My learning in this course so far has exceeded my expectations. To be candid, I had somewhat strong doubts about a completely asynchronous course. As I mentioned in my introductory post to the Cloud Lounge, when I am inside a classroom, I am present and ready to learn. However, when we transitioned to remote learning last semester, I seriously struggled with paying attention and understanding the content. My initial thoughts have been slowly changing, now that we are several weeks into the fall semester. Perhaps it was my worried mindset that pushed me to put extra effort and brain power into the weekly assignments, resulting in more focused and effective learning. Another reason could be the consistent and organized workload as well as encouraged interactions between classmates.
In terms of participation, the interactions via commenting on blog posts makes it easier to find another layer to address, consider another perspective, and reflect on my own written thoughts. This form of participation is beneficial because I have to read more on the topic or read about the other topics that I did not focus on in order to formulate meaningful responses to and stimulating questions for my classmates.
One part that I am majorly lacking in is preparation. I am so afraid of submitting late work that I try to finish it immediately, as soon as it is assigned. While this plan itself is a pro, a con that comes along with it is cursory reading. My understanding of the topic is shallow by the time I write my initial posts, and it is obvious. I will try to improve my initial posts by giving myself more time to read the material. Additionally, I will maximize my efficiency when reading the literary works and observing the other contents by removing distractions (my phone and other opened tabs) before starting. I realized that I digest the newfound information throughout the week by interacting and participating in the way mentioned before. At the end of the week, I use the discussions–my comments and initial post as well as others’ comments and initial posts–to kickstart my reflection. They provide important insights that I did not mention at all or could expand on. My end-of-the-week reflections, I believe, show a growth in my knowledge by considering other perspectives and including more substance than my initial posts. As I compare my reflections with my classmates, nevertheless, I realize that mine are more vague. I will try to be more explicit and clear with my words and thoughts.
I try to make connections, week by week, adding little strokes to the bigger picture. Still, I think that the connections and patterns that I actually notice are too insignificant or not insightful enough to consider myself to be a historian, that is if I can even see the connections and patterns. I think the question of where or in whom does the power lie is embedded into each week’s learning. This thought leads me to consider the hows and especially the whys.
