a discussion prompt has been exciting and fun. 

Smaller group discussion were utilized this week which, in my opinion, encouraged a deeper connection with the group members because I didn't feel disconnected when responding to so many prompts. I felt I was developing a better repore with a smaller group; I was making consistent conversations with a few people instead of a plethora of conversations with so many people. Smaller groups were creating deeper communicative relationships. 
 
The small, yet manageable, content offered by the group increased my motivation to respond and extended my engagement in the topics to a degree but I still find little value by the discussion prompts; feeling as though I am making small talk and generating conversation due to a requirement and not a personal desire. My perspective of teaching on-line learning is changing by understanding the difficulty in creating appropriate questions for discussion prompts as well as realizing smaller groups can be an effective structure to support communication and collaboration in an asynchronous environment.

Module 4 (January 31, 2016)
My participation has been at its fullest. Motivations were souring with the creation of a Moodle Feedback survey. As a kinesthetic and visual learner, I was engaged in the learning process through application of content, analyzing processes, and evaluating outcomes. I was intrinsically motivated because I created an artifact that I am going to build on and use within my own on-line classroom.

Participating in others artifacts was equally rewarding. I found myself participating and reading content because I was engaged in the activity. I was not completing an assignment to check of line items of a rubric. I can fully state, that active, inquiry learning was transpiring. The collaboration was not provided in text or conversation, but more so with participation of completing peer polls/surveys/quizzes. 

An unexpected surprise arose; the reflective component within this week’s module had a profound impact on my current level of understanding and perspective. I enjoyed participating in the artifacts my peers created but more so it allowed me to understand what other ways the poll choice, feedback survey and quiz could be utilized. It encouraged me to compare and contrast others artifacts with my own to determine what next steps I could take to further refine and expand my skill sets. I have come to realize the delicate nature in how to provide online content to students in a manner that it is no longer an assignment but truly an act of learning! This is the first experience where the postings by my peers were engaging and I appreciated the discussion prompt component in the class. I felt it was valuable and of personal interest.

Module 5 (February 6, 2015)
I chose to create a biography video that aligned with Section 508 specifications for accessibility. By critically analyzing accessibility and universal design my growth from developing this biographical video was exponential however, so was my frustration. 

After building understanding of how students with disabilities must be considered when developing web/e-learning content, I achieved a heightened sense of understanding of what those with disabilities experience when confronted with online learning objective or activities that contain barriers to their learning. When completing my biographical video, I was confronted with program incompatibility issues, lack of resources to assist me and the experience of spending an inordinate amount of time to complete a project that if I had the tools or skills necessary, it could have been completed in a reduced time frame. I have also realized just how many posted artifacts of communication (within an e-learning environment) do not follow Section 508 specification. So many classroom teachers are not even thinking about those specifications when they are posting content to their school web-pages.

I have been humbled with learning how it feels to be so frustrated with technology when it is not accessible in a manner that can be of use to me.  As I become more seasoned with creating artifacts that align with those specifications, I can begin to encourage the teachers within my own District to do the same. My first steps, however, will be to just bring awareness to these specifications and the concept of universal design.

As I continue to learn I am reassured that I experience the most growth when creating artifacts. In an essence, it comes down to relevance and interest. Artifact generation offers an intrinsic motivator for me. Though others may not learn or be motivated by what motivates me, it is apparent that understanding learning styles and interests of students is paramount when offering learning opportunities to others. I have also come to realize online teaching is exponentially more difficult than teaching in the classroom. One must plan for the varying experiences the learning has within a virtual environment. It seems to daunting to believe this can be completed without a team.

Module 6 (Posted February 13, 2015)
Investigative searching with Scoop.it was this week’s motivator for me, yet another inquiry-based learning activity. I chose to research a variety of web content that aligned with blending learning and mobiles. My motivations stem from desiring to learn best practices for beginning a blended learning environment and how to use mobiles to support such. I curated my first internet magazine which was rather enjoyable yet also quite useful. In reflection of the curation process, I think I have realized that curation is synonymous with usefulness and focus. I found myself looking through a variety of sites, however the curation process kept me focused to choose artifacts that were aligned with my topic, useful by what the content offered, and accurate. I continually am validated that I enjoy learning through application of knowledge.

I did enjoy reviewing others Scoop.it magazines as well. By reviewing a concept another peer had presented I was able to expand my own learning as well as can then use that knowledge to apply it to my own profession. I was so intrigued, I researched the topic further myself to determine how best I could use it in my current role as an educational technology director. Yet another experience where communication among my peers furthered my own learning. The most interesting for me was voice thread because I have never heard of it before.
Module 7 (Posted February 18, 2015)
The creation of my portfolio was quite a valuable experience for me. It has offered me the opportunity to culminate and exhibit my artifacts of learning. I am proud of my portfolio and now have a base to add content as I continue on my professional development path. I am still struggling with meeting Section 508 specifications regarding the website. I cannot seem to program the website to tab to information correctly. I believe that is a programming issue with Weebly and not me so much. This is the perfect instance where a team is needed to deliver content, meaning a technical resource would be quite valuable to assist with my technical programming barriers. 
In a short seven weeks, I have truly learned so much. Not only have I developed experience with a variety of Web 2.0 tools, I have been apprised to netiquette, copyright laws, Section 508 specifications for accessibility, as well as how to create my own e-portfolio. However, my greatest gains in learning has come from the value of a discussion post by a peer. Prior to this class, I did not hold value to its presence in an online classroom, however, after experiencing discussion posts outside their normal characterization, I have acquired a new appreciation for their existence. Once the discussion post assignments left the typical post, respond, post, respond format and shifted towards peers posting artifacts for peer participation and review the appreciation and excitement began.
 
Summary:
Throughout this course, I am realizing everyday how challenging e-learning teaching can be yet there are so many useful tools available to offer students’ opportunities for differentiated learning the format cannot be ignored. It is somewhat overwhelming as it may take time to build a repertoire of technology resources, I am eager to delve into teaching within an e-learning environment using what I am learning now and building upon my past experiences, skill sets and increased knowledge base.