Blog Post Number 200! A reflection and exciting new resource!

I can't believe this is my 200th blog post for The Online Nurse Educator! I started this blog back in 2019 and was so concerned about being ale to stay consistent with this blog because of all my other responsibilities.  But here I am, four years later and still plugging along with new content every week! It's been an amazing journey that has helped me become a better writer, researcher and overall nurse educator. In today's blog post, I want to do a brief reflection over the past 4 years and share an exciting new resource that I hope you will love as much as I do!

In light of this hallmark blog post, I decided to review some of the blog posts I have written over the years including some of my favorite posts, assignments, Ed Tech Tools and Ice-Breakers. So... here they are!

• My favorite Assignment Spotlight: Assignment Spotlight: Online Game-Based Learning- I am really into game-based learning right now and this blog post highlights some of the game-based activities that I have used in the past, published on and really love 
• My favorite Ed Tech Tool: Ed Tech Tuesday: Google Slides- I love tools that are versatile and Google Slides is extremely versatile. In this blog post, I share several examples of how I have used Google Slides in my online courses. I continue to be impressed with how robust this FREE tool is.
• My favorite Ice Breaker: Ice-Breaker Tuesday: Online ice-breaker activities- This one is a little bit of a cheat because this post includes links to many other ice-breakers, so in a sense, you're getting many for the price of one. I would encourage you to check them out!
• My favorite Radical Online Resource: Radical Online Resource- BreakoutRN- BreakOutRN is my favorite radical resource because it has nursing specific active learning strategies which you know I LIVE FOR!
• My favorite blog post: 4 Secrets To Teaching An Online Course Successfully- Anyone who has been following me for any amount of time knows that I live by these 4 secrets to teaching an online course. They are the pillars  of my teaching philosophy and I use them in all of the courses that I teach. 

In terms of reflections, I am most amazed by how fast technology is changing. In reviewing a post I wrote some time ago about Zoom, I was sharing the "exciting features" of breakout rooms and virtual backgrounds! This feature has become so common place that it's hard to remember a time when this was "new and exciting".  I'm grateful to be in an industry that is constantly evolving and allowing us to keep up with the times. 

In terms of assignments, I still use many of the same activities. Even though technology has become increasingly more advanced, I find that at its core, education is still about communication and collaboration. I am looking forward to the next 200 blog posts and what new technology discoveries I will uncover together with all of you!

I'd love to hear what your favorite blog posts have been over the years. Share them in The Online Educator Facebook Group! 

Before I go, I promised to share with you a new and EXCITING resources. I'm very excited to share that I have discovered the amazing new tool called Recast which allows you to turn any article into a podcast! As such, I have used Recast to convert all of my blog posts into podcasts! If you have missed any of the past 200 blog posts because you don't have the time to sit and read them, not to worry, you can listen to them ALL on your next commute, while you exercise or even while you grocery shop!

Check out THIS LINK to listen to all the available podcast episodes! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this new Ed Tech Tool (which you can be sure I will be featuring soon!). One thing I like about this tool is that it makes it possible for me to share these resources in a different format despite not having the time to host a podcast personally (which is a goal of mine). Consider how you might use this resource in your own online course.