I'm very happy with how my VLE looks. I think it has a very simplistic layout which I think is very important. I have used sites like Moodle and I think the layout can be very over complicated, and you often have to follow a long path before you can get to the resource you were looking for. I also like that the students have had some input to the VLE. I think it looks very much like their site, and I think it should be! If you want students to log on and use something frequently then it should at least be appealing to them. But in practice I don't see this being successful. I am not dismissing the Weebly Educational site I think it's fantastic. Nor am I dismissing all the work I have put into it. I just think that the students need consistency. The rest of the college use Moodle as the VLE, and I don't see any point in creating a separate one for one class. As a student I would find this very frustrating, I would rather everything just be on one site.
I know this blog is aimed at how we use technology to aid our teaching in the classroom. But I re-watched this Ted Talk and I decided I wanted to share it. Christopher Emdin talks very passionately about teaching and how it is all about delivery and the connection you have with your audience / students. I use technology all the time to teach my students and I definitely think it's one of most powerful teaching tools out there. But it is just a tool. Reading theorists for my assignment opened by eyes to how one day the majority of teaching may take place online. I think that would be a big mistake. I know the advancements with video communication, virtual learning environments and exams online make it possible to teach many more students than you would fit in your classroom, but I would see it as a great loss. Having a connection with your teacher can make your education. Everyone remembers the teachers that believed in them, that pushed them. No-one remembers the books they wrote in or the software they used. They remember the personality of the teacher and how that teacher helped them develop and grow. I aspire to be a teacher that can make students follow the path they want to go down. Encourage and inspire them to work to their best standard no matter what that is. I want to see my students and get instant reactions from the workshop activities or discussions we have. I don't believe you can deliver as much passion over an internet connection.
