module 5 recap

Module 5 has been the most challenging module for me so far.

Creating the UbD unit plan was a frustrating yet rewarding experience. It took me a while to think of how I could take a unit in the classroom and adapt it for an online learning environment. After brainstorming ideas, I decided to create my unit around the topic of interviewing skills. Every student, whether it is in a traditional or online setting, must learn and practice the art of interviewing. This is an important life skill that must be taught to high school students.

My main struggle was figuring out how to take the "practice interviews" into an online setting. I like to have students participate in mock interviews because it allows them to feel the pressure of an interview. There are many ways that this can be done in a traditional classroom setting like bringing in community members or making them answer questions in front of a panel of interviewers. This would present a problem in an online class. After help from Alli, I came up with the idea of having the student’s video tape their interview so that I could view it and so that they could have it as a tool in order to reflection about the interview. I think this would be very valuable because they could not only listen to how they answered questions but could also view their gestures as they interviewed.

Overall, it took a ton of time and effort in order to create a unit completely online. Taking a class online would require numerous ideas and resources. Collaboration would be necessary. But I did appreciate how this challenged my creation of a lesson. It made me think about all of the elements of a unit/lesson and allowed me to create activities that would accommodate all learning styles.

Podcasts, Vodcasts, & More!

To be honest, when I first sat down and looked over the activities for module 4 I was a little intimidated. Usually I feel confident in learning about new technologies. I love integrating new ideas into my classroom and find it exciting to be challenged instead of just doing the same thing over and over. But when looking at the module 4 activities, I saw the word podcast and I started to worry. I thought it was going to take me forever to learn how to create a podcast. I have been to conferences where teachers have talked about attaching a microphone to them while they teach, using an iPod to record them, etc.

It was my time. I was going to do this podcast thing. I stayed late after school one night and was determined to figure it out. Luckily, I have a Mac in my room and I knew that Mac's had the capability to create podcast. I love Mac's and always find the software user friendly. I opened Garageband, found the podcast section, and started recording random things in order to get used to the program.

I loved it. It was easy! It wasn't hard. I found myself worrying for no reason. I had written down a couple of key points from the Classroom Web 2.0 podcast that I had listened to and started recording my thoughts.
I then got a little fancy and created a presentation on Keynote. I had a presentation and audio. Now what?  After doing a couple Google searches on how to combine the two, I had my first ever podcast. It took me roughly an hour to complete the entire thing. My podcast ended up being about two and half minutes and included slides.

This was a wonderful learning experience for me because I had to accomplish something I wasn't familiar with. I was the student. It made me realize that this must be how some of my students feel, especially those who are not comfortable with technology.

Overall I am thankful for the opportunity that module 4 handed me. I have always wanted to learn how to create a podcast but never took the time to try it. My intentions were always there, but this module forced me to step up to the plate and take a swing!

Module 3 + Parter Project

It's Sunday night, I just got finished watching NCAA basketball games and wrapped up my last assignment for module 3.

What I have enjoyed about this online class is the freedom at which assignments can be completed. I have learned that online learning is truly a 24/7 process. I love the fact that I can sit at my house, in my comfy sweats, have a basketball game playing in the background, and work on my class work all at the same time.

I feel that this is something that really hits home for some students. I have a cousin who is 17 and battling a chronic illness who has turned to online learning. She is a smart, young, beautiful girl who had to turn to online learning due to health issues. Without the option of online classes, she would not be graduating with her classmates this spring.

All this being said, I have gained valuable knowledge during module 3 about online assessments. Many of the assessments I already incorporate into my traditional classroom. I believe it's important to give assessments other then tests. I was not a huge fan of tests while in high school/college and found that if I was able to use another medium where I could be creative to show my understanding,  I did much better.

I was partnered with teacher in another school district for the partner project. I truly got the feel of having to collaborate with a partner that I never see in person. This required us to send A LOT of e-mails and discuss our ideas through multiple messages back and forth. I thought that it was pretty easy but I think it helped that Kelsey always responded in a timely manner. I could see where it would be frustrating (just like in a traditional classroom) if your partner would not communicate or do their assigned tasks.

Module 2 Recap

Our online class is just wrapping up module 2 and I have really enjoyed this module. There are many new resources I have learned. I have listed a few thoughts/ideas that I took from this module.

1. The core beliefs of effective online teaching (Guide to Teaching Online Courses)

1. Courses should be instructor-led
2. courses should be student-centered
3. Learning should be collaborative in nature
4. Coursework should maximize participation flexibility while providing a framework for student pacing
5. Courses should foster 21st Century and Information and Communication Technology learning skills
6. Course format, expectations and instructions should be clear and concise
7. Activities & assessments should account for different learning styles
8. Courses should use the best practices
1. I enjoyed listening to the video on technology integration. It really put into perspective for me how technology really drives our students lives. I feel that I am pretty up to date on using technology and integrating it into my lesson plans. Our students are bombarded with technology and I think it foolish to not try and use technology as a resource in the classroom. 
2. SlideRocket was a new website I learned about in this module that I have given my students as a resource if they do not have PowerPoint at home. This allows them to create presentations without having the Microsoft software on their computer (which many of our students do not).
3. After reading the "Access and Equity in Online Classes and Virtual Schools" article, it made me think that these online courses are not perfect. There will be downfalls to them. It has broadened my perspective on the pros and cons of online learning. I see value in face-to-face classrooms but can also see where online learning can come into play for certain classes and certain students.

Diving in ...

I titled my blog Adventures in Online Learning because I think it will be just that ... an adventure. I am excited to work my way through this course and learn the positives and negatives of teaching online. Being in the business education field, I feel that this course will provide me with many resources to use throughout my classroom. Not only will they be great tools to use in my classes but I believe that giving my students the exposure while they are high school will help them tremendously when they venture out into their careers or attend a university.