course reflection and feedback

So much information! It is easy to be  overwhelmed and intimidated  by the vast array of tools and resources that are available to educators in C21. But clearly the age of technology is here  to  stay what we have see in this course is truly inspiring (and quite scary)
Almost all of the units offer ways to engage students. Not only to intellectually and visually stimulate our classes but also to develop their  creativity and critical thinking which is vital in History. I have already made use of glogster and one group has successfully used prezzi. Other groups have created their own websites. The opportunities to be more organised using tools like Delicious and Flickr are very attractive.
 Students are able to work at their own place  and style. Quieter and less confident students can really find their voice working in a digital format rather than in the traditional classroom. In working through Blooms taxonomy skills in a variety of creative ways from simple identification of items/pictures/short answers to using podcasts/interactive pages like glogster offer an enormous canvas on which to perform. Our students are so technologically savvy that this can only make learning more relevant and engaging. However despite the range of options it is important to remember that these ARE only tools.We should not sacrifice form over substance.
Personally I have been amazed at the wealth of options available. Making greater use of these tools will make me more flexible and able  to personalise learning styles to cater to the full range of students in my classes. While I still have a way to go I am sure that this course will encourage me to experiment , bring my subject alive and not fall back into focussing on one comfortable style of teaching
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