Adios Amigos - Saying goodbye to Self.Net Identity

Wow! First of all I would just like to take a second to say how fast this semester has gone! It seems like only yesterday I felt like a foreigner entering a new country when I wrote my first blog post. I had never used a blog properly and wasn't really aware of how many blogs were out there and how easy it was to become a part of one. I assumed you had to pay to join them all and I always felt as though I would be frowned upon for not being informed enough to publish my thoughts publicly. But by using this blog, I think it is just the best way to be introduced to the world of blogging. If you already had blogging experience then that's great, but for those of us who are a little less savvy when it comes to it, it was such an easy and friendly environment to participate in.

That being said I would most definitely say that a blog is a highly effective teaching method for University purposes. Like the discussion we had in one of our first tutorials, we all have our reservations about expressing ourselves in tutorial situations. This has allowed every member of the tutorial a chance to express themselves and a chance to reflect and put time and consideration into our thoughts on the weekly readings or what we have been seeing in general. I know that when I am sometimes put on the spot, i stumble and stutter and eventually just end up dribbling off onto some irrelevant point, but this has allowed me to concentrate my thoughts into one medium and express my ideas clearly, in a safe environment.

It also allowed us, I feel, to learn more from each other, because everyone had put thought and effort into their posts. As a result, we were able to teach each other and to provide interactive examples to further reiterate our points. We use examples in our speech so often, by being able to refer to something and then open it up in another browser is a fantastic aid for teaching!

Am I a Cyborg?

I think I am on my way to becoming a cyborg. My technology is a part of my everyday, however I don't find it to be an extension of myself. I think the fact that we now express ourselves so regularly via technology shows that we are becoming cyborgs, however I am going to say I am not there yet. I still much prefer to express myself verbally. I think verbal speech is always going to be the most powerful medium and I like to think I can still effectively use it, without having to resort to technology to get a point across....though sometimes it does help. I don't go into meltdown if I leave my phone at home and I don't feel lost if Facebook isn't always open, but I would definitely miss these things should be taken from me.

What did I like/dislike about the unit?

I really enjoyed the unit. I love these units because we are able to relate to them so well. Many units are looking back at how things were or how other people see them, whereas in this unit, we are the statistics, we are the users we are talking about, which I love. I feel so much more confident writing and talking about it because I can relate. The only suggestion I would have was maybe to not use the blog as the only interactive element, but maybe minor assignments requiring us to find and participate in a different blog, or to play an online game for a tutorial (something we did in one of my other units). I just think this would give us a bit more context for what we are talking about, as well as helping those of us who aren't very knowledgable to learn about these sites and learning how to interact online, so we are confident to continue to do so when we leave the unit.

All in all I have thoroughly enjoyed this unit and have really loved the blog. I think it is a great idea and so relevant to the intended outcomes of the unit.

As I write my final blog I wish you all the very best with your future studies and whatever else you set off to do. I have loved being a sounding board for you all and hope that I have made you think about something, you may not have before, with one of my posts!

Adios amigos!

Jac :)