Week 7 Post

This week has been hectic, yet refreshing.  The critiques that I received from my peers give me hope that I am moving in the right direction with my course and that it will be a success for my students. 

The QM rubric was a great success for myself.  It was easy to use - although there were some phrases that confused me.  I was not sure what it was asking, but the critiques that I received from my peers really helped clear up my misunderstandings.  I think the QM rubric was valuable in the review process that was completed this week.  My peers went step by step through the rubric and pointed out what I was missing or how I can clearly state something that was otherwise confusing.

Reviewing other courses really helped me to see what I was doing right and what I could improve upon.  I reviewed Barbra's Point Hope Project and thought - wow!! I loved the videos that she either found online or created herself - straightforward, yet informational.  Colin gave me a great new idea on another course that I might want to create down the line.  I also loved his use of technology throughout the course.  Seeing these two great courses gave me inspiration for my own.  I think reviewing another course was almost as beneficial as hearing the critiques from the peers who reviewed my own course.

There are a few kinks that I have to iron out.  At the moment, my introduction video is not recorded, so I will have to work on that.  I need to include our institutional policies and be more specific about the academic support my students will have throughout the course.  I need to work on my evaluation section - add the point values for A, B, C, etc. and be more specific about the requirements for the discussion board - initial and followup posts.  I am thinking of creating some sort of rubric for this.  Since my students will not be familiar with Voicethread, I will have to create a how-to video on using this technology tool and its benefits.  And finally, as far as my resources, I forgot to cite them and one peer suggested a brief narrative of what the students will find.  Now, I should get started!!

Thanks to Gary and Ryan for their great critiques.  I could not have asked for better peer reviews.  I appreciate all of your time and consideration for helping me to create the best course possible for my students.