Week 8: The final countdown...

Two weeks to go and I am not sure if I am happy or sad! I suppose it’s a mixture of both. I am happy that I have been professionally extended and my mind is racing ahead to the possibilities of how to take what I’ve learned to more than just TEACH, but to educator administrators as well. I am sad - but perhaps I need to find a milder word than ‘sad’- because while this is yet another ‘end’, it is also a beginning. It is really the beginning of developing me even further in this area, so that I can truly do what I want to do with confidence.


The discussion around learner autonomy was great although I must confess I joined the discussion in the nick of time. I have several reservations about how teachers interpret the concept of learner autonomy because since the introduction of OBE in SA, teachers have demonstrated no 'readiness' (to quote Sheu) to complete it at all. They very often abdicate their responsibility to teach and give learners tasks to complete without guided supervision needed. The result is that OBE has been maligned instead of the administrators who ought to have trained teachers before its implementation. The result is ....anyway, let me not go there!

Ideas for the one-computer classroom were very creative and I am overwhelmed by the amount of resources available. I have been looking forward to this topic because it is the status quo for too many South African teachers, if they're lucky.

The real challenge for me this past week was getting all the resources for my project plan report up to date. Although I started them at the conception of the project plan, I simply didn’t think it was going to take me so long. Anyhow, it’s done!

Setting up the Class wiki for my project plan was easy enough, but populating it was quite another matter. Ensuring that all the links to the correct places was something I had to take time with. I am very pleased with the outcome. It’s a good start.

The one thing that keeps cropping up in my mind is, do I really need the ICA class for my project as well? I have set it up but found myself duplicating things that were already on the wiki. I am inclined to believe I may need it for the conference feature alone because the free site wiki may not have the capacity to handle the discussions.

I had to subscribe to Zunal.com because I needed three WebQuests for my project and I was only allowed one. It was worth the price and is really not expensive at all. I do have an issue with the size and type of pictures allowed after subscription as opposed to pre-subscription but I will take this up with Zunal.com. The one thing I want to improve on is the resources I provided in my WebQuest. They are adequate but I will have to revisit this area. I think the assessment tools provided for the WebQuests are good but some feedback in that area will be a sure indicator.

And the countdown begins....