Over the past six weeks I have been searching the internet for information on how to sew as part of my coursework for Michigan State’s CEP 810. The goal of the project was to become a networked learner and learn something new using only online resources, such as YouTube, for information. The most unique part of the project was the sole dependence on the internet for information. As a learner, this was both helpful and frustrating. I liked that I could progress at my own pace to find information. It seemed relatively simple to discover the basics of sewing and to even find specifics on how to sew a stocking. I found many YouTube videos and blogs that were created for these purposes. However, when I encountered a setback, such as my thread getting tangled, it was very difficult for me to identify the issue. I did not have enough prior knowledge about the machine to fix it myself, and it didn’t help that the sewing machine was broken. Upon getting a new machine, I occasionally found myself in a similar situation, and with all the bumps earlier in my project, I had learned about what might have been causing this problem and I was able to fix the thread in much less time. In the end, after I finished my stockings, I know have a sense of pride that I was able to “teach myself” how to sew. Please enjoy the following video which demonstrates both my learning process and my finished product.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this project. I was able to empathize with the perspective that my students may have on a comparable project. I actually used this networked learning project as inspiration for the technology lesson that I created a couple weeks ago for CEP 810. My students completed the lesson last week in class. The project required students to use the internet to discover all that they could about DNA or RNA. I gave them some questions to answer in order to guide their searches, but basically finding the information was up to them. I enjoyed watching their learning over the three days they had to research. The last day I asked them what they liked and did not like about the project. Most of them commented that they enjoyed the freedom to come up with the answers themselves and felt they learned more than just listening to a lecture and completing worksheets. Many complained that they struggled because I did not give them specific questions to answer, but also agreed that they gained a more comprehensive knowledge of the material because they were forced to ask questions. I think my DNA project was successful and I plan to use this teaching technique in future lessons this year.
Throughout my project I was required to become an active learner. When I experienced problems or setbacks, I was forced to ask questions and think critically in order to solve the problem. I believe that the networked learning project was an interesting way to model the learning process by using technology to encourage critical thinking skills and creating a need for the student to become an active learner.
Brittany Schroeder 