Reflection on Conferences
I attended
every conference that was offered during this class. I usually began the conference with questions
and when the conference ended I still had those questions as well as a few
more. There were times when students would
ask a question and the response was to “Google it”! Often the professor would ask the group to
answer the question that was directed to her.
Before every conference I would read through my paperwork so I could
have my questions ready and be knowledgeable about the assignment for the
week. My professor frequently responded
to our questions with a statement about needing to read our assignment or
overview before the class. We are all
professionals working toward a higher level of education. That comment was very condescending and unnecessary.
We all work very hard at our classwork and deserve respect. A classroom, whether in person or online, is
a place to ask questions and discuss coursework. No question is a dumb question.
The most
frustrating aspect of our conferences was that many times we could not see or
hear the professor or each other. There
were many of us who attended every conference that was offered. It is not easy
to set aside time from our busy schedule but we managed to fit it in every
couple of days. There were conferences
that were late, cut short and the last one never transpired because the
professor never showed up.
I believe
that a web conference is necessary to have an online program be successful. Time management, organization, attendance,
and knowledge of how to run a successful online conference, is something that
needs to be addressed.
