Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Final thoughts

I learned a lot about 2.0 technologies as a result of this programme. It was very good overall in terms of organization and explanation (not too lengthy or brief); I appreciated the links to (optional) further readings. Reading through my own blog, I can see that I have already learned more about some technologies since starting the programme e.g. wikis, than others e.g. web-based applications. The learning doesn't stop here!

-My favs had to be creating a blog in the first place (I hadn't planned to start one anytime soon), wikis (since I am interested in applying this to course work), Flickr and del.icio.is (very cool and I love pictures), Facebook (I really didn't see why but can understand the appeal for both social and work-related reasons) and gaming (yes, it's surprising-keep reading for more).
-I am more comfortable with emerging technologies since I learned it was simply a matter of getting informed and trying them. It also helped that all the group leaders were approachable and receptive to answering questions, whether in the drop-in sessions, in the office or by phone.
-I was surprised at my greater appreciation for online games. There is no denying the amount of variety and activity going on in the gaming world. I am sure some games are "better" than others, but I can at least understand the appeal to players. I would like to follow-up by reading articles and learning more about the teaching and learning potential of games. I also noticed that my blog had few comments and that when a comment appeared, I was pleasantly surprised since it confirmed that someone was reading it! If I were to create another blog, I would definitely want to keep things interesting.
-My main recommendation would be to offer drop-in sessions from the beginning to the end of the programme. The group format (with team leaders) is a great way to structure a large number of participants. Also, allowing two weeks of "catch up" time, half way and at the end of the programme, was very helpful.
-And, finally, yes, I would choose to participate in a similar programme. In fact, I would be disappointed if there wasn't another one.

Thanks Amanda, the ETG group and all the team leaders!

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