Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Nancy, You're welcome! I feel the same and have personally grown as an instructor because of the ability to openly share and discuss course curriculum with other teaching professionals. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Discussion Comment

Staying abreast of emerging technologies

Julio, Yes, sticking with what works for you is key. When technology becomes a hindrance rather than an effective tool for both you and your students, it defeats the purpose. Hopefully after completing this course you will feel comfortable incorporating technologies that work well with the tools you have already incorporated into your curriculum, such as Google docs for online sharing and review, or Zoho, for collaborative learning projects. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Social Media Networking

Lee, Agreed, modeling professional behavior is tantamount to the success of incorporating social media into the curriculum. Establishing a professional account on Twitter or Facebook has become routine for many K-12 schools, allowing parents and students to follow a teacher and contribute to the discussion and ask questions. I understand the apprehension many have about this form of communication, but I believe this will be a standard practice in education in the near future. I know several corporate-owned career colleges now allow Twitter after an initial knee-jerk reaction to several demonstrations of very unprofessional behavior by teachers on Facebook that… >>>

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Adopting blended-learning techniques

Lee, I agree. Keeping the instructor engaged is something that has not been discussed much here in the forum, but yes, this does happen when teaching a course becomes monotonous and new activities are rarely infused. Blended learning activities can be a great way to incorporate more active learning exercises into a class and keep the interest of both the student and the instructor. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Sharing Learning Materials

Douglas, You bring up a great point. Though the subject matter may be the same, same course code and course name, I find my approach is slightly different with each course section I teach because of the individual personalities of students and the group dynamic. I prefer to be prepared and have additional exercises on hand in the event a group or individual is struggling with a topic, or is some cases, desire a greater depth of knowledge on the subject. Sharing ideas with other faculty members is a great way to always be prepared with additional content, should it… >>>

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Professional Organizations

Carol, Yes,it is frustrating when so many conferences are cost prohibitive due to the travel and time involved. A great perk of membership to many organizations is the ability to access video archives of guest speakers and demonstrations of new technology. If the organization you belong to now does not do this currently, you may want to send your local chapter President an email and suggest a password protected area on the organizations website where videos can be accessed by current members. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Sharing Learning Materials

Ruth, As an educator, being open to critique is so important if we are to stay fresh and current with our material. Another reason to share materials is to ensure consistency with the curriculum when several faculty members teach the same course. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Social Media Networking

Jonathon, I agree, it can be a distraction and setting limits on only utilizing this form of communications outside of class time may help. I know preventing texting and social media during class is a challenge for many of us; setting strict boundaries from day one is a necessity today. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Presentation sharing

Wendy, I agree, many times all of the bells and whistles get in the way and actually distract from the message. The Microsoft videos on practicing restraint with PowerPoint mentioned in this course are a great resource for students and educators alike when developing presentations. I suggest sharing the link with students, this may help with transition overkill. Here is link to the Microsoft website, providing a basic overview of how to create a PowerPoint presentation- it is great for beginners: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/create-your-first-presentation-RZ001129842.aspx Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt

Theresa Schmitt, M.Ed.

Discussion Comment

Twitter

Wendy, I am glad to hear you are considering incorporating social media technologies into your curriculum. A Twitter feed is permitted by many schools as an acceptable form of communicating with current students, but it is always best to check with your Department Chair to review your school policy. Wishing you continued success in the classroom. Theresa Schmitt