Presenting "Ning" from a Distance: A Reflection

I had the opportunity to present information about a communication tool, Ning, from a distance. The experience was excellent. While a few minor issues existed at the beginning of the session, the communication between other groups and Serdar was clear and did not inhibit my ability to be understood. I did not like the fact that I could not hear the questions that were posed to me after completing the presentation. This, as well as the fact that I couldn't see the other groups, took away from the intimacy of being in one classroom together. Some of the challenges of meeting on-line are the fact that sometimes the audio breaks up, or there may not be enough microphones in the class for all to use. Additionally, it can be difficult to pay attention if there isn't a person in front of you speaking. I would not use this tool for my future class, because I feel that middle school students would not pay attention if I wasn't there to watch over them. Also, middle schoolers may not have the maturity or technological literacy to handle using this type of communication. Overall, this was a good experience and it provided me an opportunity to become more comfortable with communication technology.