Week seven reflections

Greetings to everybody,

This week information load is as important as the preceding ones.

During this week I got to reflect on the meaning of learner autonomy and it implications for both the students and teachers.

At first glance the word autonomy equals independence. Independence from the authority of the teacher who is the leader of the class; the fountain of knowledge to whom all have to pay attention as he starts shedding his knowledge on the passive , empty-headed students. The teacher, on the contrary to the related out dated tradition of teacher role, step.  He starts playing other roles. Rather, he is an assistant. He helps leaners get through their learning process by valuing in them all the positive attributes that make them successful learners. He should train them to adopt useful learning strategies and understand that learning is not restricted to the four walls of the classroom. Notwithstanding, it is a process that can take place where ever. All they have to do is to be alert to what goes on in their surroundings. The first article stresses the importance of these elements in relation to the topic under discussion:

·         Learning strategies

·         Learner attitude and motivation

·         Teacher role in fostering autonomous learning

·         …

Secondly, it goes without saying that the aim of the course is to enable us to integrate technology in their teaching practice. Therefore, the introduction of a task like planning a one computer lesson plan is aiming at the realization of the course goals. Of course the task is meaningful. However, it can’t be done perfectly without having an overview of activities and preparations that a teacher has to do on the class computer before it is integrated in teaching. I find the examples presented very useful. They gave me an insight to how my computer, which is supposed to be used in class, should look like.

As I am doing a plan project, I am trying to write the details of the report. The articles I read were of great help since they touched upon the topic I’ m dealing with. I hope I can finish my draft before the dead-line and my peer-reader too will not find any complication. By the way it is great to a peer reader. We are sometimes unable to spot some our mistakes. So another reader may be more efficient.

Finally, the overall lesson I learnt from this training is patience, especially when connection is too slow.

Cheers to all.