The options for grade reporting in D2L formative and summative in nature. Students will discuss, quiz, test, create projects and submit portfolios. There is a gradebook that can be broken into units and to different areas of D2L (dropbox, quiz, discussion, etc). There are options to see how students are doing in a variety of areas. The area that is the most valuable to the online instructor is how much the student participates with the class-- the discussion tool is an excellent example of this. The more a student interacts, it is likely the higher the overall score will be for the course.
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In regard to how and what I teach, the most relevant features within an LMS are the discussion board, gradebook with commentary, rubrics with commentary, abilities to email students, and quizzing/testing. All of the above relate directly to effective online instruction. Students will be able to share knowledge on a topic and provide feedback to their peers. Students can assess via the quiz tool or with a project using the rubric tool and know feedback that relates directly to performance. Communication is key with online learning and having student email always one click away is essential. In an online environment I would introduce the material through learning objectives as well as a small introduction to the grammatical structures, cultural ideas, and readings we will do. Following that, students will get the opportunity to preview a text and answer formative questions using the quiz tool. To support cultural content students will get the opportunity to create an artifact showing mastery of the content which I would assess using the rubric tool. Practice would be done through emailing and the quiz tool (formatively). The discussion tool would be used for students to reflect on their abilities with the topics and sharing best practices for understanding the stories, translating the grammatical constructs, and connecting with the culture. This is also a great place for me to share excellent student made artifacts for the cultural content. I would use the News tool to post when the googlehangout would be for review before summative assessments. Summative assessment would be done using the quiz tool/dropbox/email.
Massive Online Open Classrooms (MOOCs) will impact digital learning over the next five years. As our student body is becoming more and more proficient at utilizing material gleaned from the web, students will begin to look for learning opportunities where classes are curated, connections are made, and networks are established, and communities thrive. As they leave formal education-- k-12 learning as well as collegiate level-- learners will still be able to join classes at their own convenience, for free, and with an end purpose in mind. During the process, learners will find common goals and ideas with others and begin to form their own learning communities. Since this is a platform for life-long learning, I see it becoming an essential part of education. Learners will choose what courses to join, how much they participate, and what they will get it out of it. Learners will do this for their own benefit, rather than a grade.
My two favorite LMS platforms are edmodo and desire2learn (D2L). Both are drastically different from each other but I have worked with them extensively in the past. Both edmodo and D2L provide for communication between teachers and students via reminders, emails, and discussion boards. Both also have their own gradebook. D2L has a ton of capabilities but requires extensive training (and review of training) in order to master the process. Edmodo is easier to understand and implement. For administrators it is possible to see what is happening through both platforms. D2L aligns perfectly with my current organization's initiatives. The learning curve for both educators and students has been steep but it will pay off when students move on to college as they will already understand the technological demands of their secondary institution.
I selected google hangouts to try out its video conferencing and recording capabilities. Through google hangouts I was able to easily add people to a conference call, show my screen, and record the event. I found that google hangouts slows down my computer a lot especially if I have a lot of applications running. The camera on my mac was excellent for the call whereas I need to add a webcam in order to use my laptop. The task was easy and prompted well within the application itself. When determining how to record the session, a quick search on the internet yielded easy to follow and precise directions. I also tried to record my hangout using screencast o matic.
youtu.be/JMVp7WwoijM?hd=1 Within my teaching practice, I have always sought to utilize open source material over a commercial product with the primary reason that the majority of my students have already used open source because they are free. When choosing between an open source vs. a commercial, I have to keep in mind what my computer/technology can easily support. Obviously, they same goes for my students. Another concern is whether the resource can be used on tablets and smart phones. Google Hangouts, even though commercial, can easily be used on a phone, tablet, and computer WITH the minimal requirement of downloading an application for the smart devices and is free.
The participate module has fully prepared me for the following standards issued by the International Association for Online Learning--
Standard C: The online teacher plans, designs, and incorporates strategies to encourage active learning, application, interaction, participation, and collaboration in the online environment. Standard E: The online teacher models, guides, and encourages legal, ethical, and safe behavior related to technology use. Standard J: The online teacher interacts in a professional, effective manner with colleagues, parents, and other members of the community to support students’ success. The participate module has prepared me to meet standard C through a variety of lessons. Both campbellslatin.weebly.com/blog--scribendum/an-ideal-digital-learning-communitydlc and campbellslatin.weebly.com/blog--scribendum/net-etiquette and campbellslatin.weebly.com/blog--scribendum/oh-the-sources-social-bookmarking-and-latin show how we can give students dynamic learning environments and give them the tools to be successful in such a world. The strategies I will most utilize is researching and utilizing the wealth of DLCs available for the Latin community. The participate module has prepared me to meet standard E by providing thoughtful reflection on campbellslatin.weebly.com/blog--scribendum/digital-rights-and-responsibilities as well as campbellslatin.weebly.com/blog--scribendum/digital-safety-and-security. In regard the standard E, the strategies I will use most are the use of plagiarism checking sites, privacy discussions, and citation of work. When considering how the educator should purport themselves in regard to standard J, the best prompt required me to think about what an excellent digital citizen should be--- campbellslatin.weebly.com/blog--scribendum/participate-1-character-traits as well as the safety and security of our students and colleagues-- campbellslatin.weebly.com/blog--scribendum/digital-safety-and-security. The lessons most beneficial to me where those where I learned how to annotate websites as well as determine sheer number of DLCs available to Latin learners. |
AuthorI teach Latin and absolutely love it. I believe that learning the Classics gives all people the opportunity to expand their minds as well as be more accepting of new concepts and skills. Archives
April 2017
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