Can You Tell Me About Teaching In A Virtual School

[Mordecai]

teaching at an online school

[veto]

I teach at a virtual school, although it is to adults Our curriculum is posted on a website with a series of synchronous and asynchronous classes available to meet the objectives for the students. asynchronous courses may be downloaded and taken by the students anytime they have met the prerequisites for the module. It does not become available for them to take the module until they meet the prerequisites. The synchronous courses are also subject to prerequisite completion, but are, of course, also subject to schedules - there are preset blocks on preset days that have synchronous courses, depnding on the need, various courses might be scheduled for that time period. After a request is made, no more than two weeks would go by before the course is offered, even if it is only for one student.Technically, we use gotomeeting or netmeeting as our synchronous course server, and we have a we page dedicated and password protected for our launch site and file server. We also have an online test feature(Javascipt), but we have final exams delivered by local proctors.(in our case, managers, but in yours Moms and Dads or Guardians)Instructors are available for pre-determined time periods on Instant messaging and Via the phone daily, and of course by email. Sources: My answer awarulz 92 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Portier]

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/historylessons.htmhttp://www.flvs.net/general/resources.phphttp://store.tcpress.com/0807742864.shtmlhttp://www.louisianavirtualschool.net/http://orvsd.org/

[alhhard]

Our curriculum is posted on a website with a series of synchronous and asynchronous classes available to meet the objectives for the students. asynchronous courses may be downloaded and taken by the students anytime they have met the prerequisites for the module. It does not become available for them to take the module until they meet the prerequisites. The synchronous courses are also subject to prerequisite completion, but are, of course, also subject to schedules - there are preset blocks on preset days that have synchronous courses, depnding on the need, various courses might be scheduled for that time period. After a request is made, no more than two weeks would go by before the course is offered, even if it is only for one student.Technically, we use gotomeeting or netmeeting as our synchronous course server, and we have a we page dedicated and password protected for our launch site and file server. We also have an online test feature(Javascipt), but we have final exams delivered by local proctors.(in our case, managers, but in yours Moms and Dads or Guardians)Instructors are available for pre-determined time periods on Instant messaging and Via the phone daily, and of course by email.

[Jayronn]

tkj said: 2 I'm looking into teaching in a virtual(i.e. online) environment. I know very little about how to get started. 92 months ago

[Adan]

In general, you'd need the same credentials as someone teaching in a normal environment There's a good article I found that describes what's involved and mentions a few good resources that could help you out. Check the source links for additional links to the sites mentioned:Whether you're putting a new twist on your high school math class or developing the perfect training for time-pressed teachers, our experts' tips and techniques will help you get started.There's a lot involved in being an online course designer and educator, from creating compelling, Web-friendly content to fostering meaningful interactions among people who in many cases have never laid eyes on each other. While many different models for online education exist, most share a common thread: at-home, round-the-clock availability; the inclusion of students from varied and remote locations; and increased opportunities for reflective thinking and group participation.Blackboard, eClassroom, and other commercial course platforms, as well as nonprofit initiatives such as the Virtual High School, are good places to begin gathering information about what creating and hosting an online class entails. What new skills will you need that aren't required of face-to-face instruction? How will your course be organized, and what content should be included? What's the best way to assess students learning in a virtual environment? The following are recommendations based on our own experiences over nine years of designing and teaching online courses.Technical PrerequisitesUnless you're well versed in Web authoring, you'll want to use courseware specially designed for creating and delivering online classes(see "Online Courseware," page 18). Most applications don't require extensive technical training on your part-at a minimum you should comfortably know your way around a browser. Check with your district or school technology department to see if they have already purchased courseware, or plan to in the future, and what level of technical support they'd be willing to provide. We've found that platforms that allow for asynchronous courses(participants don't have to be logged on simultaneously) with extensive community discussion are best.Master the MediumAssuming you know your content area well, the greatest learning curve may be getting comfortable with the technology. We suggest approaching this from the following three perspectives:Student. What better way to understand the experience of an online student than by becoming one? Sign up for a class, ideally in the application you'll be using to create your own. No time to take a class? Investigate demo courses offered at the Virtual High School(follow the Academics link to Explore A Class.)Course Designer. Learn even more about effective online learning environments by taking a design course-for example, Macromedia's educator training, WebCT's design skills workshops, or The Concord Consortium's "Designing and Teaching Online Courses").Instructor. Get support from those who have gone before you. Many major courseware providers offer active discussion boards on a variety of design and teaching subjects. The Distance Learning Resource Network, Tapped In, and similar organizations also have community areas for discussing e-learning issues.Set Aside Enough TimeThe amount of time it takes to create an online course varies considerably. We estimate that building a course takes at least twice as long as it does to teach it, so a one-semester course might take two semesters to build. Important: Unless you've got a lot of online experience, don't begin teaching the course until you've carefully thought through and completely built it.Build an OutlineKeep these steps in mind when organizing your course content. * List the course objectives. Are your goals limited to the curriculum, or do they include social development, technical mastery, and other skills? * Develop an outline of the content. The first level of the outline should block out what topics you'll cover each week, along with every document you plan to post on the site. * Develop strategies for continuous assessment. The quality of participant posts should be a major part of your assessment strategy, but projects, self-assessments, quizzes, and open-book exams are also valuable and add variety. * Build activities that incorporate your assessment strategies. Since your activities need to work without your constant supervision, be sure to provide clear, step-by-step instructions. * If the course is for kids, build in an effective method for regular parent communication.Focus on FormatYou'll be creating many pages of lessons, resources, and communications for your course. Don't invent each one separately, a huge and unnecessary task. Instead, create document templates for each category of document. Check your courseware's Web site for free or low-cost units created by professional authors or fellow course creators. Or use lessons offered by PBS TeacherSource, TeacherVision, Discovery School, and many others, making sure the material you select is appropriate for Web-based learning.Animations and high-tech displays normally require additional bandwidth. Save the bandwidth for techniques that demonstrate information and provide opportunities for your students to learn-for example, a digital video clip of a historical speech or a 3-D animated model of a DNA strand.Keep in mind that you'll need to provide accommodations for disabled participants. Visually impaired students might be accessing the course using a screen reader, and hearing impaired students will require transcripts for audio passages and captioning for video. A comprehensive list of resources about accessibility issues can be found at webable.com.SchedulingYour course length will likely be defined by the semester system your district uses, but you'll still need to choose a basic time unit for within the course. We recommend using the natural unit of weeks.Our research has found that starting weeks on Wednesday is ideal. If a student is absent all week, he or she only mises one-half of the unit and can catch up more easily. In addition, some students like to use weekends to catch up, and starting mid-week allows the weekend to fall in the middle of a unit.Get Off to a Good StartHow you start the course will have a great deal to do with its overall success. Since this is likely students' first online course experience, they'll need time to get comfortable with the new environment.Begin by sending a welcoming e-mail to students the day before class begins. This sets a friendly tone and allows you to restate login information students may have forgotten or lost. For the first class session, post your policies, procedures, and expectations. Include the following:An enthusiastic welcome. Provide professional and personal information about yourself so participants will begin to feel they know you.Instructions on course navigation. When explaining how to use the technical tools the first time, clearly detail the action steps necessary for each technique. For example, describe each mouse-click and include an illustrative screen shot, the link to click, and what participants will see as a result. Make sure students know how to install any required browser plug-ins, such as Adobe Acrobat.Your communication plan. This should detail login frequency requirements, where to direct technical and assignment clarification questions, and the protocol for asking private questions. Include how and when students should get in touch with you when the courseware or e-mail isn't functioning.Curriculum and assessment information. Include a course overview, syllabus, and reading list. Explain the methods for assessing their work, participation guidelines, and online etiquette rules.Structure Your Learning CommunityAs in face-to-face instruction, online courses are often more successful if the teacher can avoid being in the center of every discussion. That requires forming an online community of class participants. Here are some ways to create a rich, intimate, and inclusive learning community.Start with get-acquainted activities. For example, you might ask each participant to describe a day in his or her life as seen by an onlooker from a different planet. After reading everyone's entries, participants then pick one to comment on. The point is to pull them away from the course topic and make them comfortable sharing information about themselves.Incorporate ongoing community building. Require minimum posting requirements for each discussion. A general rule of thumb is three posts per week on three separate days(no posting everything on the last day).Structure your conversations. Besides the required areas or threads for lesson discussions, students benefit from special online communication areas: an informal gathering place for discussing non-content subjects; a "hotline" for technical, administrative, and assignment questions; and a private area for discussing grades.Balance individual work with group activities. Group work takes time in general, and because of the nature of the asynchronous world, an even longer timeline is required for online teamwork. Assign overlapping activities to allow for this lag while still covering all the required material. An example of a group activity that works well in a virtual world is Model United Nations, where students work together in groups of two or three to present their "country's" point of view on an issue.Ready to Do It?It's possible to have a successful online course through careful planning, good course design, and effective community building. Make your course an organized, welcoming environment, and your students will reward you by learning and enjoying the experience. Sources: http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2003/04/online.php EddieNygma 92 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Garcia]

I'm looking into teaching in a virtual(i.e. online) environment. I know very little about how to get started.

[Coiseam]

There's a good article I found that describes what's involved and mentions a few good resources that could help you out. Check the source links for additional links to the sites mentioned:Whether you're putting a new twist on your high school math class or developing the perfect training for time-pressed teachers, our experts' tips and techniques will help you get started.There's a lot involved in being an online course designer and educator, from creating compelling, Web-friendly content to fostering meaningful interactions among people who in many cases have never laid eyes on each other. While many different models for online education exist, most share a common thread: at-home, round-the-clock availability; the inclusion of students from varied and remote locations; and increased opportunities for reflective thinking and group participation.Blackboard, eClassroom, and other commercial course platforms, as well as nonprofit initiatives such as the Virtual High School, are good places to begin gathering information about what creating and hosting an online class entails. What new skills will you need that aren't required of face-to-face instruction? How will your course be organized, and what content should be included? What's the best way to assess students learning in a virtual environment? The following are recommendations based on our own experiences over nine years of designing and teaching online courses.Technical PrerequisitesUnless you're well versed in Web authoring, you'll want to use courseware specially designed for creating and delivering online classes(see "Online Courseware," page 18). Most applications don't require extensive technical training on your part-at a minimum you should comfortably know your way around a browser. Check with your district or school technology department to see if they have already purchased courseware, or plan to in the future, and what level of technical support they'd be willing to provide. We've found that platforms that allow for asynchronous courses(participants don't have to be logged on simultaneously) with extensive community discussion are best.Master the MediumAssuming you know your content area well, the greatest learning curve may be getting comfortable with the technology. We suggest approaching this from the following three perspectives:Student. What better way to understand the experience of an online student than by becoming one? Sign up for a class, ideally in the application you'll be using to create your own. No time to take a class? Investigate demo courses offered at the Virtual High School(follow the Academics link to Explore A Class.)Course Designer. Learn even more about effective online learning environments by taking a design course-for example, Macromedia's educator training, WebCT's design skills workshops, or The Concord Consortium's "Designing and Teaching Online Courses").Instructor. Get support from those who have gone before you. Many major courseware providers offer active discussion boards on a variety of design and teaching subjects. The Distance Learning Resource Network, Tapped In, and similar organizations also have community areas for discussing e-learning issues.Set Aside Enough TimeThe amount of time it takes to create an online course varies considerably. We estimate that building a course takes at least twice as long as it does to teach it, so a one-semester course might take two semesters to build. Important: Unless you've got a lot of online experience, don't begin teaching the course until you've carefully thought through and completely built it.Build an OutlineKeep these steps in mind when organizing your course content. * List the course objectives. Are your goals limited to the curriculum, or do they include social development, technical mastery, and other skills? * Develop an outline of the content. The first level of the outline should block out what topics you'll cover each week, along with every document you plan to post on the site. * Develop strategies for continuous assessment. The quality of participant posts should be a major part of your assessment strategy, but projects, self-assessments, quizzes, and open-book exams are also valuable and add variety. * Build activities that incorporate your assessment strategies. Since your activities need to work without your constant supervision, be sure to provide clear, step-by-step instructions. * If the course is for kids, build in an effective method for regular parent communication.Focus on FormatYou'll be creating many pages of lessons, resources, and communications for your course. Don't invent each one separately, a huge and unnecessary task. Instead, create document templates for each category of document. Check your courseware's Web site for free or low-cost units created by professional authors or fellow course creators. Or use lessons offered by PBS TeacherSource, TeacherVision, Discovery School, and many others, making sure the material you select is appropriate for Web-based learning.Animations and high-tech displays normally require additional bandwidth. Save the bandwidth for techniques that demonstrate information and provide opportunities for your students to learn-for example, a digital video clip of a historical speech or a 3-D animated model of a DNA strand.Keep in mind that you'll need to provide accommodations for disabled participants. Visually impaired students might be accessing the course using a screen reader, and hearing impaired students will require transcripts for audio passages and captioning for video. A comprehensive list of resources about accessibility issues can be found at webable.com.SchedulingYour course length will likely be defined by the semester system your district uses, but you'll still need to choose a basic time unit for within the course. We recommend using the natural unit of weeks.Our research has found that starting weeks on Wednesday is ideal. If a student is absent all week, he or she only mises one-half of the unit and can catch up more easily. In addition, some students like to use weekends to catch up, and starting mid-week allows the weekend to fall in the middle of a unit.Get Off to a Good StartHow you start the course will have a great deal to do with its overall success. Since this is likely students' first online course experience, they'll need time to get comfortable with the new environment.Begin by sending a welcoming e-mail to students the day before class begins. This sets a friendly tone and allows you to restate login information students may have forgotten or lost. For the first class session, post your policies, procedures, and expectations. Include the following:An enthusiastic welcome. Provide professional and personal information about yourself so participants will begin to feel they know you.Instructions on course navigation. When explaining how to use the technical tools the first time, clearly detail the action steps necessary for each technique. For example, describe each mouse-click and include an illustrative screen shot, the link to click, and what participants will see as a result. Make sure students know how to install any required browser plug-ins, such as Adobe Acrobat.Your communication plan. This should detail login frequency requirements, where to direct technical and assignment clarification questions, and the protocol for asking private questions. Include how and when students should get in touch with you when the courseware or e-mail isn't functioning.Curriculum and assessment information. Include a course overview, syllabus, and reading list. Explain the methods for assessing their work, participation guidelines, and online etiquette rules.Structure Your Learning CommunityAs in face-to-face instruction, online courses are often more successful if the teacher can avoid being in the center of every discussion. That requires forming an online community of class participants. Here are some ways to create a rich, intimate, and inclusive learning community.Start with get-acquainted activities. For example, you might ask each participant to describe a day in his or her life as seen by an onlooker from a different planet. After reading everyone's entries, participants then pick one to comment on. The point is to pull them away from the course topic and make them comfortable sharing information about themselves.Incorporate ongoing community building. Require minimum posting requirements for each discussion. A general rule of thumb is three posts per week on three separate days(no posting everything on the last day).Structure your conversations. Besides the required areas or threads for lesson discussions, students benefit from special online communication areas: an informal gathering place for discussing non-content subjects; a "hotline" for technical, administrative, and assignment questions; and a private area for discussing grades.Balance individual work with group activities. Group work takes time in general, and because of the nature of the asynchronous world, an even longer timeline is required for online teamwork. Assign overlapping activities to allow for this lag while still covering all the required material. An example of a group activity that works well in a virtual world is Model United Nations, where students work together in groups of two or three to present their "country's" point of view on an issue.Ready to Do It?It's possible to have a successful online course through careful planning, good course design, and effective community building. Make your course an organized, welcoming environment, and your students will reward you by learning and enjoying the experience.