Shaakirah Dunn: Micro-Teaching Reflection

1. What did you like and dislike about online teaching?

I disliked the absence of face-to face interaction. I would have liked to see the learner’s faces during interaction on the micro-teach, I disliked that anyone can experience connectivity problems at any time on the lesson due to unforseen circumstances, resulting in learners missing out on what's being taught. I liked having the opportunity to use different digital tools to create creative activities that allowed learners to engage on the digital tool. I liked that it was easy to access and there was no difficulty accessing the site from learners as well. I like that online learning can facilitate deeper discussions as learners can type in their thoughts and answers on message boards, I believe they develop and construct responses without the pressure of an immediate response like they would in a classroom.

2. What new skills did you learn through this experience?

The new skills I learned through this experience was adaptability , technological literacy, strategies for effective online teaching. I believe I am more proficient in technological literacy. It has also taught me time management, because I used two different tools, I had to ensure that there was going to be enough time to get through the presentations on one tool with activities and then switch over and use a different tool with a different activity.

3. What would you do differently?

In future I would explore more digital platforms to engage learners in activities and discussions. I would provide more time in answering questions on the platform I originally used (kahoot) as learners did not have enough time to answer.

4. Did you choose appropriate tools to teach your online lesson, explain why?

I believe I did choose appropriate tools to teach my online lesson. It was easy for learners to access and engage. It was also easy for me to create the activities and presentations on it. It worked well with my time management for that lesson because I made use of two different tools.

5. How has this experience developed you for teaching in a school?

This experience has developed me for teaching in a school if there ever comes a time that I will be required to teach online. It has opened me up to new digital tools that I have learned to successfully navigate, to see what works and what does not, how I would need to manage my time, as well as given me feedback on whether it was easy for learners to access and engage.