“Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don’t really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way.”
-C. JoyBell C.
As I reflect on my ONL educational journey, I can define it to be a learning roller coaster. In the beginning I was anxious as I was not familiar with the online course material, tutorials, online discussion boards, and me not have clear expectations, also the fear of not wanting to look foolish. As my ONL journey progressed it became enjoyable as I became familiar with the tasks and my group members. There were thrills when completing the topic presentations and excitement of learning new things together. This satisfaction of reaching small achievements kept me going until the end.
As educators and lovers of learning, we have the power to choose which kind of roller coaster ride our teaching journey is going to be. With all the concepts being blended in my mind, I am uncertain of what specific parts of the online networked learning I will include in my teaching. Working in a diverse group showed me how the varying topics are observed by people from different backgrounds and with different practices. Cultural and background in practice hinders development and sharing of knowledge but if groups are structured correctly and motivated it can improve the quality of knowledge and knowledge application which was the case for our group exercises.
There is an age-old adage that says “two heads are better than one”. I have realised that what one needs to do is dare to participate. We all have something to offer. It doesn´t necessarily require a lot of words, can be a skill, an experience – even the remark that we are lost is valuable to signal the others in the group that things aren´t as clear as we thought them to be. Alas in the end my journey was unforgettable, forming bonds and creating my own little niche PLN with my ONL 7 group members. Wherever you are and whomever you teach, let us get on the right roller coaster ride, so that we give our students even more than is expected and keep learning as we continue to inspire and gain inspiration from each other.
My group opened my mind to a variation of tools that I hope to utilise in future. Tools such has canva world, padlet, miro board and jam board. I thoroughly enjoyed the exercises where we used these resource tools. Learning to use new tools and devices takes time but was such great fun. ONL is an amazing experience that you will remember for the rest of your life!
With sincere gratitude I want to also acknowledge the facilitators, my group members and everyone involved in the ONL community. Ngiyabonga (Thank you) for seeing me as a partner in education, as someone who can teach others as well as learn.
