Online Learning

       I've taken online classes before, but they weren't set up the same way that this one was. In my prior online experiences there would be material assigned each week to read along with quizzes and every so often a test. I think this difference is mainly due to the fact that these were math, and intro level history and social science classes where the main goal is just taking in information, not analyzing it. So it makes sense to me that there were no writing assignments or steps taken to encourage social interaction between the students themselves or even the teacher. I think the majority of online classes are like what I just described; however, I also believe that teachers are striving to make online classes a bit closer to the in-class experience and encouraging interaction by requiring students to comment on assignments, much like Mrs. Cline did. Ignoring the obvious science classes, I think English is one of the more challenging classes to take and teach online. Although you still get the lectures through videos, you miss out on the discussion that accompanies these lectures in person. Posting about the material and commenting on other people's posts allows us to simulate the conversation a bit, but the formality of it changes it. I think maybe a forum where students just talked about any ideas and thoughts on the reading material would potentially be a good way to mimic the sort of in-class discussion that we  miss out on.

       I think the blog was most beneficial to me, as well as learning how to embed links into my writing, which I've actually already used in some of my other classes. The reason the blog helped me was that it forced me to start thinking about the material throughout the reading process and before my writing process. At first the blog was pretty confusing, but I think I've got the basic qualities of it figured out. I'm sure there is a bunch of fun more advanced stuff you can mess around with though. I'd always been curious about blogs, but I had no idea how they worked really, so I didn't bother. Seeing that in this we had to make a blog, I no longer have that block of not knowing how to use one, so I can definitely see myself using blogs as a way to document parts of my life. For example, I've always wanted to travel, I think keeping a blog during that time would allow for my family and friends to see what I was doing, as well as to allow myself to reflect on what I was seeing in a deeper way. It'd also be good for memories afterwards I suppose. :)

I found a New York Times article in the opinion pages that addresses the downside of online learning. I also found some letters to the editor written in response to this article, they're pretty interesting and give more insight into other people's experiences with online education. 

http://www.blogging4jobs.com/job-search/was-online-education-made-for-geny-students/