Week 1
This blog was my introduction to the class. I expressed some frustration with problems I encountered setting up my blog site, but I also shared that I had enrolled in the POT training class in order to improve my technology skills and my online teaching.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/08/
Week 2
I discovered via the POT beginner’s questionnaire that I favor a student-centered approach to teaching and learning but that my practice as an online instructor doesn’t necessarily demonstrate my philosophy. I expressed my concerns regarding group activities, and several POT classmates offered helpful suggestions for improving the way I implement group projects. Per the instructions, I uploaded a graphic into my blog.
Week 3
This was the week that really got me to re-evaluate how I organize and run my online classes. In assessing my online course design, I confirmed that some of the activities I current assign in my classes are not only appropriate but also create a sense of class community and instructor presence as well as promote critical thinking. At the same time, reading the text and observing former POT students’ videos provided sample techniques and assignment I could use for saving myself grading time and for allowing more student-to-student interaction.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/09/19/designing-an-online-course/
Week 4
I had been comfortable with the syllabus I currently use in my online courses until this week’s discussion on creating an online syllabus. Previously, I had considered myself an old pro with regard to syllabus creation. But I learned that a more interactive syllabus complete with colors and graphics is much more engaging and attractive for students.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/09/25/the-joy-of-the-online-syllabus/
Week 5
This week’s focus on creating an appealing online classroom was a summary of all of the web 2.0 tools that instructors can use in their online classes. I felt woefully inadequate in my profession after the reading and discussion because I rarely use few, if any, of the web 2.0 options available to me. I recognized that I don’t have to be well-versed in every web 2.0 tool, but I do need to grab on to a few of them that will help my teaching. I was also reminded that what I create for my online classes is my intellectual property, and that I need to protect it.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/10/03/creating-an-appealing-online-classroom/
Week 6
This week’s discussion of student activities in the online environment emphasized how important it is for students to have a shared sense of purpose in the online community. In order to have a positive online learning experience, students also want to be assured that the instructor is present. The reading and discussion centered on interactive activities such as group projects, reflective activities, role playing, case studies emphasized the importance of assignments that require critical thinking. As a result of the readings, I created rubrics for my assignments that clearly outlined both what I require in my assignments and how those assignments will be assessed. I also changed one of my discussion boards to require more interaction between students, and I provided more specific parameters to help students conduct Internet research.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/10/09/student-activities-in-the-online-environment/
Week 7
I expected to be bored during this week’s discussion of intellectual property, but I found myself carefully considering what constitutes intellectual property and the various ways shared information may be re-created. It was helpful to be made aware of intellectual property law so that I don’t overstep legal and ethical boundaries in using others’ intellectual property. It was also helpful to be taught about open content and how/where I can obtain free educational resources, e.g. online textbooks. I found the mind mapping websites somewhat difficult to navigate, but I can understand their usefulness.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/10/17/the-use-of-intellectual-property-in-online-classes/
Week 8
This week provided practical instruction on how to use various web 2.0 tools to create audio and video in my online classes. Despite my frustration at not being successful in creating an audio message introducing myself to the class, I appreciated the introduction to the various AV tools and I plan to make use of them immediately. Interestingly, this week was the first time I conducted an advanced Google search!
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/10/24/creating-courseware-in-online-classes/
Week 9
This week I created a short survey on Survey Monkey that assessed whether or not my students were ready for online learning and whether online learning was appropriate for their particular learning style. I was intrigued by the discussion of the current generation of students and how they use technology. For example, our students are increasingly distracted by social media even as they try to “learn”. Facebook, Twitter and the incessant text conversations constantly vie for our students’ focus and attention. This fact reminds me that educations may use students’ knowledge of social networking tools to their advantage by creating assignments and organizing class activities that utilize these technologies. Per the instructions, I created a five-question FAQ page. I admit that I’m not that happy with my product, but at least it’s a start!
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/11/02/getting-students-ready-for-online-learning/
Week 10
The discussion this week regarding managing the online classroom had my head spinning (in a good way!). Never before had I questioned using Blackboard as my class management system. Eric Robertson’s video had me thinking about hard and soft landscapes, and I am asking myself if there is anything that Blackboard does not do that I really want to do on my classes. I appreciate that Eric mentioned that instructors should consider not only what’s available but also what will maximize their strengths. Perhaps another CMS would better enable me to let my real teaching style come through. Through the readings this week I was also introduced to the idea that modern online teaching transcends the traditional CMS/LMS and to the theory of connectivism.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/11/07/managing-the-online-classroom/
Week 11
In my blog for this week, I discussed online education theory and the various pedagogical philosophies regarding online education. All of the readings this week seem to address the tension between the various pedagogical theories and how this tension may be resolved. The readings also debate the revolutionary qualities of using the Internet for education and the potential it has for turning students into mindless robots with the ability to use technology for the purpose of accessing and obtaining information, but with little ability for self-invention. I wrote about how we are on the verge of identifying a new approach to online education that attempts to bring the pendulum back into the middle, with behaviorism on the one side and connectivism on the other.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/11/14/thoughts-on-online-education-theory/
Week 12
Along with last week’s discussion, this week’s topic of “open education” forced me to evaluate my thoughts about and comfort level with decentralized online education. Cris Crissman presented the continuum of centralized vs. decentralized online education, and she postulated the idea of online education with no central hub. This seems to me to be a very chaotic approach. But perhaps I don’t yet appreciate the value of the “no hub” online class because I haven’t yet observed an educator who does this, so I don’t really understand how it’s supposed to work. I do know that the Digital Ethnography example that used NetVibes only made me more averse to this type of class. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going on in there! I argued that the instructor’s job is not just to get students using all of the latest technology to complete their coursework. The instructor is also responsible for clearly communicating what is expected in the course and how students can meet those expectations.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/11/26/a-whole-lot-of-sharing-going-on/
Week 13
In my blog this week, I wrote about how present-day online educators are in a great position to take advantage of so many opportunities for networking via personal learning networks. I believe there are times when sharing is valuable and appropriate, and there are times when it is simply sharing overkill. I like the idea of the personal learning network (PLN) proposed by Helen Crump. Putting a filtering system in place that limits the people, articles and books and professional activities I engage with and in would certainly make “sharing” more manageable. I examined how I might share with other educators as I do feel that sharing is an ethical responsibility. Because I have seen from this class the benefits of sharing blogs, I plan to continue blogging after this class. I also agreed with the importance Ko and Rossen place on networking with others and continually seeking to update/improve our online teaching skills. Though I recoil at the suggestion that the online learning “marketplace” dictates the pace of change instructors are expected to keep up with, my experience is that this is true. We must help each other if we’re to keep up with the rapidly evolving landscape of online education.
https://wordpress.miracosta.edu/asaxe/2014/11/21/online-education-outside-the-box/
Week 14
I completed my final presentation on “Establishing Instructor Presence in the Online Classroom”. The reason I chose this topic was because in this class I learned just how important it is to students to maintain a connection with their instructor even when a class is online. I also feel that though I try to engage with my students, my heavy workload and lack of time prevent me from engaging as much as I think a good online instructor should. To better understand what’s most important to online students so that I can focus my efforts toward those factors, I based my presentation primarily on a recent study entitled “The Indicators of Instructor Presence that are Most Important to Students in Online Courses”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZVwYzM7q2c&feature=youtu.be