EME 2040-Blog Journal #9

     Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, FSU transitioned to virtual classes. This was definitely an adjustment for me because during that time, I was a freshman who was getting accustomed to being away for college. When I returned home in the spring 2020 semester, I had to adjust my schedule, so I could allot time for my classes. Oftentimes, it was difficult to focus on school work because I was distracted by activities happening at home. Yet, I was grateful to spend more time with my family during these unprecedented circumstances. We grew closer as a family. Despite the distractions, I was able to handle it, and I took four extra classes in the summer so I could graduate early. That was definitely useful because I gained ten credits as a distant learner. 

    As a future teacher, I would want to improve the experience of distant learners. For example, I want to provide multiple resources for distant learners, so they can access important information. It can be difficult to communicate with distant learners. With these additional resources, my students can use them as a guide in order to understand the lesson. I would provide lecture videos of me teaching the course, and I would offer office hours. I would want to make their experience as close as possible to an in-person classroom experience even though they are distant learners.

    Open educational resources (OER) are learning resources that provide access to anyone who wants to use them. Individuals can use these resources in a variety of ways and oftentimes, these resources are offered virtually. Because these resources are "opened", individuals are given free access to the sources, and they can share it with others. This brief blog offers the benefits of open educational resources. The blog post offers five benefits such as expanding students' access to learning, customizing OER materials, using OER to enhance existing course material, how OER are cutting edge, and OER save lots of money. 

    Link to Blog 

    I acquired new skills while working on the PowerPoint assignments. I am not very technologically savvy; however, my professor provided step-by-step resources on how to complete the assignment. I did not know I could record myself while reciting the lecture. It was very interesting to learn about that. These are skills I can use as a future educator in the classroom. Although there were multiple steps to learn, I was able to figure it out according to the helpful videos. Next time, I hope to record myself giving the lecture. I ended up doing a voice over only, so I would want to incorporate this in a future PowerPoint.