Ning.com

I recently set up a class website using Ning.com. http://braschlerhistory.ning.com/ is a website devoted to a Modern History course. On the website, it allows for multimedia files to be uploaded, including music, movies and pictures. It also offers areas for discussion boards, live chats, and many other interactive services. Students can create their own blogs using Ning.com as well. This could be a very helpful tool to help reach out to students when they are not in class. It allows for the instructor to personalize lessons more, and allows for more student interaction with the materials covered in the actual class work.

How I Feel About Online Learning

Well, we are a full third of the way done with classes this semester. After five weeks of experiencing my first online course, I must say that I do like it. I like being able to do class work on my schedule, and it opens up my week much more so I can work more often and prepare more for my other classes than I otherwise normally would. However, this is also my biggest issue with online learning: learning is on my teams. I have a hard time keeping up with it, as I am doing more work in my other classes and working more, too. Procrastination has always been a problem for me, and now the fact that this online course falls solely on my shoulders, I seem to be slipping a bit behind. I need to remind myself to continue checking up with it throughout the week, instead of realizing that its Thursday and I still haven't written on the discussion boards. I hope that, now knowing what it is all about, I can become more motivated to do the work and complete it early instead of last minute.

DMB

Here is a video (not taken by me) of Dave Matthews Band's concert I was at in Detroit earlier this summer. Enjoy!

First post!

Why hello whoever wants to read this. This is my first post in my very own blog. Oh, how excited I am to finally have a blog of my own....yippee!!! I never really understood the entire concept of blogging before, so hopefully throughout this class I will understand it more and maybe explore other options in the world of "blogs." As always, Go Cubs, and I will write again soon!