Comments by Lisa Butler

Provide multiple means of representation:

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:41:13 -0400

I had not considered some of the access issues with websites and documents. As I am building a new Canvas course from scratch, I can add the Alt Text and proper headings to make the material more accessible for students using text-to-speech features. It is also important to think about using a variety of media to present information - I liked short videos giving the overview of what is expected of students. If it was combined with a checklist I think less students would miss components.

This is the area that I can see applying the most next year. I am not moving to an online classroom, just transferring some of the learning online.

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:36:15 -0400

I already have elements of both station-rotation and flipped classroom in place, but the text and various articles have given me things to think about to improve the flow and management. I want the students to come away from the rotation model feeling like they were challenged and their learning was enriched, not like their time was wasted (not that I would ever waste their time intentionally, but I don't want it to be the worksheet of the digital world).

For students who are not motivated or not able to keep up with the content, how do you make sure they do not fall hopelessly behind?

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:33:05 -0400

Rice had a possible solution for nonparticipation “create alternate assignments for learners who are unable to make up discussion activities” (155). If they are responding way after the other students it decreases the educational value. Could their time be better spent? But if they aren’t interested in making the assignment up, is it wasting your time to constantly have a Plan B?

How do you make sure that students feel like you are reading their posts without responding to each one? How do you manage a multitude of posts? Especially if the course size is 100+ students. What does it look like to highlight posts?

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:31:39 -0400

I can envision the quotes of the week, with the best sentences that captured my attention, but than I would have to be careful to show a range or writers voices. How long would this take to do well?

How do you encourage student ownership of the forum content? I liked the idea of a Help Forum, for tech as well as assignment questions (Rice 141).

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:30:54 -0400

Our school does give an Interpersonal Skills grade as well as the academic grade, so maybe they could be tied together to encourage students to help each other out. Not everyone is altruistically motivated, but they are often worried about their own scores. This would be more tangible way to access the interpersonal skills that currently used.

Oh yeah, and this quote: “Good design may hardly be noticed… However, bad design can be devastating and have a profound negative impact on students’ educational experience” (Rice 192).

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:57:52 -0400

So you can't even just play around until you become a master of the online teaching universe, because that could have longterm ramifications on a students' learning experience. So no pressure ... and watch for tone in written communication, because things can be easily misconstrued without context.

How do you organize the LMS to maximize synchronous, asynchronous, and collaboration tools?

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:52:30 -0400

Pausing is power. What is the best way to archive and organize both videos and the accompanying resources so students can access the power of the pause?

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:52:30 -0400

It needs to be logical for the students or they will not preserve to find it, especially the struggling learners who would benefit most from re-watching the video.

Is it worth it? Thinking about the ratio of pay (less than traditional classroom) to hours of work required. (see also: ah ha moment)

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:50:40 -0400

Online teaching is so much more effort than anticipated. Flip Your Classroom had a quote: “Teaching is much more than content delivery.” It is all that extra stuff that would take infinite amounts of time (literally, you would never be done).

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 11:57:52 -0400

Solely teaching in a synchronous means being able to uber multi-task: present the lesson, read the chat, answer questions, manage different apps/websites, watch for student responses… all while talking coherently. The big ah-ha is how exhausting it was to plan, even just for a single 10 minute synchronous lesson. What would it feel like to multiply that by 180 school days? (Do they have a traditional school calendar online? Do you “meet” everyday?)

Our district has been GAFE for 10 years. Other collaborative tools that I learned about in this course that might be useful: Twiddla, GooseChase EDU, Triventy, and Comment Now.

Sun, 03 Jun 2018 20:56:00 -0400

Nearpod is my preferred tool right now for synchronous lessons, but it can be shared with absent students using a separate code. I can easily upload Google Slides, PDFs, or PowerPoints that are already created for the units, then add interaction elements.

Sun, 03 Jun 2018 21:02:47 -0400

Since I am transferring courses, I am grateful I do not have to start from scratch for each unit. I can take what already exists in the PLC and customize it to the needs of my students. In a technology-rich instruction, creation and customization is part of the yearly process. Things are not just duplicated exactly year-to-year. I asked, my district does not currently have a synchronous presentation tool, so all of the online classes offered through the district are asynchronous. They offered to let me explore and suggest one for the future.

Canvas will host the asynchronous parts of class: discussion forums, assignment directions, teacher communication, and the Mastery Path (assignments and quizzes that are locked until students complete the previous tasks).

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:52:51 -0400

An idea for the Mastery Path: create a series of questions based on the maps they are responsible to apply. The mini-quizzes will ask questions that get progressively harder. Students have to earn 100% on the quiz to move on to the next one. As the teacher, I can monitor which quiz they are on, where the common misunderstandings are, and give feedback alongt he way.

Next year I will be teaching 7th grade geography. The course includes a lot more writing and research projects, so blended learning will allow differentiation to make sure all the learners can be successful and actively engaged.

Sun, 03 Jun 2018 20:39:04 -0400

This could include flipped lessons describing each stage at the process, so students could re-watch the videos as they need them. There would also be extension activities for the students who move quickly through the lessons. It could be related news articles on a website like Newsela that offers leveled readings or authentic videos that connect to the content.

Teaching in a blended environment allows for multiple means for communication, collaboration, and learning. My role is to model the most effective learning practices for each topic while I actively engage my students.

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:50:30 -0400