Final Blog Reflection

Final Blog conclusion

As I began this journey, it was quite evident to me, that I knew very little, if not absolutely nothing about blogging. You may better understand why as your curious mind hovers above this blog. My experience all began on June 4, 2012 after electing to pursue two educational courses at University of Houston. This was actually the beginning of my anxiety/apprehension. Various thoughts filled my head…can I do this…how will I ever succeed in this course…do I need to drop this course and pursue another education courses? You see, I am not one of those computer whiz or internet savvy people. I can maneuver distant learning sites to complete my online courses and that was all.

 I can vividly recall the introduction to blogging on the first day of class. This was surely new territory for me. Several or most of my classmates seemed to have had an advantage or an edge over me. At least, that was my perception.  I can also recall having to complete the first blogging assignment. It seemed to have taken an eternity to get it done and not without several questions to the instructors of these two courses. By the way- they are to be commended for the patience and understanding in having to encounter students like me. Needless to say, my first and second assignments were ultimately completed. The tasks of future blog assignments got easier as my familiarity with blogging and utilizing of Web 2.0 tools improved.

My blog host is blogger.com I can now successfully post a blog and add new post to an existing blog without the apprehension. Although this activity began as a required course work, I now find it refreshing to read others existing blogs, share ideas and post opinions or facts with timely responses intriguing. However, I still do have some resistance in posting my blogs-especially with my photo. I guess because of my comfort level with blogging (…old school girl).

Overall, I had a positive experience. I gained new knowledge, understood the use of web 2.0 tools and how they can be utilized in a practical and professional manner. Learning that Web 2.0 tools can be classified as; critical thinking, collaborative, networking, problem solving, productivity and reflection tools were al valuable lessons. One of the tasks I enjoyed and will certainly use in the future is the ability to create online presentation using other applications other than PowerPoint presentation. The knowledge gained from my experience with blogging and utilizing VoiceThreads, screen capture tools such as Screenr and internet cloud storage tools will now become a value component of my professional life. I’m excite to know that document storage is not limited to a flash drive but can be stored in a manner that provides easy access from anywhere in the world once internet access is available. I’m now using Dropbox as a result if this class experience.

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to both Dr. McNeil and Dr. Robin for their expertise as well as their patience in teaching this class. I feel so fortunate to have encountered such a dedicated duo that showed the passion for what they do. I also would like to extend a sincere thank you to my fellow classmates for having me as part of the group. Thanks to all for an enjoyable summer session.

June