Laureen Kodani | ePortfolio
 
Congratulations to all of the graduates!!

Wow! It’s hard for me to grasp that I have completed the requirements for the Masterʻs in Educational Technology degree and the advanced Certificate in Online Learning and Teaching. This time, two years ago, I was waiting to hear if I had been accepted into the program. Here I am today preparing for both a virtual-world and real-world graduation. I am grateful, excited, and exhausted. Every bit of this experience has been more than I expected.

A reflection about my journey would be incomplete without giving due credit to my instructors; Dr. Grace Lin, Dr. Mike Menchaca, Dr. Peter Leong, Dr. Mary Hattori, Dr. Ellen Hoffman, Dr. Curtis Ho, and Dr. Bert Kumura. I appreciate the knowledge, passion, guidance, and critical feedback I received. My goal is to utilize what I have learned in a way that honors their dedication as instructors.

Throughout the program, one key element that fostered my significant growth was giving and receiving peer feedback. I found this to be an excellent mechanism for the transference of knowledge. I am thankful to my peers who were committed to fulfilling this role. I hope I was able to add value to their learning experience and am esteemed to have grown from their feedback.  

I am most grateful to God because he provided me with wisdom, knowledge, and strength to manage everything without losing too much of my sanity. I am equally grateful to my wonderful husband who never complained about the long hours I spent at my desk working on my degree and for helping me with the laundry, dinners, bill paying and just about everything else! I am grateful to my sons who believed in me and encouraged me to do this. 

Hello world! A new chapter begins…    
 
It's been a challenging, enlightening, and meaningful semester. In fact, every semester, strategically scaffolded upon each other, has been an ongoing and valuable learning experience for me.

I've had some moments where I wondered about my capabilities. Will I be able to meet expectations and requirements for each of my courses? Will the work I produce add meaning to the topic? Will I be a learner who is able to contribute to the learning experiences of others?

One thing is for sure, my peers have significantly added to my learning experiences. Despite the long brain storming sessions, intense research, and what seemed like brain malfunctions, we survived. Thanks everyone!

At the start of the  program, I was apprehensive and excited. I understood that there was much to learn. This part has not changed. Now, there is even more to learn, LOL. However, I am feeling more confident about my skills and expertise. Does this mean I have arrived? Absolutely NOT! It means I am able to apply my acquired knowledge in a focused manner.

I am gearing up for the spring semester! How about you?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May all of you be blessed beyond measure.
 
The 16th Annual TCC Worldwide Online Conferencewas held on April 12 - 14, 2011.

This was my first TCC Worldwide Online Conference. What an exciting experience! I was able to attend several presentations with others from around the world while sitting in my own home. It is quite evident that technology in education has an endless amount of possibilities. It can be challenging to keep up with the latest tools, ideas, and opportunities. The presentation by Craig Kapp on Augmented Reality is a perfect example of the many tools and options available.

It was also a privilege to participate as a presenter with my fellow team members, Melissa Kunitzer and Sharice Cabral. We created a mini-online course for Healthy Nutrition 101 which is currently being implemented at a large private high school in Hawai`i. The process of creating an online course has given me a new perspective and enthusiasm for eLearning. I am reminded about the many components involved and how important they are. We received feedback from our instructors and peers during the development process. Our presentation went quite smoothly. The experience and feedback will help us improve our skills as instructional designers.

Join us next year for another opportunity to learn, share, and grow!

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