652 Designing Online! We will have to wait and see!

"Designing online courses."


What I have learned about design, now that I have taken two previous courses? 

By taking the initial 2 courses in ONTL I feel that the preparation work and the understanding for online teaching has got me to the point to FINALLY want to DESIGN my own course!  

If I would have not taken the two previous courses and taken the necessary steps this process would not have been as enjoyable.

Designing, will allow me to explore and understand the process and commitment that is needed to assemble an online course.  Also by designing I can explore all my options, tools/techniques in order to one day have the capability to carry out my own online teaching course. 

Since I am currently in the GSU communication grad program, I really wanted to design a communications course fully online. 

I wanted to see how much information, sources, I can utilize in order to get the course objective to the students in a manner which will be very effective.  I have taken f2f courses in communications and one intro communication course online.

This semester I have had an inspirational person take me through a learning journey called, "Interpersonal communication." But since this class is only f2f, I thought this would be a great class to take online, and access all technique and strategies possible in a fully online course.

I would hope to learn from the designing process & how to carry out my own online teaching course.  Also to take what has been taught f2f and take it up a notch; offering a new way of learning in the field of communication studies.

Ultimately, this is a course that is going to get me one step closer to fulfilling a dream! I hope this experience will allow me to offer students a new and innovative way of learning.

Double Duty Knowledge:
This picture when I seen it made me laugh! I love it! and She remind me of myself. I'm sure all women can relate to this!

My expectations with Online Design Course:
I am vary excited as I begin this course and look forward to the first project of designing an online course!
I hope the online design course will open new avenues, ideas, imagination to what I can create and how capable I will be of designing as a whole.

I hope to achieve a new learning and teaching style which is innovative and can take with me in whatever profession I choose. I also hope to build a community relationship with my online class members in the hopes of offering guidance and that extra push and advice for the better accomplishment of the course. I value my peers advice, and enjoy the wide diversity of the online community has to offer.

My Facilitation Experience...

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous

Beginning with the Asynchronous communication; this technique was not knew to me, but I must say made me a little nervous since it was my first time actually facilitating a class on my own on live Wimba. I expected to be nervous and scared! I feared I would mess up or not keep the class on track or interested. After my first and second experience I can say that my experience where very pleasant, I enjoyed them and cannot wait to beginning teaching on my own, full time!
Wimba live takes a lot of prep work, research and good information to be shared with the class. As well as experience in using power point. I enjoyed doing the ppt presentations and sharing my findings with my peers.

My Asynchronous experience recommendation for others, who will be facilitating with wimba is to try every tool to see what works best for your section. I had tested many of the tools before hand yet there was one tool that I was afraid to use in fear of reveling my entire desktop to the class.It turned out that was not the case. So asking about the particular tools in advance if you are not sure is a good idea. Other than that, my experiences with Asynchronous Wimba was great!!!

With the synchronous facilitation I spent a lot of time on the pc answering and posting comments and offering feedback. And as it turned out, unit 12 had a lot of topics to cover, so it took me much time to cover all the questions posted. Facilitating synchronous was very relaxed in my case, but it definitely did keep me on my toes in terms of fear of not responding effectively so I was online often. Fortunately, I was able to do my job as a facilitator, and as far as I know completed with the proper procedures and or techniques.

This is my first experience with online synchronous facilitating and I enjoyed it greatly! To me, I felt the synchronous discussion post facilitation was easier in terms of preparation than that of the asynchronous wimba. Closing comments: I expected that my facilitating experience was going to be much more frightening and time consuming than it actually was. I enjoyed facilitating and was very relaxed, which surprised me! I enjoyed the interaction and comments and experiences offered by my peers. The peer evaluations where also helpful in pin pointing the good and suggestions which can help you improve for future facilitation experiences. The entire facilitation process needed organization, time management, and proper feedback response in order to keep the course properly flowing. So facilitating takes a lot of time.

I was not surprised about the experice expcept for the fact that my nervse did not get the better of my while I was facilitating which was great, I was very comfortable. The only techniques I applyed as the weeks progressed is try to spend more time online in order to complete the job,
I found that underestimating time can get you in a uncomfortable situation because life situations come up and if you prepare some things ahead it will hopefully not throw you off too much.

This experience has definitely changed my perspective on facilitation. After facilitating on my own, I now cannot wait to teach on my own!! I really enjoyed it! I am happy that I was given the opportunity and twice was even better! All in all, the online facilitating experience was enjoyable, and has me looking forward to teaching online in due time. This has been a memorable and exciting journey which has made me excited to what facilitating online really means, I look forward to the opportunity! NEZ

Wrapping up 2nd part of Facilitating Online....

In part 2, I discovered Facilitating Roles and all that is entailed! We I am sure it is not all but at least I know more now in comparison to previous.


So many roles of a facilitator to consider: As stated directly from our lesson module;


Week 3: Changing Roles

Week 4: Competencies

Week 5: Pedagogical Role

Week 6: Social Role - Building Community

Week 7: Managerial Role - Setting the Stage

Week 8: The Managerial Role - After the Class Begins

Week 9: Technical Role


Through Discussion Board, Wimba (live or archive), communicating through our class in facilitating online helped me understand more and more as we discussed the roles and how it will effect us as future teachers teaching online (like in my case). Or how we can improve or share our experiences as some in our class may have, and I appreciate listening to an actual experience of a classmate in the role of facilitating online and the pros and cons of certain experiences.



The above list basically brought to my attention the roles of a facilitator and the tools needed to become a prosperous and successful facilitator. Slowly, week by week the roles (units) brought me closer to finding what the roles are and how they will play out for a online facilitator. I did notice that as we delved into the units more, the more I felt it was getting more to the truth of what online teaching entails.

One real eye opening experience was when I read the diary in unit 8. This unit helped me really look at the different roles a facilitator and student play into the course and how much time and work is put into the follow up of the online class on behalf of the facilitator ex; feedback, email, questions, problems, etc....


The first few parts of this unit was something I expected (Week 3: Changing Roles, Week 4: Competencies, Week 5: Pedagogical Role.


What I felt was going to be very difficult yet after taking this couple of weeks by stride now at am ease ( Week 7: Managerial Role - Setting the Stage, Week 8: The Managerial Role - After the Class Begins

Week 9: Technical Role).


The reason for my worries initially with Managerial Role finally put the role I will be taking and the amount of responsibility I will have now that I have reached to this point. I think as someone who has never taught online but has taken courses online with various facilitators can get a feel for what worked for a student and what does not. And what facilitator’s techniques did you like and what you did not. But making them work for me and to insure my students are getting the best out of my course and what I have to offer is a heavy thought, and I hope will achieve it both for the sake of my sanity and my students!

The organization, structure and time that is needed is a no brainer, I feel it will make this smoother and less stressful for both parties (student/facilitator).


I personally enjoyed week 9 the most because it allowed me to see what is out there in terms of staying current. Searching the web for sources for the course on staying current allowed me to see how there is an endless possibility of information in helping the online teacher and the student.

Offered are links or university websites which can help in giving available resources, and join in online communities with the same interests to keep you in the know.


All in all this end of the second blog helped bring me closer to my realization of becoming an online facilitator one step at a time, and I cant wait!!!

Blog Post 2 Facilitating Online.....

As we close another week and another unit, I look back at the weeks past.

Four weeks have gone by and a lot has been covered as we close on this Sunday.

I must mention, two of the most different and some difficult things I had to learn was the HTML codes in unit 3&4.
Now, I must go back and review the readings to understand better all the HTML codes, my quiz scores where the proof of my lack of knowledge in the field of HTML. This is something I definitely have to read more about and understand the codes etc...

The different experience was Facilitating Online, not my own facilitation but my peers. It was a great experience!
I learned a lot, and took in a lot of the information that was put out there for us to use by the facilitator and other peers as well.

This weeks facilitator, I was able to experience it live. Unlike the first Wimba that was held which I reviewed by archive. I found that very boring, future reference, live Wimba is more interactive and keeps my attention front and center!

Furthermore, I liked the feedback and guidance of a live wimba, it was easier to give input and feedback, back and fourth threw live wimba, obviously. I tend to attend more live sections!

Most of all, I learned threw this initial few units what it would be like to facilitate online from my peers. Also explored outcomes of students and the reaction with student/facilitator interaction. I think by actually facilitating ourselves and sharing this with our peers breaks the ice. I am looking forward to facilitating online with my peers to not only get a reaction from them but for myself, to see how I feel as a facilitator! I cant wait and I hope my experience will be a good one in the hopes for future encouragement as I soon will teach one day!

Week in Review: Great Links and info/ Facilitating Online....
http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/raleigh.htm
Keys to Facilitating Successful Online Discussions

by Donna Raleigh, Coordinator of Technical Training and Instructional Technology,
Media Development Center, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire


http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/conflict.html11
"Conflict in Cyberspace:
How to Resolve Conflict Online"
Kali Munro, M.Ed., Psychotherapist

http://www.emoderators.com/moderators/teach_online.html
The Role of the Online Instructor/Facilitator
Zane L. Berge, Ph.D.

http://www.monash.edu.au/groups/flt/1999/online.html
On-line teaching and learning: New roles for participants
Ron Oliver, School of Communications and Multimedia, Edith Cowan University.

Readings: Changing Instructor Roles



http://www.mccneb.edu/elearning/responsibilities.asp
Student Responsibilities for Online Courses


http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/jaln/v8n2/pdf/v8n2_garrison.pdf
STUDENT ROLE ADJUSTMENT IN ONLINE
COMMUNITIES OF INQUIRY: MODEL AND
INSTRUMENT VALIDATION

HTML
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the language of the Internet. While at the moment you are reading this text in English, if you would right click on your mouse and then click "View Source" in the dropdown menu, you would see the HTML code that allows you to see this text in a format you can read. (Go ahead ... take a moment and "view source".)

Readings: Competencies for Online Instructors
Competencies for Online Instructors A brief list of competency elements under the basic roles of administration, design, facilitation and evaluation.

Critical Skills for Online Teaching We briefly looked at this resource during our overview of Online Teaching in the last class. This week we will spend more time with it as we consider what an instructor needs to do to prepare for becoming an effective instructor in the online environment.

University Instructors' Reflections on their First Online Teaching Experiences

Readings: Staying Current in Online Teaching

Online Educator: Keeping Current in Online Teaching

Educause

Based on our mission and focus, ELI explores three primary areas:

Learners
Learning Principles and Practices
Learning Technologies

http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/onlinelearning/blogger.html

Online Learning Update Ray Schroeder from the University of Illinois maintains this online learning blog. Each day he posts resources that appear on the Internet that are of interest to online educators. Make sure you bookmark this site!

Faculty Support for Online Teaching Discussion:

My Challenges:

http://www.davesite.com/webstation/html/chap02.shtml


HTML Code MiniChapter 2: The Common Tags

http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/a/asynchronous.html

Facilitating Online Learning Fall 2009...

Hello everyone!!! Great to be back and blogging!



My first blog for this course will be about my reaction to the upcoming assignment to Facilitate Online. Yikes!!!

Well, initially I was excited! Then I thought, ok, I have never done this before!

My expetations are to be prepared, focused and ready to do my job as a facilitator. I think this is a great way to experience Online teaching first hand. This will be a challenge since this is my first time, but hopefully a good one.

Online Facilitating for one whole week? Wow! Should be interesting, and new. I just signed up for my week to facilitate looks like I will be the last to complete the facilitating experience.

Good Luck to all!!!

The time has come... final blog post online teaching winter 2009

As this course comes to it final days, I sit here and complete my final blog. Taking this course has added extra interest in the online world of teaching and technology. My impressions of online teaching now are much more complete, and understood in terms of expected work and outcome whether be it student or teacher. A first hand experience allowed me to dig deeper into online teaching and its expectations, first hand.



Prior to me taking the online course, I thought it was going lack the need for a face to face setting. I quickly found as a student and learner of this course, what the web can do for a learner and what it has to offer.




The most thing I have enjoyed is exploring the web of its many teacher/ student resources. I have searched the web for many years and for various things but never felt the true need for resources as I have for this course! Yes, I was very amazed 4 years in an English major and hundreds of research and papers later, online teaching taught me how to use the web more effectively. During our group assignment we where asked to provide exemplary resources. When I began the assignment I had initially thought it was going to be easy, but that turned out NOT to be the case. Instead I searched and searched and searched!! But ultimately what I came across are websites that I enjoyed so much and cannot wait to use them with my own courses. I have already utilized many of these websites with my own children at home and they love it!



Resources from the web, there are so many you don't know where to start. Well the amount of research I had to do allowed me to find great websites, thus allowing me to share with whomever wishes to! So, enclosed are a few of my favorite sites I spotted while researching exemplary sources from the web for my online teaching course.
Keep these resources for your records:

www.techtechers.com/eng.htm

www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/

http://pic.tech4learning.com This is copyright freindly

www.webenglishteacher.com/profre.html.

http://webquest.org/index-resources.php

www.readwritethink.org/

www.universalteacher.org.uk

online learning...

As I reflect on online learning, the one thing that I was concerned about and thought would be the hardest, or near impossible, was group work. This course was my first online course. I had never experienced working with a group online previous.

My past group work experience has been in a classroom during my undergrad years. The group would consist of how everyone allotted for the course or by the teacher. At times the people in your group are at different levels of skill and ability to work within your group. I always enjoyed presenting and always received high marks on behalf of my group and for myself. But working with an online group was much different. Even though initially I was very nervous working in an online group, to be honest thought it was impossible.

After having a first go at online group work, I must say I was very impressed. Of course it also has much to do with the people who are in your group. Fortunately, everyone in my group was very organized, goal oriented, and very structured, I was very impressed. I always had high standards in my work and always hoped that those in my group would be the same. I had not experienced great group work until my online group. We all had the same goals, we worked equally as hard, and we worked to benefit everyone within the group in ultimately receiving a good grade.
This was not always the case in my f2f groups. Many times I ended up taking on the entire assignment or carried most of the weight. Many times it was unfair. I would hope to illiminate this unfairness if possible when I carryout my online courses.

Now after having this great experience with online group work I look forward in implementing group work online with my courses. I feel a learner regardless of online or ground base needs to learn how to work as a team, or in a group setting. I also feel that online group work helps in learning something new. I hope for my students to be able to experience group work in a different light.

For Example:
When online there is no choosing like you normally would in a classroom course.
I must be honest, when I used to choose my group partners, I always chose the most talkative in class, the not so shy, the best presenter... ya ta ya ta ya ta. I always, from day one of class, would look out for these characteristics. In an English major group work and presentations is on a weekly bases, so I always tried to have a heads up. And it so turned out, that I would choose the same ladies that I always worked with over and over threw out my undergrad years; we took many of the same courses together threw undergrad and liked the way we worked together. But ofcourse it took many bad group to find a good one I wanted to stick with. Let me tell you, I had some very bad experiences with group work. Once, I carried the weight for many in my group because the two ladies that where in my group where very nervous and they said it was new for them. So I decided to help them as much as I could. On day of presentation the other ladies where to go first then I was last. When the girl before me had her turn, she decided to use all my information portion of the presentation. You can only imagin my reaction! I was sick to my stomach. So when it was my turn I had nothing to say because she said it all! I will never be put threw that again.
With my online experience everyone had to submit they're finding one portion of the project at a time, everyone reviewed it, gave it the ok, then would go on to the next portion. I hope to impliment this structure when I teach online, and to offer the same quality experience of online group work as I have had!


I hope to one day offer within my online courses the satisfaction of relating and enjoying group work just as I have.
Useful sources I found;

Collaborative Learning:Group Work and Study Teams:
http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html

Seven Problems of Online Group Learning (and Their Solutions)
http://www.ifets.info/journals/10_4/22.pdf

Instructional Strategies for Online Courses
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/instructionalstrategies.asp

http://www.tltgroup.org/Collaboration/collabexploreguide.htm

Managing—and Motivating!—Distance Learning Group Activities
http://www.tltgroup.org/gilbert/millis.htm