EDLD 5363: Web Conference Reflection: Week 1

Although I have taken two previous courses that provided optional participation in web conferences I never attended a live conference. I always relied on the chat scripts and the available web conference recordings, to help me clarify any confusion and to correctly complete the weekly assignments. This was the first time I attended a live conference and I was not prepared for it, I did not know how exactly everything worked, I was not sure if I was going to be speaking, just listening, or having to type everything. I did not expect for everyone to be posting comments and questions almost simultaneously. I had already read all the assigned readings and had already started working on my personal video, but I felt that everyone else was miles ahead of me. I did not actively participate in most of the conference, I did ask a few questions, but I mostly depended on what the other classmates asked. I do feel that live web conferences can be very beneficial, specifically if you prepare a list of questions prior to the conference. Next time I attend a meeting, I’ll probably follow a prewritten question and comment list.