Tool Box- Disscusion Forums

This tool is a great source for classroom interaction. People can all access and respond to each other. For example- instead of the student always contacting the professor for questions, they can post the question in a discussion board and possibly a student could have an answer quicker than the teacher. This also helps for group projects or reflections. Since the tool is open to everyone in the course it is easier to communicate. I find this tool very useful since students can get constant feedback from each other and feel comfortable using the online course, rather than always contacting the teacher who may not always be available.

Tool Box- Document Submission

This toolbox comes in handy during online courses since you can't always rely on email. This tool allows students to submit their paper and the teacher be able to provide feedback to each one individually. This also eliminates the excuses from students that the attachment was too big or that it would not send through email. Overall a great source for students to submit papers without the hassle of email.

Blog 6

After completing my online course I have a different outlook and appreciation for online course teachers. I found it a bit difficult in the beginning to set up the website. Some of the tutorials in the resources were not updated with the some of the new features so it took me a while to get everything set up. Once I knew where everything was and how to arrange everything- things tended to flow together. I also found myself going back and changing things constantly.
I think the hardest aspect to teaching the course I created will be coming up with different activities and ways to have the class interact for the whole semester. Like I said earlier- I have a new appreciation for teachers who do this for their jobs. Having to know how to communicate with the students without physically being there can be very difficult. An explanation that seems simple to you could be difficult for someone else.
The most difficult part in creating the course was just getting to know all the tools. There are so many buttons and things to explore that you don't know where to start. But once you get the idea the process is kind of fun and easy.
I personally liked the Moodle site. If I had to teach a course online I would definitely consider using the site.
I learned that teachers have to put a lot of work and effort into these courses. I will learn to appreciate the course more and be more understanding to the teacher when miss-communication situations arise.
Overall, I found this to be a great experience. I really enjoyed the activity, specially being able to break it up in sections rather than all thrown in at once.

blog number 5

1. Yes- This eliminate some of the problems of having traditional group projects. Most people find group projects dreadful since it is hard to make sure people can meet at the same time or do their part. The online groups it is easy to leave a comment on the discussion board and let people respond as they have time. Also this shows the professor exactly what each person contributed to the project.

2. Some concerns is to make sure everyone connects to the course during the time of the assignment. Another complication is technical issues. These issues can not be controlled by the people in the group, these are individual problems that people need to overcome in order to make the group project a success.

3. I really did not understand this question. But from what I got of the question- Knowing my group members would not change my performance in the project because my grade is on the line as much as everyone in the group.

4. I would make small deadlines during the project just so people don't wait till the last day to provide their part of the project and delay everyone else. I would also make people work through the discussion boards so I could track the work of each individual.

Tool Box- Wikis

This tool is very useful for research. A lot of students struggle doing research and finding appropriate articles can be a challenge. Having each student find one article on a certain topic eliminates the stress that some people may have during the course. This also is a better tool than having people do a general search where many links can appear and it can be very intimidating for some people. The wiki idea is a great tool to establish an area where people can find useful links and a short summary of what they can find within the article.

Tool Box- Online Quizzes

This tool is very helpful for the teacher to asses the work of the students. I also believe it is a way to eliminate the cheating aspect. The only thing about the online quizzes is that they need to be properly composed. A good way to make effective quizzes is to make a bank question quiz- when there are different questions for each student or each attempt. This will not only take dedication from the teacher but it will also make the student try to know the material to do well in the quizzes.

blog 4

Knowing at least a little about distance learning education prior to this class. Distance education has many drawbacks along with many advantages, but now learning some more issues and facts about distance learning education. Their are many different sub factors of success and failure. Student factors: educational preparation, motivational and persistence attributes, student academic self-concept Situational factors: family and employer support, changes in life circumstances; and Educational system factors: quality and difficulty of instructional materials, provision of tutorial support. I still personally don like online courses but it is beneficial for success in anyone's academic plan.

the classroom of tomorrow.

The classroom of tomorrow will look just the same as today. The classroom of the future is a different story, as new technology is being produced and communication between two people is advancing you can’t imagine what the future will hold. From holding meetings over the speaker phone to video mail being projected. It will only influence the educational field, instead of just hosting distance learning over the internet you will have live sessions with the instructor and students at the same time. Being able to see each other’s faces, makes learning more personable and influencing which in turn will improve the content retention of courses.

What can I do to maximize my learning in an online course

The second blog activity is to answer the question, "What can you do to maximize your learning in an online course?"

After taking online course before I have realized there needs to be a lot of adjustments needed to be done to succeed in the course. One thing is being self-disciplined and self-motivated. During the actual classroom courses the professor is what makes you learn and gives you the tools to succeed. If you miss a class when you are in a face-to-face course you are able to catch up with your teacher and possibly not be behind. But during an online course if you miss a due date your grade suffers. In an online course you are your own teacher. You need to give yourself enough time to learn the material, understand the main concept, and ask the professor questions before quizzes or exams. Something I will do is set aside time to sit and look over the materials as if the course was in a classroom. Having a schedule that is consistent it makes it easier to be successful and not fall behind. The most impportant aspect of the course is being self-disciplined because then everything will fall together and make you successful.

What are my initial perceptions of distance learning

Well lets start off by saying that I particularity do not like online courses. But the I did like a class I took in high school. It was called intro to information technology, and in the class you worked in modules about 12 total. The stations were self taught with all the supplies provided and the computers had video instructions, the teacher only had to step in very seldom. I thought it was a great learning experience and learned a lot from it. I see the benefits as being able to teach students how to work on their own and facilitate there own work. some of the drawbacks of technology education include students falling behind and not being kept on the right track.