Ongoing Communication

Ongoing Communication

Keeping students and their parents/guardians informed and engaged. Reminders about upcoming assignments and events or providing items of interest can make learning more personal and interactive. It can also keep the stakeholders invested in the program you are offering. 

Communication Plan

Communication Plan

A communication plan is essential for creating a list of what will be expected for a teacher/student and other stakeholders during a course. It provides an outline as to what needs to be done when, and the manner in which information will be communicated. 

Welcome email: 

Dear students and parents/guardians, 

Welcome to Georgia Virtual! We will be venturing through (course name here) during this semester. My name is Mandy Wade. I have been teaching in the state of Georgia for 14 years and I have taught all levels from preschool to adults in English, English to Speakers of Other Languages and Spanish. 

Our first meeting, the synchronous welcome session will be on January 2 at 6 p.m. Please be available to log in and interact with us as a class and ask questions on that date. 

You should be receiving an email with your individual login information for this course within the next few days. Please feel free to contact me or the program directly if you have not received your login information before the start of term. 

The course schedule and course syllabus can be accessed through the course page online. It should provide you with any information about due dates, required materials and class policies. 

If you require any additional information, you may contact me by email or phone. 

Sincerely, 

Mandy Wade

(706) 308-XXXX (during office hours please)

maestrawade@gmail.com

It is important to recognize the difference between private communication and mass emails. Information about individual students or student progress should not take place on mass emails. My daughter was recently MORTIFIED by a coach who sent information in a mass email. He should have known better. 

It is important to make individual contact by phone at the beginning of a class when possible in order to introduce yourself as a teacher to both the student and the parent and to answer any additional questions. 

Document any special concerns or needs in a folder for each student in order to use for future reference. 

Stakeholders in online learning

Stakeholders in online learning

The stakeholders in online learning each play their own important role in the success of the online learning situation. They each interact and respond with feedback in order to improve the outcome or product (the content learned). 

The instructor is the first important stakeholder. He/she is responsible for developing and delivering the course content that is meaningful and appropriate for the learner. He/she is also responsible for providing reports on progress to the other stakeholder and interacting with the student in order to ensure that the student in successful. 

The student (or learner) is responsible for completing assignments and adhering to the course schedule. It is his/ her responsibility to communicate with the instructor when he/ she requires additional information or clarification on an assignment. It is very important that the student takes on the responsibility for his/her own learning. 

The parent/guardian is responsible for keeping track on the student's progress. He/she should serve as a resource for helping the student communicate effectively with the teach.

The administrator should ensure that the student is enrolled in the appropriate class. The administrator should serve as support for the other stakeholders and mediate any situations that require further discussion. 

FERPA & Copyright

FERPA & Copyright 
     

    How can one refrain from violating FERPA guidelines in online communication?
That's not a difficult question to answer. Simply do not discuss information with anyone other that directly with the parent, or in any format that is public (including email in most cases)
Do not leave phone messages with details about a students status or grades and request phone or face to face conversations when possible. 

    As far a copyright law is concerned, certain methods can be employed to verify that copyright is not being violated. Make sure that you get permission to use any material that is or might be copyrighted material. Purchased blackline masters of materials are always a safe bet for materials to copy. However materials copied from books or from the internet without permission will probably result in a copyright infringement. All materials that you use in the classroom do not have to be original, but usually you just have to get permission. 

Communication: The Changes Never Stop

Communication: The Changes Never Stop

   Our own communication skills have changed over time in order to mirror the changes in the way we all are expected to communicate. Twenty five years ago, students passed notes in classes or in the hallways and called each other on the phone at night. We were expected to learn how to write in cursive and how to construct a business letter. Many learned how to type on a typewriter or simple word processor, and if we were lucky, we were allowed to "play" typing games on a computer. 

Times have changed, and so have we. Now we have moved into creating effective emails and learning how to create appropriate corporate communication memos and appropriate social networking posts. In reality, I call people very little now. I text much more. I write very few letters. I type emails and facebook messages more. We have to learn how to express ourselves effectively in a clear, concise manner in order to get our message across quickly without increasing confusion. 

Trends in Learning

Trends in Learning

  I agree with the graphic from Visual.ly that one of the biggest trends over the next decade will be blended learning, and this type of classroom setup will lend itself to using many of the other areas mentioned on the graphic as well. The idea of a blended classroom, where part of the curriculum is delivered digitally, will replace the idea of what used to be considered a "technology friendly" classroom. In the past, if a teacher included the use of a smartboard or digital whiteboard in the lesson (mainly just to project material) this was a demonstration of effectively using technology in the classroom. However, we have moved beyond simply using technology as a means to display content in the classroom. In order to get the most out of what is available to teachers, and in order to better mold the content to meet each student's individual needs, we must turn to blending online and interactive material with classroom face-to-face instruction. The benefits are an infinitely expanding amount of digital material, prescriptive tools, individualized practice, web based learning that allows after-hours access and mobile learning.  

LMS Tools

LMS Tools

Some of the most important tools for a learning management system are:

• Course Authoring and being able to import/export recordings, documents and other course content 
• IM & Discussion Boards allow students to interact with the teacher and other students in order to receive help, discuss topics and interact with classmates. 
• Dropbox allows students to submit work by uploading files that can be received and downloaded by the teacher. 
• Analytics/Reporting tools allow the teacher/administrator to track student data, note trends and record growth or areas of need  

Lecture Capture

Lecture Capture

Using lecture capture often includes using video cameras, document scanners/cameras, audio capture and other methods of input to produce an integrated lesson. This is extremely useful in creating a recorded lesson that gives the appearance of a truly "live" session. It is much more useful than a simple recorded lesson, because it includes all of the pictures, documents, explanations and examples of a live "in the classroom" lesson. 

Integration of this tool would require teachers to be very good planners. They must be comfortable with using technology and integrating it quickly. It would also lend itself to more interactive tools and less paper-and-pencil assessments and activities. 

Making a synchronous classroom an asynchronous tool

Making a synchronous classroom an asynchronous tool

I have recently been tutoring a student using the Electa synchronous learning program. After my first session, my supervisor suggested that I record the session for future use by myself and the student. He explained how to click on the record button on the top right of the screen to easily make a copy of the lesson for future use. It was very interesting to see this at work. It makes a lot of sense to use this tool, because despite our best attempts at a good synchronous learning environment, there will always be a student that is absent, and there will always be a need to use the information for later review or study. 

Options for Synchronous Learning

Options for Synchronous Learning

There are many options available for creating a Synchronous learning environment. One that I am currently using to tutor students is  E-Lecta (www.e-lecta.com)

This program allows for many of the required components for a good synchronous learning environment including a chat feature, a whiteboard, interactive documents, a share screen feature, and VoIP when using a microphone to communicate between teacher/students. 

The Adobe Connect program uses many of the same features, and seems fairly simple to operate. I recently used it when interviewing for a position with Georgia Virtual. 

LMS vs. CMS

Learning Management System 

vs. 

Course Management Systems

Learning Management System is a term used to refer to a program or software that handles the assignments, coursework, and any user tools for an online or virtual learning program. It may include various courses and subject areas. 
Two examples are: 





A Course Management System is an older term that refers to a program or software used to manage a specific course or controlled content. It does not handle multiple classes or different subject areas. Usually the CMS manages the students' progress through the assignments contained within one subject.  One past example was :

ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT:

DIFFERENT ROLES

Within a learning environment there are different roles that must be fulfilled, and different types of technology that can play a part with each role. 

Terms to know: 

Student Information Systems often play a large part in the management of student information, enrollments, grades, testing and other vital information about those that are involved within a learning environment. Two popular SIS programs used by many schools are 

PowerSchool

 

and Infinite Campus

Learning Management Systems can be prepackaged learning systems or programs created in-house to be used to direct student learning. They are used to manage, deliver and assess students on electronically learned material. Some LMS that I have experience using are: 

and 

• LMS Administration – The administrators of a learning system are responsible for the settings and roles that affect all of the teachers, instructors, students and parents that have access to the LMS. These are the people that handle the settings and data needed to start up the learning environment. (THESE ARE THE IT/ SOFTWARE COMPANY GUYS! )
  
• Instructional Administration – This is who sets up the instructional accounts and manages the tools, schedules, teaching assignments, etc., and makes the decisions about how grades and data is reported (YOUR ONLINE LEARNING ADMIN)
• Content Development – These are the teachers/developers that create the content that will be utilized in each live course. The content may be pre-packaged and created for the LMS or it may be created using tools within the LMS for teachers to deliver to students in the class. 

• Teacher – Teachers use the SIS and LMS to manage the day to day interactions and instruction with their students. They are ultimately responsible for the content and learning experience provided to the student. 

Virtual Learning: asynchronous vs. synchronous

Virtual Learning: asynchronous vs.  synchronous

     Back when in was a senior in high school (1994-1995 school  year), I participated in a pilot program for distance learning for dual enrollment students. Students from Habersham Central High School sat in a distance learning lab equipped with video cameras and a large TV monitor and interacted with a professor and college students at nearby Piedmont College. It had many advantages. We were able to take a college class and interact with a college professor without ever leaving campus. This was very high tech back then. Most students had never really used the internet, much less thought about online learning at that point. Unfortunately, the program did not last long (possibly only two years beyond the first pilot year). The program was costly to maintain, and took up a lot of space and resources for a few students. Because the students were bound by time and location, their were only a very few who could benefit.
 


Much later when I was working on my master's degree from Shenandoah Univ., I took several classes virtually through a blended classroom setting, but the model was semi-asynchronous. The students at the university that were taking the class live would participate in the class and then were required to complete assignments and make blog entries before a certain due date (usually before midnight Saturday). The virtual students would receive a DVD of the class via express mail, and we would be required to watch the class and complete the same assignments & posts before the same due date. It made learning both interactive and yet flexible for those taking the class virtually. I could watch the class and do the work on a flexible schedule, and yet I felt like I was a true member of the class.





  

   

	A HEALTHY BALANCE It is suggested that in order to maintain healthy learning teachers/students should:  employ ergonomic tips (e.g., adjusting posture when using laptops) initiate a thoughtful balance between time online and the exercise that is necessary to our body operating at peak efficiency, and completely unplug, spending time with friends and family enjoying time outside, away from technology. (Georgia Virtual) My own implementation of some of these ideas required thought and attention to small details that I usually ignore. Often I get caught up in research or online work and I forget to take breaks. This week I made these attempts, I have noticed positive results with my energy level and overall well being.  Week of October 13, 2014
		Monday – Teacher Training Day			Tuesday – Advisement Day
		Name	ACTIVITY		Name	ACTIVITY
8:oo		Teacher training	Media Center Meeting	8:3o	Homeroom Advisement	PSAT information/ Club signup- Walk & discuss
9:00		Department Head Meeting	Walk to/from other campus for meeting	9:10	Planning	Online Training/ teacher observation (go to other rooms)
10:00		Close Reading Training	Media Center training	10:00	2nd period	Online Learning (Rosetta Stone) Students take monitored bathroom/stretch breaks
11:00		Virtual Training	Take stretch break and begin online work	11:00	Lunch	Lunch Outside
12:30		LUNCH	Go to lunch with teachers in my department	12:00	3rd period	Reading activity and interactive learning (activity changes every 15-20 minutes)
				1:00	4th period	Multicultural Lit – literature research activity in groups
2:00		Virtual Training	Online teacher training	2:00
3:00		Scheduling Meeting	Meeting to discuss teacher/student placement	3:00