Teaching Online: Best Practices You have 30 days in the life of a student. What are you going to do with it? Summer School 2007

Introduction Sixth year teaching online Worked with over 1000 students online Instructional designer for VHS Designed for three high school and one college Run an EdTech website focused on accessibility: www.mrmoses.org (link)

Sixth year teaching online

Worked with over 1000 students online

Instructional designer for VHS

Designed for three high school and one college

Run an EdTech website focused on accessibility: www.mrmoses.org (link)

What I Believe All students can succeed in the online world

All students can succeed in the online world

How Tech-Savvy are You? Very Non-Technical : (how do you turn this thing on again?) Non-Technical : (Where's that tech-support phone number) Tech-Savvy : (Know how to create web-sites) Highly Technical : (i <3 1inu><)

Very Non-Technical : (how do you turn this thing on again?)

Non-Technical : (Where's that tech-support phone number)

Tech-Savvy : (Know how to create web-sites)

Highly Technical : (i <3 1inu><)

Your Expectations of Today

Did You Know? Documentation for this video is at http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html (link)

Documentation for this video is at http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html (link)

The Times are (have) Changing(ed) are (have) You?

The Times are (have) Changing(ed) are (have) You?

The Times are (have) Changing(ed) are (have) You? Let’s watch a short video… Rigid vs. Flexible From Command and Control to Collaborate and Connect

Let’s watch a short video…

Rigid vs. Flexible

From Command and Control to Collaborate and Connect

When vs. If When learning happens matters far less than if learning happens. Due-dates good, deadlines bad Stay flexible Let’s watch another short video… What vs. How

When learning happens matters far less than if learning happens.

Due-dates good, deadlines bad

Stay flexible

Let’s watch another short video…

What vs. How

Changes for Video Classes We are no longer giving out packets. You are the teacher of this class. The videos and previous assignments are there to support you.

We are no longer giving out packets.

You are the teacher of this class.

The videos and previous assignments are there to support you.

You Have the Video Content, Now What? The content (videos and worksheets) are like a textbook with resources in the traditional classroom It's your starting point If it's good, use it. If you don't like an assignment, change it. If you don't like some of the information in the video, find another resource for your students to use.

The content (videos and worksheets) are like a textbook with resources in the traditional classroom

It's your starting point

If it's good, use it.

If you don't like an assignment, change it.

If you don't like some of the information in the video, find another resource for your students to use.

You Have the Video Content, Now What? If you have questions that you want students to answer, send it to them in an email or as an attachment and post it in InterAct. What's a good number of assignments? Focus less on what students are doing and more on what they know and how they can show you.

If you have questions that you want students to answer, send it to them in an email or as an attachment and post it in InterAct.

What's a good number of assignments?

Focus less on what students are doing and more on what they know and how they can show you.

You Have the Video Content, Now What? Do whatever it takes to get your students successful in this class. They are your students, this is your class

Do whatever it takes to get your students successful in this class.

They are your students, this is your class

You Have the Video Content, Now What? Good teaching is good teaching A lesson plan that works well in the regular classroom will work well online

Good teaching is good teaching

A lesson plan that works well in the regular classroom will work well online

Getting Your Class Started Welcome Letter Example 1 (link) Example 2 (link)

Welcome Letter

Example 1 (link)

Example 2 (link)

Getting Your Class Started Course Expectations Be Specific What are your Course Expectations? Set your standards high… THEN get every student to achieve that standard Sample Course Expectations (link)

Course Expectations

Be Specific

What are your Course Expectations?

Set your standards high…

THEN get every student to achieve that standard

Sample Course Expectations (link)

Getting Your Class Started Introduce Yourself Introduction Video (link) social networking? MySpace (link) / Blogger Profile (link)

Introduce Yourself

Introduction Video (link)

social networking?

MySpace (link) / Blogger Profile (link)

Getting Your Class Started About Me Assignment Example 1 (link) Example 2 (link)

About Me Assignment

Example 1 (link)

Example 2 (link)

Getting Your Class Started Contact Information Assignment Your name Your parent's last name if it is different from yours. A phone number where I can reach your parents. A phone number where I can reach you, if it's different from your parents. Your parent's email address, if they have one.

Contact Information Assignment

Your name

Your parent's last name if it is different from yours.

A phone number where I can reach your parents.

A phone number where I can reach you, if it's different from your parents.

Your parent's email address, if they have one.

Getting Your Class Started A Class Commercial? Let’s go watch one (link) They’re relatively easy to make and a great way to kick off a class.

A Class Commercial?

Let’s go watch one (link)

They’re relatively easy to make and a great way to kick off a class.

Ways to Share Information with Your Students Low-Tech : send an email each week and post a Word document ( saved as .rtf (link), DEMO) in InterAct Mid-Tech : Put the information in your Centra session each week. Hi-Tech : Set up a class blog (link) or Wiki (link) and put the information there Best Solution - Use a combination, stay within your comfort level, push yourself a little

Low-Tech : send an email each week and post a Word document ( saved as .rtf (link), DEMO) in InterAct

Mid-Tech : Put the information in your Centra session each week.

Hi-Tech : Set up a class blog (link) or Wiki (link) and put the information there

Best Solution - Use a combination, stay within your comfort level, push yourself a little

Start-Up Checklist Welcome Letter and Course Expectations sent out and posted in InterAct InterAct Calendar shows expected course timeline Assignments have been sent out and posted in InterAct

Welcome Letter and Course Expectations sent out and posted in InterAct

InterAct Calendar shows expected course timeline

Assignments have been sent out and posted in InterAct

Grading is Teaching Allow students multiple attempts on all assignments Provide feedback on all questions Invite students to respond to your feedback to improve their grade ( example ) (link) Requires that students turn in early and often; should not outweigh flexibility for students.

Allow students multiple attempts on all assignments

Provide feedback on all questions

Invite students to respond to your feedback to improve their grade ( example ) (link)

Requires that students turn in early and often; should not outweigh flexibility for students.

Student Motivation There are only three things that matter in student motivation Contact, Contact, Contact

There are only three things that matter in student motivation

Contact, Contact, Contact

Using Parents for Motivation Take a family approach. There's three things that parents want to know What does my student need to do? When does it need to be turned in by? What's my student's grade?

Take a family approach.

There's three things that parents want to know

What does my student need to do?

When does it need to be turned in by?

What's my student's grade?

Using Parents for Motivation You can't blame parents for not being involved if you don't provide those three things Even if you do, some parents are not going to be involved. Get over it, teach kids

You can't blame parents for not being involved if you don't provide those three things

Even if you do, some parents are not going to be involved. Get over it, teach kids

Phone Calls for Motivation You need to make phone contact during the first week of Summer School To get your students phone numbers create an assignment like this: Parent's last name if different than yours Phone number where I can reach your parents Phone number where I can reach you

You need to make phone contact during the first week of Summer School

To get your students phone numbers create an assignment like this:

Parent's last name if different than yours

Phone number where I can reach your parents

Phone number where I can reach you

Phone Calls for Motivation You should make phone contact at least three times during the summer school session. If you have 50 students that comes out to 5 phone calls per school day.

You should make phone contact at least three times during the summer school session.

If you have 50 students that comes out to 5 phone calls per school day.

Phone Calls for Motivation How to make phone calls from home: Skype (demo)

How to make phone calls from home:

Skype (demo)

I.M. for Motivation Pick a messenger and go with it. or go crazy and download Trillian or GAIM (demo) or download nothing and use Meebo (link) Set up times to be on for your students hop on at other random times If you notice that a student is on, don't be afraid to hit them up

Pick a messenger and go with it.

or go crazy and download Trillian or GAIM (demo)

or download nothing and use Meebo (link)

Set up times to be on for your students

hop on at other random times

If you notice that a student is on, don't be afraid to hit them up

Centra for Motivation Each Monday a recorded session needs to be put up for students to playback during the week. This session should provide an overview for students It is also a good place to discuss web-resources that supplement the videos. Teachers should offer live sessions during the week for students to attend.

Each Monday a recorded session needs to be put up for students to playback during the week.

This session should provide an overview for students

It is also a good place to discuss web-resources that supplement the videos.

Teachers should offer live sessions during the week for students to attend.

Turn-Around Time All teachers respond to student, parent, and mentor emails within 24 hours All assignments are returned with in 72 hours Don't count weekends or holidays in this time frame

All teachers respond to student, parent, and mentor emails within 24 hours

All assignments are returned with in 72 hours

Don't count weekends or holidays in this time frame

Turn-Around at Other Schools Michigan Virtual High School requires that all teachers respond to student, parent, and mentor emails within 24 hours. MVHS also requires that teachers initiate communication with students within two business days of when each student registers for a course.

Michigan Virtual High School requires that all teachers respond to student, parent, and mentor emails within 24 hours. MVHS also requires that teachers initiate communication with students within two business days of when each student registers for a course.

Turn-Around at Other Schools Georgia Virtual School requires that teachers provide a synchronous communication opportunity at least twice per semester, and reports that most teachers provide such opportunities weekly.

Georgia Virtual School requires that teachers provide a synchronous communication opportunity at least twice per semester, and reports that most teachers provide such opportunities weekly.

Turn-Around at Other Schools Alabama ACCESS requires teachers to have daily communication with students and provide feedback on student work within two days during the school week. ACCESS also requires contact between teacher and student by phone at least monthly.

Alabama ACCESS requires teachers to have daily communication with students and provide feedback on student work within two days during the school week. ACCESS also requires contact between teacher and student by phone at least monthly.

It's an Exciting Time to be a Teacher Web 2.0 Video

Web 2.0 Video

Short Amount of Time Summer School is six weeks long Traditional summer school teachers put in 25 hours a week in the classroom. We expect you to put in at least that much, the schedule is up to you.

Summer School is six weeks long

Traditional summer school teachers put in 25 hours a week in the classroom.

We expect you to put in at least that much, the schedule is up to you.

Short Amount of Time You have 30 days in the life of a student What are you going to do with it?

You have 30 days in the life of a student

What are you going to do with it?