Reflection

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My experience of doing Teaching Studies 3B as a fully online module
By: Amos Vusi Msiza
First and foremost the module was fun, exciting, out of the ordinary and very intuitive. It was not
as simple as I thought it would be, yet the challenges it came with, is what made it very
interesting. There were times I felt like it was too much, burdensome and unnecessary. But all
that changed after I read about the importance of a Professional Learning Network for a
teacher. I learned a lot of skills about the computer, the internet and education as a profession.
Participating in the Microsoft educator community gave me necessary knowledge and skills
about the computer hardware and software. These knowledge and skills helped me to begin
with my PLN in a more fun way. I have used social networks for communication before but my
attitude changed as soon as I started engaging with different educators all over the world
concerning matters that concerned teaching and learning. Creating my own PLN motivated me
in to being more critical and matured, I see myself as a qualified teacher already. In short, I
have grown, transformed my attitude, I am motivated and yes my ideology of work ethic has
been academically shaped.
The design of the learning activities in Teaching Studies 3B were sequential with one objective;
to develop a professional learning network. The first activity was a buildup to a more complex
yet meaningful network. We started by creating a biography (about.me) that can be shared on
other online sites with the world which was more general and then began with a more
professional biography in LinkedIn. Thereafter we started exploring different platforms were we
can share files and become part of educational groups. In short, the learning activities were not
too specific but rather allowed us to explorer, make our own research and finally decide on what
works for each and every one of us. Again, the activities were authentic and very interesting,
which is why I say the design of the learning activities worked. Personally, through the learning
activities offered in TST3B I have created a network that will continue to grow with time.
I feel like using only blackboard for communication between the lecturer and the students is the
only thing that was negative. For me it did not work very well because everything in the learning
activities was written. There are many online types of communications that are oral. For
example, short videos and online tutoring. This is because some of learners prefer listening and

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understand better when listening. Except for that, I did not observe any negativity in the design
of the learning activities.
In order to complete the module, I needed to know how to use Microsoft office (Word and
PowerPoint) to type the activities. I also needed basic computer skills such as surfing the
internet and also the ability to differentiate between social networks that are professional and
those that are not. Lastly I needed to know how to create an account in different social networks
and also how to join social communities.