In Conclusion

I admit to being skeptical at the beginning. This was the third course I signed up for (the other two having been cancelled for lack of interest). So I wasn’t really keen on the subject matter, which I anticipated being how to use the latest whizmos and hoohas in technology. The first unit was surprisingly meaty, however, and rife with controversial issues that piqued my interest. I enjoyed the reading material, even though I felt the quantity rather copious, and especially enjoyed thinking about the problems in education.
I received my McCain book late and loved it from the first page, and the more we read and learned, the more I sought to apply what I was learning in my classroom. The timing was great – we were beginning a new unit that presented a wonderful opportunity to implement McCain’s strategies, as well as some of the technologies, we were learning about. I had a real-life opportunity to apply my learning, and I must say so far I have been very happy with the results. My students are the real beneficiaries of this course – rather, I hope they are! – and I am excited to see how their projects turn out in two weeks.
Three things that bothered me throughout the process:
1) balanced views of the state of American education are woefully lacking not only in what we read for the class, but in the public arena. Where are the moderate voices? Everyone is bemoaning our pitiful mathematics education, yet our workers rank among the most productive in the world, and we continue to give the world innovative, paradigm-shifting products and technologies like no one else. Having witnessed education in a few other places, I can at least anecdotally testify that our education system, while flawed, is one of the best in the world regardless of standardized tests (which, as we’ve learned, measure a very limited set of skills).
2) I felt disconnected from the other members of the class, at least in comparison to how I felt in my previous 2 online courses (one through UW-Stout, one through UW-River Falls). I felt a much greater sense of community in those courses. Part of my problem was I started this class while finishing up another one, so maybe I never had my initial bonding, and that affected me throughout. I don’t think this was detrimental, just something I wish had been different.
3) The amount of reading. I had serious questions about whether or not I would be able to complete the reading and assignments in the time I had to do it. Not that the deadlines were too close together, just the circumstances of my life not easily allowing time to do the work.

Overall, I felt I gave this course my best effort. I didn’t really use the online library much, except to do what was required, nor did I avail of my colleagues much. I did what I had to do, and that kept me plenty busy! I have come away with a vision for what education should be providing our students, and a desire to affect the changes necessary in my school.