Creating an Online Learning Module

I feel as though I have been working on my Google Site forever, yet seem to be struggling getting anywhere.  I have all these ideas about where I want to take this project, but need to get my ideas organized on my site. Maybe that is what our article last week meant about the time it  takes to teach an online class.  However, I am glad that I am practicing with Google Sites now, so that I am better prepared for online learning in the future.  

I am trying to take some ideas from our class site, as well as from other class sites that I have been browsing.  With my Gifted and Talented students, it is hard to think about it as a course.  I have decided to take something I have already been working on, Math Challenges, and put it into a format suitable for online learning.  I am including weekly Google Docs that can be saved into the student's individual folders and shared with me.  I am also having students do an assessment check with a small group of classmates to check their answers and to discuss them mathematically with others.  This is just the beginning, but I am hoping to slowly continue putting all of the pieces together.  Hopefully I will eventually be able to post a success story about my Google Site!

Synchronous and Asynchronous Tools

I have learned so much about Synchronous and Asynchronous tools this week!  Truthfully, after our last session, I had to Google those words to see what they mean!  Further research showed me that I have used many of these tools as an educator.  Through this class, I have found Blackboard and Google Hangouts to be very valuable Synchronous tools.  Each of these tools have been very easy ways to get together with other members of class without physically being in the same room.  They do, however, require good communication and scheduling.  It is important that all members are on the same page to make these tools successful.  I find personal communication in these forms to be more beneficial to groups of people than instant messaging, which I find works better when communicating with one other person.

I, personally, have used more asynchronous tools in my teaching. Clearly, email is an important tool for communication at school. I have found that blogging can be very successful with students and parents as a form of connecting home and school life.  It gives the teacher a chance to show off all of the hard work being accomplished in the classroom.  I have also used Wikis as a tool for student communication about learning at home.  All of these tools have to be constantly well managed and updated in order to be used successfully.  There were many other tools suggested on these lists that I have never used before.  I will have to do more research to see what they are all about!

Self Reflection for Online Instruction

After completing both of the online instruction assessments, the results were very in line with my thoughts about my strengths and areas for improvement in this area. I have the time and equipment that would be needed to teach an online course. I also have the keyboarding and email skills that are required. Overall,  I consider myself to have a strength in learning about technology.  But that is exactly what I need to improve on, learning about the technology that is available and how to use it.

This class has helped me start taking those steps.  I have already learned so much about programs that I have never heard of or attempted to use before.  I have heard of Dropbox, but never used it before, and now I know how simple it is. I have used Delicious numerous times since learning about it in class.  My family has even attempted Google Hangouts together!  My goal is to continue taking classes that really offer me the training and resources that I received in this class, so that I can continue to stay up to date with the technology available.