502 Session Two Blog Entry

One thing that I found really neat and useful was the Blackboard Collaborate Room.  Being able to be the instructor rather than the student, I found the program really easy to use.  I liked that it was really simple to set up breakout rooms, load a power point, and being able to pull up a website for the rest of class to view.

After reading the assigned chapters in the TACCLE Handbook, I realized how much time and effort goes into creating a online course. This was one of the points that was made in the article by Michelle Everson from the previous week, but I definitely saw why when reading Chapters 18 - 26.  I was a bit overwhelmed with the checklists that they suggest going through when creating learning objects, and the separate criteria for each type of learning object you create (text-based, pictures, graphics, cartoons, etc.).  I am sure after creating a few online courses, it becomes almost second nature to include these features.

Also, when I participated in the online conference by Ian Jukes, it was really exciting to be able to listen live to renown expert on 21st century learning.  I thought online conferences might be a great way for districts to conduct some professional development opportunities at a fraction of the cost of bringing in the speaker live.  In addition, I could definitely see having students participate in an online conference that relates to what you are currently studying.  This would be an excellent way of bringing relevance to the topic you are covering and I think students would appreciate this opportunity.

502 Session One Blog Entry

From the article “10 Things I’ve Learned About Teaching Online”, I found it reassuring that some of things that I have experienced as an online learner were things mentioned by the author.  One of the biggest aspects of an online class that has surprised me is that assignments take longer than in a traditional classroom.  Posting messages on your blog and responding to other classmates entries are much more time consuming than taking part in a discussion in a classroom. 

Also, some of the fears I have of teaching an online class were addressed in this article.  Two of these fears are that teaching online classes are time consuming and that online learning is not for all students.  With online classes, even though you are not meeting everyday, it seems like it would take a lot of time to find resources for an online class and setup the course using a program such as Moodle.  In addition, based on my own experiences with online learning, I have a hard time seeing some of my students being successful taking online classes.  I think some students would pleasantly surprise me, but as the author mentioned, online classes are not the right fit for all students.  For me, it helps to hear upfront some of these points about teaching an online class, rather than thinking one way at the start and then find out differently later on.

I found the “How Important Is The Online Facilitator” article extremely helpful since it focused on teaching math and science courses online.  I really liked the “Seeing Math” website, which included many useful lessons and interactive tools that I can use in my classroom.  I already included it in my diigo account so I can share it with other teachers.