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ISWO Learning Activities

Learning Journal

Part 1 - Journal and share weekly "nuggets" as we go...

We're fans of learning journals. We know that unless and until we actually jot notes as we go, notes that move "hey neat" ideas toward application and implementation, we often lose many of the details that could help us transform ideas/thoughts into action.

So, you're asked to record what you are learning and want to remember in the form of a journal.

As you go, you’ll encounter some readings that you think are terrific (and some...not so much).  You'll think some of your colleagues' ideas are brilliant (and some...not so much). Some of the teaching strategies and technology tools will resonate with you more than others. Get these thoughts down before they get jumbled with others and lose their usefulness to you.

You are welcome to use whatever format you like for your journal (blog, paper notebook, Google doc, etc) - it is private and yours alone.

And, we ask that you share a short nugget from your journal each week in the Weekly Journal Share forum.  Here are some journal prompts that may be useful as you go: 

Suggested Weekly Journal Share Prompts
  • What do you take from this week's readings?  What holds special promise for your practice? Record key ideas, strategies, and resources.
  • Step back and consider the design and flow of ISWO this week. What is working? What isn't? (consider the selection and amount of reading, time expectations, learning activities, sequencing, instructions, amount of forum activity, etc)
  • What is one step or task that would help you implement one (or more) of your learnings this week? i.e., how can you go from thought to action?  
  • How is your participation in ISWO this week?  Give yourself a quick self-assessment in your journal, using the rubric you've chosen.

Part 2 - Final Share: Looking Back, Looking Forward

During the last week of class, you'll be asked to share a short, final reflective piece that summarizes your key learnings + specific next steps for applying your learning. This is to be posted in the "Looking Back, Looking Forward" forum.

This "piece' could be text (i.e., a forum post), a narrated PowerPoint, Popcorn Maker, a PowToon or Prezi presentation, a short video, a mindmap, whatever you like. Go crazy!

If you want to go for an A+ (just kidding, there are no grades here...), you could go beyond a short summary piece, and do something more ambitious (and practical), like tackling a draft, or a small piece, of an actual course.  Don't teach? I bet you know someone who does - ask them if they have a course or activity (online or f2f) that you could borrow to practice your learning design skills on. With a real course in mind, you could...

  1. Draft an outline/schedule for a revised version of a course that introduces a blend of online synchronous and asynchronous learning activities. (Word doc, PPT, google drive, or any format you can easiliy share with us). 

  2. Design or re-design one activity or assignment  in a real course, using what you have learned in ISWO

  3. Use Collaborate to record a 10-15 min. lesson (just a part of a class you currently teach) demonstrating some of what you have learned in ISWO. It would be terrific if you can recruit a few colleagues to act as participants so that you can engage them in some interactive parts of the lesson!

  4. Create a video introduction for a course, assignment, or activity

What will YOUR journal format be?

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