MEI Online Live

The MEI Academy World History Online Live Course was an experience that has shaped me and influenced how I view history as well as current events. My teacher created an environment that allowed us to have open and meaningful discussions that ultimately led to a deeper understating of the topics we learned about. This course was unlike any other. There were many opportunities to have dynamic conversations about the lessons which brought the content to life. I was able to think in different ways, view things from unique perspectives all while challenging myself to reach beyond my initial thoughts and what is seen on the surface. This would not have been possible without the support and guidance of my wonderful teachers, especially my incredible lead teacher Mike Gibbons. Mike came to every class with enthusiasm and excitement. He was so passionate and engaging and it was so evident that he cared for our learning and what we took away from the experience. Although we were not able to travel, Mike made taking the course online enjoyable and memorable. He challenged us to think critically and in-depth with every assignment that we did. All of our assignments and conversations were unique and thought-provoking. Being able to view the world and events through a new lens and understand how everything is linked together has been so valuable and something I will take away with me well beyond this course.

Even though the course had to be moved online, it was still worth it and a great experience. The use of videos and pictures were helpful and added variety. The format and schedule - all day two times per week with a check-in on Mondays, worked quite well and gave me flexibility which I really appreciated, especially since it was a summer course. My teacher was very understanding and supportive whenever I needed help. It was also helpful to split up into groups after every lecture to talk about things. In terms of areas to consider for future classes: There was a lot of material to cover and since it was an online format, at times it was challenging to be able to stay completely focused and absorb large volumes of information. It would have also been beneficial to have more exemplars provided for assignments. It also seemed that there was too much emphasis placed on word count. Lastly, the final assignment due at the same time as the prep work for the ISU was from my perspective too much all at once and perhaps more weight could be put on other assignments to remove the last one or space them out differently.
Overall, however, I really enjoyed the course and was so grateful for my awesome teacher Mike!