Making a Presentation 2.1.2

As a course instructor there is learning curve with any of the formats that your institution has chosen to use. Keep that in mind when you are learning one of these methods. I think that within these programs there are many different ways to do what needs to be accomplished. Take the time to work with it and learn what you need to learn in order to facilitate your content to your students.

I think that within a traditional classroom setting these features would be most beneficial. For example in a math classroom. The teacher could make a presentation going over a math concept. The recording could be accessed by students who need extra help at home or for tutoring sessions. I think the main barrier to not using these types of things is simply not using them.

Making a Presentation 2.1.2

As a course instructor there is learning curve with any of the formats that your institution has chosen to use. Keep that in mind when you are learning one of these methods. I think that within these programs there are many different ways to do what needs to be accomplished. Take the time to work with it and learn what you need to learn in order to facilitate your content to your students.

I think that within a traditional classroom setting these features would be most beneficial. For example in a math classroom. The teacher could make a presentation going over a math concept. The recording could be accessed by students who need extra help at home or for tutoring sessions. I think the main barrier to not using these types of things is simply not using them.

Course Delivery Methods... 2.1.1

To google or not to google? This is the question. There are many delivery methods for virtual classroom environments. I think that there are as many up and downs of each method. Some of them fall only to personal preference of those that are taking the courses as well as the facilitators and administrators.

Here are some of the points that I see.

Google hangouts. Its free. However, for a classroom environment it does not provide the structure needed on the whole. I think that for a discussion group, study group, or small group breakout Google hangouts would suffice.

Big Blue Button. Its also free. Upon first look Big Blue Button looks like it might have everything that a virtual classroom needs. It is a Moodle resource. I have used Moodle for courses previously. It was a big tedious to find and not as user friendly as one would hope. However, maybe they have seen those flaws and have improved it with Blue Button. The only ting here that makes me leery is the fact that it is free. I know that seems to be counterproductive but if something that awesome is free...then is is going to be dependable for a structured school environment?

Cisco webex. I've worked with WebEx as well. It provides a clear way to conference call or video chat for meetings, clubs, or whatever. It provides security for those involved. It allows users to add that sychronous element to an asynchronous environment. Sometimes though there are chances where the signal isn't good and it is difficult to understand. Dropped calls have been an issue.

Adobe Connect.  I have not used Adobe but the adobe connect may have the product name speaking volumes. Adobe products are top of the line even if they are a bit difficult to learn. It looks like it has all the aspects a company would need to provide or access Webinars.

Blackboard. I have also not used Blackboard. It seems to have everything that blue button has to offer. I think that its the perfect way to distribute a course that is synchronous rather than just needing elements that are synchronous.



I see that within any of these things there needs to be an IT person that is just dedicated to working with the distribution systems. Also depending on the environment one would work beter than the others. For example, a higher education facility would have different needs than a business looking for a new way to train employees. I think that the cost of these things for businesses would in the long run be more fiscally advantageous than having to send employees on training or business trips. But we need to remember that there will be a learning curve to any of these things that are used.

Course Delivery Methods... 2.1.1

To google or not to google? This is the question. There are many delivery methods for virtual classroom environments. I think that there are as many up and downs of each method. Some of them fall only to personal preference of those that are taking the courses as well as the facilitators and administrators.

Here are some of the points that I see.

Google hangouts. Its free. However, for a classroom environment it does not provide the structure needed on the whole. I think that for a discussion group, study group, or small group breakout Google hangouts would suffice.

Big Blue Button. Its also free. Upon first look Big Blue Button looks like it might have everything that a virtual classroom needs. It is a Moodle resource. I have used Moodle for courses previously. It was a big tedious to find and not as user friendly as one would hope. However, maybe they have seen those flaws and have improved it with Blue Button. The only ting here that makes me leery is the fact that it is free. I know that seems to be counterproductive but if something that awesome is free...then is is going to be dependable for a structured school environment?

Cisco webex. I've worked with WebEx as well. It provides a clear way to conference call or video chat for meetings, clubs, or whatever. It provides security for those involved. It allows users to add that sychronous element to an asynchronous environment. Sometimes though there are chances where the signal isn't good and it is difficult to understand. Dropped calls have been an issue.

Adobe Connect.  I have not used Adobe but the adobe connect may have the product name speaking volumes. Adobe products are top of the line even if they are a bit difficult to learn. It looks like it has all the aspects a company would need to provide or access Webinars.

Blackboard. I have also not used Blackboard. It seems to have everything that blue button has to offer. I think that its the perfect way to distribute a course that is synchronous rather than just needing elements that are synchronous.



I see that within any of these things there needs to be an IT person that is just dedicated to working with the distribution systems. Also depending on the environment one would work beter than the others. For example, a higher education facility would have different needs than a business looking for a new way to train employees. I think that the cost of these things for businesses would in the long run be more fiscally advantageous than having to send employees on training or business trips. But we need to remember that there will be a learning curve to any of these things that are used.

Course or complete systems management 4.1.3

Learning management systems and Course management system according to Ferriman differ in one small way. The course management systems (CMS) are narrower in capacity. Learning management systems (LMS) when the courses offered include instructor led courses needs a CMS as well. The way that I'm understanding it is LMS when offering a complete environment of learning is the umbrella system which the entire program is made of. The CMS is the courses that are underneath the system of administration. This to me means that unless a course is offered in a singleton, not as a part of a program is the only way that a CMS would function without a LMS as the administrative guide.

For a specific example I think of the courses that we are allowed to register for in PDexpress are an example of CMS. These courses for the most part stand alone are not working towards a total goal. The college programs or high school programs that are offered online need governing administrative body with purpose. That is an example of LMS.

I also think that every LMS should contain a CMS. I think that the more structured these virtual systems and environments the greater they can serve those that are trying to benefit from them.

Course or complete systems management 4.1.3

Learning management systems and Course management system according to Ferriman differ in one small way. The course management systems (CMS) are narrower in capacity. Learning management systems (LMS) when the courses offered include instructor led courses needs a CMS as well. The way that I'm understanding it is LMS when offering a complete environment of learning is the umbrella system which the entire program is made of. The CMS is the courses that are underneath the system of administration. This to me means that unless a course is offered in a singleton, not as a part of a program is the only way that a CMS would function without a LMS as the administrative guide.

For a specific example I think of the courses that we are allowed to register for in PDexpress are an example of CMS. These courses for the most part stand alone are not working towards a total goal. The college programs or high school programs that are offered online need governing administrative body with purpose. That is an example of LMS.

I also think that every LMS should contain a CMS. I think that the more structured these virtual systems and environments the greater they can serve those that are trying to benefit from them.

Roles within Roles in a learning environment. 4.1.2

I'm generally not really big on flowcharts. I am a visual learner but flow charts aren't always the way that things make sense to me. However, this flowchart posted by Georgia Virtual schools perfectly outlines the roles within a learning community.

I do think that within an online community the teacher is actually better described at the facilitator. Often times the teacher becomes what we would call the "sage on the stage" and the facilitator is more of a "guide on the side." I think that for each course the facilitator must gauge their students to see what type of facilitator role works best. Some students need more guidance than others. Also in a virtual environment must take different actions to get to know and understand their students as well as their students' needs. Every student does have different needs and being in a virtual environment doesn't change that. The facilitator needs to find a way to understand those needs and see where a student needs extra help or is struggling. This may not be as easy online as it is in a face to face environment.

Roles within Roles in a learning environment. 4.1.2

I'm generally not really big on flowcharts. I am a visual learner but flow charts aren't always the way that things make sense to me. However, this flowchart posted by Georgia Virtual schools perfectly outlines the roles within a learning community.

I do think that within an online community the teacher is actually better described at the facilitator. Often times the teacher becomes what we would call the "sage on the stage" and the facilitator is more of a "guide on the side." I think that for each course the facilitator must gauge their students to see what type of facilitator role works best. Some students need more guidance than others. Also in a virtual environment must take different actions to get to know and understand their students as well as their students' needs. Every student does have different needs and being in a virtual environment doesn't change that. The facilitator needs to find a way to understand those needs and see where a student needs extra help or is struggling. This may not be as easy online as it is in a face to face environment.

Real time vs. On Your Own Time 4.1.1

The face of classrooms across the world have changed drastically since the explosion of technology. I think that those of us around and approaching 40's have seen the best of all worlds, for the most part. Those in my generation know what its like to grow up without a cellphone being our link to the world. We know what it's like to do research by hand. We know what the contraption called a typewriter is, how it works, and even how to type without looking at the keys. During our high school careers households didn't generally have computers and if you lived in the country as I did, didn't even have cable. It was considered an awesome opportunity for our high school to begin to offer a new elective...computer programming, and we learned the basics of BASIC-A and Pascal. We used dot matrix printers and thought that we were up and coming in the world. In college we began to learn how to use EBSCOhost to research and joined online chat rooms via AOL. We are a product of the "you've got mail" generation.

That being established we are a generation that went through high school as well as college in a synchronous classroom environment. In our lifetime we have seen the majority of the curriculum changes that those of us still in the education world are familiar with. Some of us in getting additional professional degrees have gone through our masters, specialists, or doctoral coursework in alternative forms of environments. In the basic forms of early education, I feel that a synchronous classroom environment is necessary to provide for the foundations of learning.

As we get past the high school stage...even though high schools now that are offered online offer synchronous as well as asynchronous environments, we as adults are in need of flexible learning environment. I have been through all of these types of learning environment. I feel that each has its virtues. I feel that total asynchronous learning environments require strict internal motivation for students. This seems to be doubly hard for the general population of high school students. I think this can be attributed just simply to a lack of maturity or understanding of the importance of education. But within that we cannot control life around us and see that sometimes life just happens. Things happen now to students that are out of their control or even within their control that an alternative environment becomes necessary. That to me is where a synchronous element of an asynchronous course is needed. The synchronous elements such as a conference call, video chat, or other element allows for accountability. I think that accountability is a strength in motivation.

Real time vs. On Your Own Time 4.1.1

The face of classrooms across the world have changed drastically since the explosion of technology. I think that those of us around and approaching 40's have seen the best of all worlds, for the most part. Those in my generation know what its like to grow up without a cellphone being our link to the world. We know what it's like to do research by hand. We know what the contraption called a typewriter is, how it works, and even how to type without looking at the keys. During our high school careers households didn't generally have computers and if you lived in the country as I did, didn't even have cable. It was considered an awesome opportunity for our high school to begin to offer a new elective...computer programming, and we learned the basics of BASIC-A and Pascal. We used dot matrix printers and thought that we were up and coming in the world. In college we began to learn how to use EBSCOhost to research and joined online chat rooms via AOL. We are a product of the "you've got mail" generation.

That being established we are a generation that went through high school as well as college in a synchronous classroom environment. In our lifetime we have seen the majority of the curriculum changes that those of us still in the education world are familiar with. Some of us in getting additional professional degrees have gone through our masters, specialists, or doctoral coursework in alternative forms of environments. In the basic forms of early education, I feel that a synchronous classroom environment is necessary to provide for the foundations of learning.

As we get past the high school stage...even though high schools now that are offered online offer synchronous as well as asynchronous environments, we as adults are in need of flexible learning environment. I have been through all of these types of learning environment. I feel that each has its virtues. I feel that total asynchronous learning environments require strict internal motivation for students. This seems to be doubly hard for the general population of high school students. I think this can be attributed just simply to a lack of maturity or understanding of the importance of education. But within that we cannot control life around us and see that sometimes life just happens. Things happen now to students that are out of their control or even within their control that an alternative environment becomes necessary. That to me is where a synchronous element of an asynchronous course is needed. The synchronous elements such as a conference call, video chat, or other element allows for accountability. I think that accountability is a strength in motivation.

Remember technology is not glued to your fingertips 4.1.3

I think that it is necessary for all of us to remember that the technology we have available is all forms is a double edged sword. All the wealth of information at our fingertips has opened new worlds for the average person...we can take virtual trips all over the world. At the same time those virtual experiences that we can create for ourselves have lent themselves to a sheltered reality.

Tis true...those of us that did not grow up with technology at our fingertips I think fair a little better than our younger generations. I grew up out in the country where we rode bikes where we needed to go, we came home when we knew mom had dinner on the table, we used our imaginations to create virtual worlds, and we drank from the water hose. We saw the summer as a time to explore. Now it is difficult to make children realize that nothing bad will happen when their technology is offline or turned off for a while.

I think that as a society we need timeout time from technology, from our phones, and even the tv. We need to remember that we can actually pick up a book and turn the pages to let our imaginations soar. We need to sit down together at the dinner table to discuss our day. We need to take walks or hikes outside and rediscover the beauty of the world around us. We need to remember the beauty of watching the sunset or sunrise instead of just looking at someone's post or pictures about it.

I think that if we do this and take it to heart then the generations below us, our children, will realize the importance as well. Children learn by example and if we can't put down our phones long enough to interact with them what are they learning? They are learning that technology needs to take the place of human interaction.

Remember technology is not glued to your fingertips 4.1.3

I think that it is necessary for all of us to remember that the technology we have available is all forms is a double edged sword. All the wealth of information at our fingertips has opened new worlds for the average person...we can take virtual trips all over the world. At the same time those virtual experiences that we can create for ourselves have lent themselves to a sheltered reality.

Tis true...those of us that did not grow up with technology at our fingertips I think fair a little better than our younger generations. I grew up out in the country where we rode bikes where we needed to go, we came home when we knew mom had dinner on the table, we used our imaginations to create virtual worlds, and we drank from the water hose. We saw the summer as a time to explore. Now it is difficult to make children realize that nothing bad will happen when their technology is offline or turned off for a while.

I think that as a society we need timeout time from technology, from our phones, and even the tv. We need to remember that we can actually pick up a book and turn the pages to let our imaginations soar. We need to sit down together at the dinner table to discuss our day. We need to take walks or hikes outside and rediscover the beauty of the world around us. We need to remember the beauty of watching the sunset or sunrise instead of just looking at someone's post or pictures about it.

I think that if we do this and take it to heart then the generations below us, our children, will realize the importance as well. Children learn by example and if we can't put down our phones long enough to interact with them what are they learning? They are learning that technology needs to take the place of human interaction.

Education is the key to Vigilance 4.1.2

Safety is not something that is always on the front burner, so to speak, in a child's mind. Young children are not aware of all the dangers that surround them. That's our job as a parent to protect them  as well as make them aware of how to protect themselves as they grow. However, a teenager is a bit different. They may be aware of danger around, but teenagers often feel invincible. Most teenagers don't see the long term effects of split second decisions that they make. Sadly, they learn too often by a hard learned example.

That being said in the digital world the  most important thing for safety is awareness. Awareness that there are people in the virtual world that are not who they say they are, who are not bound by the moralities that most people are, or just simply aren't aware themselves of the dangers that exist. In this aspect children as well as teenagers can be naive to situations that are outside of their little world, outside of their experiences. To keep them safe we as teachers or administrators of their technology need to educate them to the dangers that exist in a "virtual" setting. Dangers that can have a lasting effect on them. We need to teach them to be wary of things online and not trusting whatever is written. Students often think that everything they read is true just as everything they see on TV is true. We have to show them and provide them with real examples of how education allows them to make informed decisions. My prime example of that is Orwell's Animal Farm. Terroristic leaders rule those beneath them by keeping the "underlings" uneducated. It is so important to teach students that their education keeps them from blindly following the leader.

A digital community is no different education and awareness are the tools to promote safety. Ultimately it is the individuals using the digital services that are responsible for their own actions.

Education is the key to Vigilance 4.1.2

Safety is not something that is always on the front burner, so to speak, in a child's mind. Young children are not aware of all the dangers that surround them. That's our job as a parent to protect them  as well as make them aware of how to protect themselves as they grow. However, a teenager is a bit different. They may be aware of danger around, but teenagers often feel invincible. Most teenagers don't see the long term effects of split second decisions that they make. Sadly, they learn too often by a hard learned example.

That being said in the digital world the  most important thing for safety is awareness. Awareness that there are people in the virtual world that are not who they say they are, who are not bound by the moralities that most people are, or just simply aren't aware themselves of the dangers that exist. In this aspect children as well as teenagers can be naive to situations that are outside of their little world, outside of their experiences. To keep them safe we as teachers or administrators of their technology need to educate them to the dangers that exist in a "virtual" setting. Dangers that can have a lasting effect on them. We need to teach them to be wary of things online and not trusting whatever is written. Students often think that everything they read is true just as everything they see on TV is true. We have to show them and provide them with real examples of how education allows them to make informed decisions. My prime example of that is Orwell's Animal Farm. Terroristic leaders rule those beneath them by keeping the "underlings" uneducated. It is so important to teach students that their education keeps them from blindly following the leader.

A digital community is no different education and awareness are the tools to promote safety. Ultimately it is the individuals using the digital services that are responsible for their own actions.

Acceptable use policies prevent anarchy 4.1.1

The title says it all. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but an accurate analogy nonetheless. We, being only human, need guidelines...rules and regulations. A basic need in life is order and expectations. On this smaller scale online usage is no exception. In a society where there is no order or hierarchy, one will evolve, as exampled in Golding's Lord of the Flies. People need structure. Didn't I say that before. We have to realize that everyone does not follow the standard rules of society and the standard rules of social decorum. That being said the small communities that evolve in an online environment are no exception. Because you have people that do not follow the standard "rules" there needs to be what we have deemed "acceptable use policies." These AUP's in a way police the virtual communities to help ensure that rules of decorum are followed. We would like to assume that everyone in such communities especially those communities set up for a learning environment where made up of people that are all professionals and use professional judgement. But, we know what happens when we assume. The acceptable use polices make it possible for the entire community to continue along the same paths, working for the same goals.

Common Sense Media purports that successful AUPs should include the following:

• Use of Network
• Internet Safety (privacy, inappropriate content, unwanted contact)
• Filtering and Monitoring
• Copyright and Ownership of Work
• Network Security and Privacy (student data)
• Disciplinary Action
• Digital Citizenship
• Social Media Usage

I think that those areas cover all the bases. In a digital learning community you are creating and protecting an environment where people should feel comfortable and safe to learn, communicate, and grow as a group. That is where the learning takes place. If a level of comfort is taken away then the entire system of a digital learning community of gone.

Acceptable use policies prevent anarchy 4.1.1

The title says it all. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but an accurate analogy nonetheless. We, being only human, need guidelines...rules and regulations. A basic need in life is order and expectations. On this smaller scale online usage is no exception. In a society where there is no order or hierarchy, one will evolve, as exampled in Golding's Lord of the Flies. People need structure. Didn't I say that before. We have to realize that everyone does not follow the standard rules of society and the standard rules of social decorum. That being said the small communities that evolve in an online environment are no exception. Because you have people that do not follow the standard "rules" there needs to be what we have deemed "acceptable use policies." These AUP's in a way police the virtual communities to help ensure that rules of decorum are followed. We would like to assume that everyone in such communities especially those communities set up for a learning environment where made up of people that are all professionals and use professional judgement. But, we know what happens when we assume. The acceptable use polices make it possible for the entire community to continue along the same paths, working for the same goals.

Common Sense Media purports that successful AUPs should include the following:

• Use of Network
• Internet Safety (privacy, inappropriate content, unwanted contact)
• Filtering and Monitoring
• Copyright and Ownership of Work
• Network Security and Privacy (student data)
• Disciplinary Action
• Digital Citizenship
• Social Media Usage

I think that those areas cover all the bases. In a digital learning community you are creating and protecting an environment where people should feel comfortable and safe to learn, communicate, and grow as a group. That is where the learning takes place. If a level of comfort is taken away then the entire system of a digital learning community of gone.