I am now making the last week of the ONL-course and I will summarize my thoughts. When doing so I will focus on what I have learnt and what I am going to do now with the new tools acquired.
So what are the new tools in my toolbox?
As I have told you before I have not been teaching for quite some years now. I do have teaching experience from a time when most teachers, including myself, only used class room lectures and simulator and laboratory exercises. The last years with administrative work, I have used Zoom and Skype in many meetings so I am used to these tools. However, I have learnt some new ways to use Zoom with breakout rooms, tolls and more.
I have also learnt how to use Padlet, share documents on Google drive, Prezi, Blogger, Mentimeter and Piktochart. Well, I did not really learn the Piktochart site, but I had a look at it and saw the result. In the PBL-group, we discussed to make a film once for sharing the result. Unfortunately, there was no film produced by us. However, I will learn to make films anyway as we have studios for that where I work.
Some people claim that good tools makes half the work for a good fitter. The fitter, the guy using the tool box, that is me, the teacher. I have experienced new ways of teaching and learnt a lot. The tool itself is possible to learn by some trial and error exercises. If I have a good understanding, a vision, of what I want with the teaching the tools required can be found. But if I don’t know what to do I don’t know what tools I need. Therefore, I am now a more skillful fitter with new tools in my toolbox! With the skill to acquire new tools!
In my previous position, I worked for improving our digital and distance teaching skills and that we at Kalmar Maritime Academy should offer more such courses. I believe tomorrow’s society requires more studying in parallel with work and career. In order to meet this need we shall deliver these courses. Anyone that wants to learn more about the shipping industry shall be able to find courses that we offer. The main target for me have not been to offer open online courses but instead more distance courses which is modern digital courses. When achieved, we may look into open courses.
Now when going back to teaching I am looking forward to contribute with my own teaching to make Kalmar Maritime Academy’s portfolio of courses characterized of flexibility, blended learning, digital and distance.
Last but not least, a sincere thank you to all the staff making this course possible and the PBL-group members for good discussions during the course!
Good luck with future teaching Ted! I agree that this course has offered a 'smorgasbord'of different tools to use or let the students use in different Learning activities. It's going to be a bit empty now as the course ends, but hopefully there will be some continous Community activities between the participants in this course, so that we can continue to inspire each other!
SvaraRaderaPlease keep in contact if you need any help in the future and it would be nice if you could tell some colleagues about the course. Registration for ONL202 is already underway!
SvaraRaderaI am recommending my collagues to sign up for next ONL-course. I suspect the interest for this will increase in the wake of Corona. If many do sign up, will the course be full? Or can you take all into the course? Is it first come first serve basis?
RaderaHi Ted, I'm happy that you got such a nice learning experience from this course and that it will effect the way you teach in the future. I had a similar experience and I'm glad I stepped forward and took part despite a busy schedule.
SvaraRaderaIt's really great that the Maritime Academy (MA) now can benefit from a lecturer who has been inspired and who is willing to walk the new path of higher education. In a way, I would have thought that the simulators that have been used at the Maritime Academy already for many years, would mean that teachers and students are familiar with other types of teaching and learning in addition to traditional lecturing and hall exams. So when I think about the pedagogics and didactics used at the MA I am fascinated to try and understand what are the inertia factors affecting the whole teaching and learning environment. Maybe we can have a fika-conversation about this sometime in the future.
SvaraRadera