Synchronous Online Meetings

Sometimes there is a need or desire to hold a synchronous session in an online course.   For instance, students may want to get together live to work on a group project or the teacher wants to have a live discussion about a current event or a particularly difficult concept.  There are many tools out there to meet these various needs.  Check out this post from “On Teaching Online” that explores Live (Synchronous) Meeting Systems Tools.  It does not address Google+ Hangouts which is another popular informal video conferencing tool.

Have you used anything else that the article does not mention?  Was it effective?

Building Connection with Discussion Boards

I am reading the book The Relationship Cure by John Gottman in order to better understand relationship building.  I just started it but it already has made me think about how this applies directly to building community in online courses.  He talks about the bid, a request for emotional connection.  When someone replies to your discussion board post with a post that is meant to generate further interaction with you, he/she is trying to make a connection with you and/or your thinking.  To ignore it is to deny a bid for connection which can deteriorate the learning community’s effectiveness.  I suggest that students and teachers subscribe to their discussion boards so no one misses that bid.  In the online community of learning, it could lead to great insights into the topics being explored and make the community more supportive of each other’s learning and need for connection.

How do you encourage community building in your discussion boards?

How Higher Education Uses Social Media – Infographic

Here is an easy-to-understand infographic on how colleges can and do use social media.  Teachers need to get on board with these tools to expand the classroom outside of the physical or virtual boundaries of the class.  This is a great way to add current content that builds upon what is being studied in class and to continue to engage students with the teacher, each other, and the topics.

History of Online Education – Infographic

Did you know that distance learning started in 1728 and that Sassafrass the poodle actually earned a diploma in 1984?

Check out this great infographic on the history of online education!

Online Discussion Participation

To get the most of an online discussion, there are things that the instructor needs to do and there are guidelines for the participant as well.  Here is a short yet informative list of guidelines to use when participating in an online discussion forum.  I particularly like the one about jotting down notes as you read other posts so you can prepare better for your responses.

Writing that Bio

It can be difficult to write a short elevator-speech type bio.  I found How to Write Your Bio for a Byline or Query by Suzannah Windsor Freeman in her blog Write It Sideways.  In my search, this was the best one that explained what to include and what not to include as well as providing several good examples.  So when you are asked to give that short bio online, this is a good place to start.

Taking a Screenshot on a PC or Mac

Here is an excellent explanation of how to take a screenshot or picture of your desktop or part of it to store in a file and use elsewhere.  This can come in very handy when communicating with others about what you are seeing or doing on your computer.

10 Best Practices for Teaching Online – Quick Guide

This quick reference for best practices is perfect for new online teachers.  Dr. Boettcher briefly describes each best practice in a way that makes them easy to understand.  Give some thought to how each will play out in your courses.

Brain Rules

Brain Rules by John Medina is an easy yet fascinating read about how the brain works in relation to learning.  As a result, I started walking during lunch.  I am using more striking images in my online design.  I have also suggested to my daughter who is soon to take the SATs to spray a scent in the air while studying then use the same scent in hand lotion just before the test to smell when she gets stuck.  Goofy but if it boosts her ability to remember what she studied, what can it hurt??  Read the book then tell me, what are you going to do differently either in your personal life or your professional life?

Ask Dr. C

Another great Blackboard resource:  Ask Dr. C.  This is a discussion board that I have used many times for specific questions I had about working with my Blackboard courses.