Course Development

I am so glad to announce this is our last blog entry. This class has been a lot of fun and like Dr. Gale said most students say after the last blog it is all down hill from there. I feel the same way. Since we posted last, we have turned in our Course Outline Assignment and began working on our Module Development Assignment. The item of interest is loading all the information into our online course. It is a job. I know why some teachers allow you to do some of  the work on your own! I do not have any problems or concerns at this time. I am just thankful this is the last blog !

ENGAGEMENT

This week we have been learning about engaging students and teacher in on-line classes . Engagement means active learning, problem-based learning, constructivism, and social cognition. These all mean that an instructor is present but it is student focused learning. We have also been finishing up our Course Outline Assignment for Dr. Gale to look at and give us feedback before the due date.

The item of interest that I have is online classes. I was not to fond of on-line classes when I first began, but I new the only way for me to get a degree and still be able to work. I have learned in the pass three years to not wait until an assignment is due to begin working on it. If I had one word of advice for students , DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!

The concern I have is in online classes how does the instructor make sure that students are understanding the information and not cheating on test. I know that Lock Down Browser, Web cam, and proctors are available, but that still does not assure that the students are not cheating. I have had a teacher make us drive to Athens, which is 4 hours for me, to take a test that last all of 30 minutes. I guess I will have to give open note test and make the final be given in the classroom with no notes to make sure students have understood all the information presented to them.

Community & Collaboration

Since the last post, we have been discussing  designing online collaboration , some of the problems that may exist, and how a teacher can assess online collaboration. In my course outline, I do not have any online collaboration because my course happens in the classroom. I have taken many online courses and have trouble in just about everyone when it comes to a group collaboration project because some students do not like to help. I have seen where the students have tried to change the wiki around to look like  they did the work , but it plainly shows on their who published first with time and date. I know with building a community or online collaboration it can be hard for the teacher to know who did the most work, but using a wiki is the best tool because it documents every thing that is done in the wiki. I think that online collaboration is a great part of the class to be able to work with others from your home computer and all the tools that are available to make this happen.

Assessment

In the ADDIE model, the second phase is the design phase. I am designing a class for 5th graders that consists of 6 weeks and they will learn about  geometrical shapes and how to find the perimeter and area of each one. This is more work than I thought. I know I need to get ready because I will have to do this very soon. I have began working on which assessments I will use in the class and I think I have some great ones to use. I hope that by the end of constructing everything that needs to be in our Course Outline Assignment I will have everything covered that needs to be covered.

Blog Assignement 1: Analysis

Since the last time we spoke, we have learned about the first step in the ADDIE Model- Analysis stage. This is the stage where the  instructional objectives and goals are developed  by the teacher with the students in mind. The teacher begins to look at what the requirements are, the needs of the students, what tasks are involved, and if the students are capable of finishing the tasks. This is why it is called the analysis step because all areas of the course have to be analyzed before the students begin the first day of class. Here are some of the questions that the teacher has to ask while analyzing:
* Who is the audience and their characteristics?
* Identify the new behavioral outcome?
* What types of learning constraints exist?
* What are the delivery options?
* What are the online pedagogical considerations?
* What is the timeline for project completion?

I think that when designing a course that the analysis stage is the most important stage because the teacher has to look at all aspects of the class and students to make sure every area is covered.

The concern that I have is how do you know about each of your children, the needs they have , and what they are capable of doing before you meet them on the first day of class. I guess you make sure the objectives and goals will meet the standards to the grade level and then after meeting the students and finding out about each one then you can make it work to meet the needs of the students in the class room.

Resources:
http://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/addie.html
http://www.webandelearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/ADDIE.png