This course was extremely advantageous and valuable to me. I remember walking in on the first day thinking that this class would be a breeze. I believed myself to be a very technologically literate person. However, after only the first day my thoughts completely changed. I had never used Netscape Composer before and I didn't have the slightest clue on how to construct a website. Basically, I was beside myself. What I thought was going to be the easiest class actually turned out to be one of the hardest for me. However, the satisfaction and sense of achievement I walked away with at the end of the semester made all of my frustrations and hard work completely worth it.
As previously mentioned, the very first project assigned required us to publish an ePortfolio using Netscape Composer. This was the most difficult task I had to do throughout this course because it was the basis for which all the other projects stemmed from. The program was completely new to me and required a lot of time and attention. However, it was fun to learn! Making my own website and ePortfolio is a great accomplishment to me and I’m proud of myself for completing it.
The project I considered to be the most fun was project 2; designing a website for an elementary school. This was fun because I was able to use my imagination and be creative. It was also fun because it’s something that I will definitely utilize in the future. I can’t wait to make my own website someday for my class. I know the skills learned in this project will stay with me forever.
However, my all-time favorite project was project 8; the digital story telling project. Photography has always been a hobby of mine. I put a lot of time and effort into this project because it meant so much to me. Not only was it an assignment, it was present. I made it for my boyfriend as a Christmas present. It was the most fun and engaging project I have ever completed.
Overall, all of the skills I have learned and used in EDU 314 will be extremely beneficial to me in the future. As a future educator, it is my responsibility to get my students prepared for their future and I believe technology is a helpful tool in this preparation. Technology can be, and should be, integrated into every subject. It makes subjects fun and engaging for students. We need to prepare ourselves and our students for what lies ahead and since our entire world revolves around technology, we need to begin today. After completing EDU 314 I feel prepared and confident to do just that.