"Communicate 4.1.1 – Evaluation Methods and Communication Practices" Quest

"Communicate 4.1.1 – Evaluation Methods and Communication Practices" Quest

How do communication practices in the online environment correlate to effective feedback?

Communication that is precise and frequent mirrors qualities of effective feedback. Teachers can use News items, Newsletters and email in addition to individual feedback on individual assignments to disseminate feedback to all students. As seen in the last blog entry, a teacher can use those mediums to offer differentiation as well.

Why is authentic feedback important for online learners?

Online learners tend to feel isolated and alone. They often do not view themselves as part of a class but instead feel like they are learning all on their own. Authentic feedback validates the learner in several ways. First, the learner receives the information and tools needed to improve and to be successful. Second, the learner will no longer feel quite so alone in his/her online endeavor because his/her contribution is valued.

In what ways might an instructor enrich a student's online experience through feedback?

One way to enrich a student's online experience is in the discussion forum. This format allows for a rich exchange of ideas with other students in the course where they can validate their own hypothesis.

"Communicate 3.2.2 – Differentiation" Quest

"Communicate 3.2.2 – Differentiation" Quest


Differentiation is something that I try to reflect on and offer at least monthly. Sometimes, differentiation takes the form of an alternate assignment used to replace a grade for a similar assignment on which students did not master the content. Sometimes, differentiation takes the form of an alternate way to complete an assignment in terms of product. Sometimes, when students struggle with a concept, differentiation takes the form of a re-presentation of the content. Regardless of the method of differentiation, the goal is always the same: to allow students the opportunity to learn and master a concept.

Here is a Voicethread opportunity that I posted for my students in the News. It was an additional opportunity to demonstrate mastery for more points on a specific type of assignment. The students were asked to watch a video on a current event in France (Immigration) and to react to the information presented there in a Voicethread. The Voicethread is a cloud-based application where students can collaborate via audio recordings or written word.

Lien: http://voicethread.com/share/7115216/
Cette opportunité expire le 14 octobre. Ne remettez pas au lendemain.
Cliquez ces liens pour regarder les vidéos:
Marine Le Pen Interview
Marine Le Pen Discours




Here is a News Item that I posted for students who sometimes have trouble using Audacity to record their oral submissions. Vocaroo is an alternate method for recording. I provided links for how to use this tool and also provided a link to the site in User Links in the course.

Vocaroo Training Video
Vocaroo Website


When student have problems with a concept, I find a video to re-teach that concept and post it in the News. Here is an example of such a post.

Il y a beaucoup de problèmes dans les soumissions récentes en utilisant le gérondif. SVP regardez cette vidéo pour mieux comprendre comment l’utiliser. Demandez-moi si vous avez des questions. Merci !

"Communicate 3.2.1 – The Newsletter" Quest

"Communicate 3.2.1 – The Newsletter" Quest

I think the most effective ways to communicate with stakeholders includes using Dial My Calls and sending emails containing either images used in the News items, Smore Newsletters, or links to resources for the course, such as a Flipsnack. All of these items can be sent via email (including a transcript from the Dial My Calls message) to all stakeholders at the same time. The student would actually have access to the visual items in multiple places (email, course homepage, synchronous sessions). I try to keep things simple and clean but sometimes I admit to trying to squeeze too much into a specific place so that I don't have to send more than two things out per week. Too much of a good thing is still too much. :-)

Flipsnack Sample:
http://apinglefrench.flipsnackedu.com/browse/fc821we5


News Items Sample:

Smore Sample:

"Communicate 3.1.2 – News" Quest

"Communicate 3.1.2 – News" Quest

Because I am an online teacher, I try to find ways to integrate awareness of technology skills in with my French course. Below is an News item I posted for Media Literacy Week. I created it on Prezi. I offered an activity related to it (explained within the Prezi) as a chance for students to earn some remediation points.

"Communicate 3.1.1 – Homepages" Quest

"Communicate 3.1.1 – Homepages" Quest

I typically use Power Point to create JPEGs which I then insert into the Bulletin Board. For the first 6 week, GAVS requires that we post information about groups and general "getting started in the course" information that they provide. After that time period, I change the bulletin board a few times, which News items are added multiple times per week. Generally, the bulletin board items are seasonally themed and highlight an upcoming test, such as National French Exam, GAVS World Language Speaking Event, AP College Board Exam, or course Final Exam. I also add links when applicable. The above is an example that I use during Fall semester.

"Communicate 2.1.3 – Ongoing Communication" Quest

"Communicate 2.1.3 – Ongoing Communication" Quest

Effective communication remains an essential part of online instruction because:

We are not "in front" of our students, so catchy and interesting News items are paramount in making sure students know what to do. Using a content specific icon often gets their attention:

When students are struggling, it is important that they take advantage of remediation opportunities. Using an animated graphic often helps draw their attention to the help they need:

Many of you found the last several quizzes
to be quite challenging. Please use the links
provided in your feedback to study and practice.
I am going to reset the attempts for the following:
Interro Langue 4.6
Interro Langue 5.4.2
Interro Langue 5.5.2
Interro Langue 5.5.4
You will have two more attempts to take these quizzes,
should you so desire. :-) Your grade will be the best
out of 3. Du May 3 by Midnight. Bonne Chance!


Communication should include instructional elements. This type of communication helps students produce more rich submissions which demonstrate a deeper understanding of content:

Students need reminders. They have a course schedule to following, but posting a News Item that details what is currently due helps students turn more work in on time:

Students need encouragement. Including a personalized note in their News makes them feel like you care and gives them the extra push toward their goals.

"Communicate 2.1.2 – Communication Guidelines" Quest

"Communicate 2.1.2 – Communication Guidelines" Quest

Please click on the image to enlarge

"Communicate 2.1.1 – Identify Stakeholders" Quest

"Communicate 2.1.1 – Identify Stakeholders" Quest

Do the descriptions correlate to your perception?

In general, I believe that the descriptions of the stakeholders in the TOOL course are what I experience daily at GAVS. I most definitely assume that students will speak up via email when they have problems and that the facilitator will be there to remind the student of his/her responsibilities and to follow up with that student when their average slips. Ideally, I would like for parents to be as active as the description details but I think that sometime parents are as inexperienced as the students and so extra support from the instructor and facilitator are necessary to make up for this deficit.

How can they be expanded upon or described further?

I think each organization has its own expectations that they bring to the depth of involvement for each stakeholder's role. For example, instructors may be required to make specific contacts with parents, such as a policy requiring instructors to notify parents each month if a student is failing the course or notifying administration if a parent does not respond to an instructors' multiple attempts to reach them. Additionally, instructors may have policies specific for their courses. For example, attendance at synchronous sessions is a form of communication. While the virtual school may not require student attendance at synchronous sessions, an instructor might require that students attend or watch a video recording of a session in order to complete a graded assignment.

Are there other stakeholders within an online environment not considered in this quest?

I wonder if the LMS would be considered a stakeholder? Would it be useful for the LMS to have contact in the form of a user survey to determine what elements of the LMS the students and parents feel are cumbersome or in need of revision? I would definitely like to see something like that for instructors using the LMS. Many times there are procedures or features that teacher would like to see changed to improve instructional procedures. 

"Communicate 1.1.2 – Laws of Communication" Quest

"Communicate 1.1.2 – Laws of Communication" Quest

The best way to avoid a violation of FERPA policies in online communication is to never include the student's private information, including a course grade average. When concerns arise about student performance, it is best to telephone the parent or guardian listed in the system to discuss over the phone. It is important to communicate with parents that such information cannot be distributed over the internet for their child's safety. Additionally, in the Newsletters that I send out to students and parents, I am careful to list only a student's first name if I am praising him/her for a job well done by showcasing his/her work. When I send out those items or any other item to the group, I always send the email to my address, then BC all others receiving the information. Another aspect to consider is keeping your computer and access to data and files secure. I am always careful when in the face to face classroom to log off access to student information if I am not sitting at my computer. I also do not write down my passwords for any site which accesses student information.

The best way to comply with copyright laws is to search for materials within the Creative Commons. This ensures that any item found is available for free use. One can also follow the guidelines of Fair Use in order to use copyright materials, in which one can comment upon, criticize, or parody the material without permission. Below is a link to an article that explores the aspects of Fair Use that I find useful.

http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/what-is-fair-use/

"Communicate 1.1.1 – Definitions of Communication" Quest

"Communicate 1.1.1 – Definitions of Communication" Quest

How have your individual communication skills changed as with the innovations of technology? How have advancements in technology altered classroom communication? Will these change further?

I think there are two main ways my communication skills have changed since the advent of technology as a means of communication. First, I find it most easy and convenient to contact parents via email immediately when there is a problem with their child in the virtual or face to face classroom. I use it as an official way to document the contact and to make sure that all parties are "hearing" the same thing: somehow the written words seems to me a better means to clearly communicate. It gives me a chance to reflect and say exactly what I mean and it also gives the parent the chance to reflect on what I am saying. In addition, I usually find that parents respond more quickly to email than to returning a missed call. Second, I began using a website in conjunction with my face to face classroom at least 10 years ago because I found it to be the easiest way to communicate to those who were absent. This eventually evolved into a means of distributing handouts to all students, not just those who were absent. I also added links to my Quia games for students to review and do work as well as links for activities on the internet. It affords the students the opportunity to practice being responsible for their own materials and for thinking and planning in advance of attendance to class. Having all students use my website to stay up to date with the class also gives me more time during face to face class to encourage in depth learning because the students take care of procedural tasks, such as taking notes or gathering information pertinent to the lesson, ahead of time. I also used Dropbox.com as a way for students to submit work. I organize projects to be presented weekly on Mondays and students must submit their presentations the week before they present live in class. This procedure allows me to preview what the student plans to present so that I can give feedback for improving the pending presentation. It also makes sure that the student actually has the presentation on the day s/he is supposed to present. Small steps like these ensure that students are successful in the face to face classroom and gives them much needed experience as digital citizens.

Of course, the last 5 years, I have been teaching on line. All of the things I mentioned above are part of my daily routine and have become sole environment rather than just an extension of my classroom, including the use of Adobe Connect to "meet" with my students on a weekly basis. This coming school year, I will re-enter the face to face class and I am excited to include as much technology as possible. I think educators will see more use of individual devices as part of the instructional norm. However, I just heard on the radio this morning that a recent study comparing students who use a personal device during instruction versus those who did not showed that the ones who used a personal device experienced a drop in their GPA, even though those students were the ones who initially had higher GPAs. I think there is a time and a place during instruction for the use of personal devices and I think that use has to be planned time rather than just allowing students to use the device as they prefer. Many students are not mature enough to monitor their digital behavior which can lead to wasted time and off task behaviors. The use of personal devices should be very structured and intentional.

"Navigate 4.1.1 – Trend Impact" Quest

"Navigate 4.1.1 – Trend Impact" Quest

image from http://techtechteach.com/2014/07/18/mobile-learning-concept-and-advantages/

Can you tell from the image above what trend I predict will have the most impact on digital learning in the next 5 years? M-learning, or mobile learning, will hands down change the way we view education in the foreseeable future. Why? Because any and all trends will be delivered through this format. Many schools are moving away from purchasing "laptop"carts in favor tablets. Many students' parents are purchasing tablets rather than laptops and PCs for their children, making these students digital natives from very young ages. Tablets and smart phones can be used in public places by accessing free WiFi internet connections, eliminating the need for many to subscribe to services for which they have to pay. These reasons, by and large, will drive the need for advancements in M-learning and the market will be scrambling to keep up with the demands. The usefulness of this platform is, at best, important for engaging and retaining student interest and motivation. It will, however, be up to all other aspects of education to keep up with the demands so that there is provocative and challenging ways in which it can be used.

"Navigate 3.2.1 – Tools for Deciding on an LMS" Quest

"Navigate 3.2.1 – Tools for Deciding on an LMS" Quest

I think for a face to face K-12 organization, Moodle would be the top choice overall. It is free and it performs most of the same functions as its competitors: content, submission, grades, synchronous learning, analytics. For most K-12 organizations, funds are limited and a top priority for any implementation is cost.

According to this website, http://www.capterra.com/learning-management-system-software/#infographic , the following are the top LMS on the market today.

"Navigate 3.1.4 – LMS Reporting" Quest

"Navigate 3.1.4 – LMS Reporting" Quest

I will consider Brightspace for the reflection on this topic because I have the most experience with it. We have the student level, teacher level, course level and program level analytics.


Within Brightspace, the features that I am most familiar with are accessing student data that summarizes how many times they have accessed the course, visited content, accessed others' posts in forums, attempted assessments, and completed submissions. There are also reports that analyze various aspects of performance on assessments. You can see the spectrum of those from the screenshot below. Click the image to enlarge:

For me, I think the most valuable level for the online instructor in regard to student performance are seeing how students perform on individual assessments. I particularly use the feature highlighted below, which shows me each question of an assessment, how many students missed it and what answers were given. I can use this data to drive remediation opportunities and the need for reassessment, which ultimately increases student achievement. At a glance, I can tell which questions posed student difficulty (see below, the third question) and I can focus my feedback on those issues by providing extra practice and instruction geared toward areas of weakness.

 

I also often use these features to drive review at the end of the semester before the final exam. I create games based on the most frequently missed questions.

"Navigate 3.1.3 – Tools within the LMS" Quest

"Navigate 3.1.3 – Tools within the LMS" Quest

One of the things that stood out to me in the reading was from "Why Tech Training for Faculty is a Waste of Time." She mentions the differentiation between using an LMS for administrative aspects of a course and using an LMS for pedagogical reasons. This is something that I think is of the utmost importance. As I mentioned in the last quest, I would like to see my future face to face students use an LMS in conjunction with my class in order to teach them the skills they will need to learn and survive in the digital world. In my opinion, that is the number one skill that they will need to take away with them from high school.

I believe that incorporating the use of a discussion board, self assessments, and dropbox will afford students the opportunity for reflection that is often lacking in a face to face classroom environment while teaching them to use technology and the digital environment in a responsible fashion. It will also offer students who are often too shy to participate vocally in class the chance to show off what they know to their peers in a more discrete and non-intimidating way.

The feature that might be least important in an online course is the instant messaging element. I think email takes the place of this because one does not get the message instantly unless logged into the LMS. It is much more "instant" to send an email since most people have smart phones where they check email frequently.

Below is a wonderful lecture given at Berkeley that I found which supports my way of thinking.
http://www.njvid.net/show.php?pid=njcore:23862

"Navigate 3.1.2 – Creation and Investigation into Courses" Quest

"Navigate 3.1.2 – Creation and Investigation into Courses" Quest

I was looking forward to this task because I am starting in a new face to face school in the fall and would like to incorporate an online classroom environment for those students because I think it is an invaluable learning experience for them and an indispensable teaching tool for me. I perused the various options listed in our Quest to determine which one I thought would ultimately provide me with the tools I need for my new students. I want specifically a space where students can submit work and where I can leave feedback, in hopes of encouraging digital learning for them and ease of assignment management for me. I also would like a calendar feature so that students can easily see assignments due from the convenience of their mobile devices or home computers. I also want a space where students can collaborate on projects and have discussions outside of class. I found that Many of the sample sites in our TOOL course seemed to have the most to offer on all of these counts.

Initally, I chose to use Moodle but once I signed up, I saw that I would have to potentially wait days to be "allowed" into the community, so I next I moved on to Canvas. However, I noticed that you need extensive training, starting with a 45 minute video, to be able to use the site. I want something more intutive than that and so I continued on to Blackboard. I was able to sign up and have access instantly. I was able to navigate to the sections that I needed in order to upload the content. However, I never was able to immediately see where the content loaded and honestly everything seemed to be a bit cumbersome at first attempt. Finally, I landed in Schoology.

Schoology's straightforward layout allowed me to register, click on courses, then select create. Once I filled out the pop up box form to provide specifics about the course, I was able to navigate to materials, add package, then view the course.

"Navigate 3.1.1 – LMS Tool Categories" Quest

"Navigate 3.1.1 – LMS Tool Categories" Quest

It is interesting to explore the resources of an LMS in the way they are presented in this TOOL quest. Because I've only taught online for the last 5 years, I tend to view all of these items as essential to instruction because they are integrated within our learning environment in such a way that I don't see them as separate from each other or separate from instruction. I have had to ask myself, "The absence of which elements would cause the collapse of my classroom society?" Below is my list of "must haves":

Click on the image below to enlarge:

"Navigate 2.1.4 – Lecture Capture" Quest

"Navigate 2.1.4 – Lecture Capture" Quest

"Navigate 2.1.3 – Commercial versus Open Virtual Classrooms" Quest

"Navigate 2.1.3 – Commercial versus Open Virtual Classrooms" Quest

Click the images below to enlarge

"Navigate 2.1.2 – Recorded Session" Quest

"Navigate 2.1.2 – Recorded Session" Quest

I use Adobe Connect every week to meet with  my AP French students at GAVS. I record sessions for students who attend, in the event that they want to revisit anything we've shared, and I record sessions for the students who are unable to attend that week. The policy at our school currently is that students are not required to attend sessions and that teachers, at a minimum, must hold office hours once per week. However, because I am a *rebel* and I teach an AP course, I require weekly attendance at sessions in order to better prepare the students for the AP College Board exam. Students who cannot attend must watch the recording and submit a summary of the session as well as any work completed during the session. Attendance is a graded assignment in my course.

Requiring the students to come provides them with the opportunity to speak authentically and spontaneously like they should be doing on a daily basis in order to become proficient in French. At the beginning of the semester, I introduce the course and then the AP exam format. After the initial few classes, I require them to complete timed free response tasks within the Adobe environment. They practice writing the email and the persuasive essay and they practice the spoken language tasks of presenting a 2 minute cultural comparison and responding to a pre-recorded conversation. Usually the schedule for any given class is: music, video (either music or world news), announcements and questions, and then the lesson or activity. The only challenging thing, at first use, is remember to hit record. I used to keep a post-it note on my computer screen to remind me but now it is second nature.

I do remember the first few semesters I held class (it used to be required for us to hold class and for students to attend), it was a bit awkward at first but after a while, it becomes very natural and normal.

(I would post a link to some sessions but students sign in using their names, often first and last, and so that would be a violation.)

"Navigate 2.1.1 – Delivery Methods and the Synchronous Vendor Market" Quest

"Navigate 2.1.1 – Delivery Methods and the Synchronous Vendor Market" Quest

Image from http://www.blackboard.com/online-collaborative-learning/blackboard-collaborate-features.aspx

GoToMeeting, Adobe Connect and WebEx Meeting seem to be fairly similar according to the review of this website http://www.onlinemeetingreviews.com/compare/. The main difference I see in ratings is that Adobe Connect has a much lower score for “Usability.” I am not entirely sure what that means. I currently use Adobe Connect as a teacher at Georgia Virtual School and find it to be very easy to use. I use it to present PDF and Power Point as well as video and audio files. Most of the time, there is no delay in what is presented and student response. Uploading files and links is basically like attaching a file to an email, so there are no challenges there. It appears that GoToMeeting and WebEx offer the same presentation options as Adobe Connect.

It seems that Google Hangouts is a free meeting platform for up to 10 participants that many in our school use for teacher meetings. There are challenges in terms of sharing of presentations because you have to upload to YouTube for all to share. No collaboration with other tools is available at the moment. There are also no mobile applications for this platform. In addition, you cannot record the meeting and there is no desktop sharing.

The Blackboard website does not readily offer information on what is available in Collaborate but from the image provided, it appears to offer capabilities similar to Adobe. Big Blue Button, just like Adobe Connect, offers chat, polling, record and playback, emoji, desktop sharing, audio, presentation of PDF or MS office documents, and Web Cam options.

I would like to try Big Blue Button because its website was the most immediately information and inviting of all the ones I researched. I would assume that their product would also be the same way and that makes me interested!

"Navigate 1.3.1 – Discussing the LMS and CMS" Quest

"Navigate 1.3.1 – Discussing the LMS and CMS" Quest

Click the image below to enlarge.

The LMS seems to me to be the "one stop shopping" style system. My understanding is that for the majority of virtual schools, an LMS would be sufficient to carry out all of the processes needed to run the school and it could be used to increase student interaction as well. Based on my comparison above, however, if the school wanted to create its own content, it would need an LCMS in order to do so. 

"Navigate 1.2.1 Describe Roles and Functions in Online Learning Environments" Quest

Navigate 1.2.1 Describe Roles and Functions in Online Learning Environments Quest

Navigate 1.1.1 Delineating Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Content Forum

 "Navigate 1.1.1 Delineating Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Content Forum" Quest

Image taken from http://www.trainwitheti.com/category/online-learning/

As a virtual school teacher for 5 years, I often forget that not everyone is in tune with what is transpiring in the world of on-line learning. It is my "norm" and to think of the Synchronous and Asynchronous as two entities is a bit of a challenge. The two, for me, have morphed into a seamless space in which to connect to students in order to encourage them, teach them, offer remediation to them, and deliver content and practice materials to them... all of the same tasks that I would do in a face to face classroom. For me, they are all equally important tasks that can be accomplished in equally effective ways. Because I teach for Georgia Virtual School, it is not always necessary for me to supply students with content because it is embedded within the course itself. However, when I see that students are struggling, I am able to offer them more through video, screen casts, and links to helpful websites with explanations and extra practice. All of these opportunities can be shared either asynchronously through my course homepage, course discussion page, Google Drive, Twitter, or email while Adobe Connect, the synchronous environment we use at our school, affords the same opportunities for sharing while students can additionally "chat" live together with the class. As for the students, they are able to access all of these things anywhere they can connect to the internet: at home, at school, at the library, on the mobile device (in the car, on the bus, at their friend's house, etc.). For students, the help is always available when they need it and they can ask questions immediately via email at any time of the day, which can be of great benefit.
While I do believe that there is equality in the distribution of materials and opportunities for helping students between the asynchronous and synchronous environment, I question the depth to which relationships can be built between the teacher and student and between students themselves. There is something tangible missing in the absence of the body. There can be caring relationships and we can celebrate each others' accomplishments together in both platforms but the synchronous environment sometimes provides more benefit in terms of simulating a face to face experience where all members can feel equally valued.