Online Community

How do you feel that you have benefited from the online community in this course?


      I love online learning because it gives you the opportunity to have as much, or as little, interaction as required.  That may sound funny, but I am sure you can all think of a time when you just didn't feel like you wanted to be with others or have to contribute in a classroom setting.  Maybe your dog just died, or you have a fight with a friend or you had a particularly bad day at work.  Whatever the reason, you just didn't want to have to go into a classroom and be with other people.  Being online affords you a certain degree of control over that part of learning.
    
     I remember having teachers, both at the high school and college level who would call on students  even if they didn't have a hand raised wanting to contribute.  It was always uncomfortable to be put on the spot that way.  Not because you weren't prepared, but because you just didn't want to talk, and preferred to listen.  


     Being in an online setting doesn't prevent you from contributing, it actually allows you more freedom.  You can look at the information posted by other students and respond the way you want to respond, with as much or as little information as you choose, and there is no way you can be interrupted.  There is nothing more frustrating then trying to relay your thoughts or feelings regarding a certain topic, and having someone, and there is always this someone in any class, interrupt with their thoughts or to rephrase what you just said, or even agree with you, before you were able to say everything you wanted.  Responding online allows you respond, even stop for a minute to think before completing the response.


     So I guess, being online, rather than being limiting, gives you more freedom to be yourself and say what you want.