I learned that it would be valuable for students to have an orientation to the CMS and that module structure is important.
Be sure to go thru the system as a a student would so that you understnad what they will be viewing as they complete tasks.
I learned that the structure of the course is important for the teacher to have organized by the use of modules and topics etc. It is also important for the student to have a complete understanding of the structure of the course.
I learned that it in online learning it is important for the instructor to understand the delivery of instructional side as well as the technology support side of online learning in order to support students and reduce the likelyhood of student's frustrations. I also learned that teachers can deliver intruction in several different ways.
Making sure there is interaction between instructor and students during synchronous or asynchronous sessions is a key component. Attending to and understanding student needs and challenges will lead to increased students success rates. The instructor needs to have flexibility, compassion, and be accessible to the students.
The key thing is to have "curb appeal". E-Learning has to not only be effective in the content delivery, it needs to be visually engaging. To teach online is different than designing online courses, although many teachers are taksed with both.
As a teacher and developer, always think with the end in mind and then build it... they will come !
An online instructor should be fully familiar with the online course delivery platform. He/she should know every aspect of it. He/she should utilize different approaches to reach the goal of the course. Moreover, the instructor must ensure the learners that there is someone who will suport them to make their learning experiences a success one.
Outside of strong communication, two main concepts I took away from this is to first have a CMS that has a student orientation portion so students become more familiar prior to starting the course. The second concept is that the instructor needs to know only know the "ins and outs" of the CMS but also be able to communicate with students effectively. Communication in an online environment is vital. Remembering when responding electronically to any assignment, email, or question the instructor should avoid using "you" which can be interpreted negatively. The message being sent needs to address the situation not the student, the tone you think you are sending may not be interpreted the way intended. Always reread prior to sending as if you are the student. This will create better relationships with students as they go through the online course.
Is there a quicker way to get to a certian post or must you weed through all of them?
I is important to understand the functionality of the CMS before you try to implement it. It is also important to develope a strong support base. The media protocol is also an issue as some (speaking for myself), would prefer to talk.
As an instructor in the classroom for 20 years, this sudden move to online learning is a big change for me and my students. I teach in a classroom for a reason! As such, I am using the CMS that our district has allowed (Google Classroom) along with some of the free OERs to help my students continue their learning. I have set daily office hours so that I am available to a majority of my students at a common time. I am also available more frequently to my AP students as we move forward.
The main thing that I learned in this course so far is making sure to comprehend the course delivery format. This was important to me because there were a lot of moving parts that I had not considered, such as if all of the content will be open to the students on Day One, or will I allow multiple quiz sessions.
It's very important for me as the teacher to familiarize with the online course pltaform.
This point is very important for me because if I know my platform well I can easily help my students nagivate it, thus addinng to their sense of security.
Instructors must be familiar with the delivery format and course content to be an effective online instructor.
I learned that instructors have different methods of online delivery of instruction to reach their objectives.
I learned that instructors must be familiar with the course delivery techniques and strategies to be an effective online instructor.
In this module, I was able to learn how to become familiar with the course delivery techniques and strategies about students gaining access to the course and different instructional strategies.
I feel like there is a lot more prep for an online course vs on ground. I am a new instructor who is now learning how to go to online learning and it's a bit overwhelming navigating all the technology of the CMS. I had to use it a bit as part of my onboarding so got to experience it as a student and now I am learning it as an instructor as I prepare my course online.
I found this information helpful especially the delivery techniques section - it's a good check list to make sure I am covering all my bases.
I have learnt that it is critical to know and familiarize yourself as a teacher to these 3 things:
1. Your online platform that you are using.
2. Your students and their capabilities.
3. Your own capability and unability or challenges when it comes to technology or distance learning
Reply to Barbara Martin-Goldsand's post: Agree. My daugher is a college student and the professors were all given a week to learn the cms before starting the elearning phase. I have not seen a high school do this. In my experience in career tech, the career tech teachers really could have used at least some basics in getting started. I've shared this course with as many as I can so that they do have some support to suddely be online teachers.
