Online Class

Snowy weather is approaching and this means snow days are more likely than ever! We were expecting lots of snow during my science and technology course so my professor decided to have an online class instead. Usually when I have an online class my professor would post a video or article and everyone in the class is expected to write a response. However, this wasn't the typical online class. I logged into eClass and noticed that we were going to have a live interactive class online with Dr. Smirnova. I was excited to see how the class was going to be conducted so I logged on and entered the class. I immediately thought this was so unique and cool, I saw my professor and I could see a list of the other students participating. Everyone was able to communicate with each other through the chat, but there was also an option to use a microphone to communicate that way. Everyone was chatting and my professor was catching us up on all the information we needed before break. Once most of the class was logged on, the last group presented their earth science lesson plan to the class. I thought this was so cool because although we weren't in the classroom, we all were able to participate and learn from another group. I thought it was really interesting because everyone was able to be engaged through their computer screens! Once the last group finished their presentations, everyone in the class was able to share their thoughts and questions. After this, Dr. Smirnova wrapped up the session and wished us a Happy Thanksgiving! I really enjoyed this online class because it was so much different than the usual online classes I have participated in. I would definitely want to use this tool in my future classroom because it is a great way to interact with students. I realized that a classroom is not a necessity to learn and technology is to thank for that! Technology has come such a long way and this is why technology is so important because it allows people from all over the world to connect and learn from each other. There is so much more to discover in technology and it is so beneficial to the learners in the world. It is crucial to show our future students the importance of technology and let them explore this. This online class was such an interesting experience and I am happy I was able to learn about some different tools to use in a classroom.