EDLD+5368+-+Instructional+Design

· What benefits do you see in educators knowing how to design and implement online learning? Looking over the course and getting first hand usage of Schoology, the online learning tool, I can honestly say that many educators will find this type of service very useful. For starters I feel that many educators have a sense of technologyfobia, they are scared to try and learn new thing. With Schoology and other similar online learning services, educators will have the comfort of knowing that they are people out there willing to help and guide them through the process of setting up and learning the software. As a technology campus leader, I will take extra steps to offer after school professional development for teachers on my campus on how to use and set up the classes for the teacher. As the campus administrator for the software I will help to ensure its integrity and security for both the staff and most importantly the students. · How will you professionally use your course that you designed? The course I have designed from Schoology for this course was setup as a demo for students to test and trouble shoot, both for how the students will interact with the course but as well as for me as the teacher on how to setup classes, add the material, enrollment, and learn other tools such as attendance, etc. Over the summer break I tend to continue with the courseware and try to master how to implement classes successfully so when the new school year starts I can take what I have learned and expand the use of online learning to hopefully the entire 5th grade student population as well as show their core teachers how to use the program and hopefully have them set up similar online learning or extension classes based on what they teach. If after the 1st year trial basis with the 5th graders I can expand the classes to to include 4th graders and then eventually 3rd grade students. · Will you integrate online learning in your role as a teacher/staff developer? As I stated above, as a teacher I would like to integrate online learning for my students. I think as one of the campus computer teachers it would be beneifitual for our students to be able to take advantage of this great free learning tool. I think it will help those students who just do not learn in the tradional classroom and they desire a more relaxed, casual learning environment where they can learn on their time frame and confortable environment. As the campus leader in technology I would use the Schoology online learning environment to help teachers with staff development. I think it will allow teaches to also learn on line on their own time and comfort level without having to attend in person and feel “weird” for not knowing how to use different forms of technology such as software, hardware, web tools, etc. · What questions do you still have about online learning? I think as a teacher and a technology leader for my campus the biggest question or concern I have with online learning is the availability of it to all students and not just those who have computer and internet access at home. I think in order for online learning to really work for an entire campus then all students will need to have computers and internet access at home, without those two requirements I feel that online learning will be very hard to fully implement in public schools, especially urban public schools. With the Schoology online learning software, I think the questions that I do have will work themselves out with the continued use of the Schoology. I feel that the more I use it as both an administrator and as a student I will be able to work out my own questions on the how to’s and what if’s so when school restarts I will be a master on the software where I can then help others on my campus learn and implement their classes on Schoology. · What will you do with this new learning? With this new knowledge on online learning, I will try to implement it into the upper grades in my school. I think this is a great new way for some students to learn who do not through the normal, traditional classroom environment. I will also try to use online learning to help the school staff with professional development both on the Schoology software but also with other skills, services, and software. The online learning tend is not a fad but something that is going to be part of mainstream America and its learning institutions as well as corporate America.