I dont think that you are able to do any hands on training without at least some basic lecture.

Is anyone out there using something new and creative in place of an online, pre-recorded lecture?  Please desribe what you are doing.

Hello everyone, Just took course 104, I have been an instructor for 8 years, mycompany had me take this course for professional development. The course really hit the nail on the head, as through the years of instructing, they discribed the learning prosses I went through to a tee. I wish I were able to take this course when I first started instructing. Bob 

Interesting course about flipping your classroom. The course explains how instructors can change from being content providers to encouraging students to achieve content mastery. It might seem like a scary process, however it would be nice to see students take responsibility for their learning and encourage students to use critical thinking practices to understand the subject matter.

In the school I work with, we do a lot of activities to keep students engaged.  We communicate and send announcements frequently, have video links and motivational quotes and audios in the discussions.  I was trying to see if I can get more ideas here...

I just finished ED119 and thought it contained a lot of good information and resources on integrating "on-line" learning tools into the classroom.

I know there are those who are afraid that students would waste time if they were allowed access to a lot of these things (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc), but I think if it were employed as a type of homework assignment, it could be useful. In other words, tell them it's not to be done in class, but something that they can (should) do away from the classroom. Something that would take no more than 15 minutes of their time on the weekend and they might have to either answer a quiz that goes a little more in-depth in the lesson plan, or something that they can write a short essay to answer the question.

Anyone else who may ahve completed ED119 have ideas on this subject?

Hi everyone,

In the institution that I teach 33% of the alumni is Hispanic. Can anyone tell me if they learn the same was as the American student do? Is there an internet learning style assessment I can give them at the beginning of the class?

Does anybody have any suggestions on how to reach students from different generations at the same time? More often than not, I deal with students from this techno age as well as students that come from the 3 Rs of education. Help? Please?

Thoroughly enjoyed the "Stress and time management" course. Stress hits us in so many ways, including the classroom and personal life. I learned thru the course that I am an "immediacy" person and changes need to be made. I'm also working diligently to minimize stress by working out regularly and eating healthy. Also, no matter how hectic things get, I never lose my sense of humor. It gets me thru the toughest days. Great course, lots of good ideas for personal improvement.

How do you handle confrontational students?  We have a different security officer weekly and have no contiunity in our "power" behind the conversations.  We try to use our soft skills and defuse situations but at times there is no bringing the situation back in line.  Suggestions?

One of the things that plagues online instructors is in raising the attendance levels of Live Chat learner attendance and the ability to sustain the learners' interests in continued regular participation in the chat engagements. These of course take the place of real-time classroom discussions and as such they are an expectation of instructors that learners attend. But, as these chats are not mandated, attendance levels tend to be low and the attrition rates increase with the progression of the course timeline. So the question is not one of what can the schools do to change the laws to ensure learner attendance, but rather what can the instructor do to encourage more learners to attend and on a regular basis, finding ways to encourage learner attendance and participation. One way may be to allow learners the opportunity to showcase their knowledge of the lesson at hand by literally turning over the mic to these learners for brief presentations of their work "in class" (online chat).

I had never given much thought to this topic until I took this course.  Now I understand why online instructors should be aware of communication differences among generations.  It is basically the same as having the mix of generations in on ground classes. You must know how to communicate to all generations in order to get the point across, keep the students engaged and interested; as well as create a learning environment that's conducive for learning for all age groups.

just finished ED102. enjoyed 

How to keep your students interested in class for topics that aren't very interesting. 

This was a good refresher course. I enjoyed it. Always working toward the best learning experience for my students.

It is very important for us to find good healthy ways to relax and enjoy life, I would like to get some fun ideas for relaxation. 

The course was quite informative (112).  I like the idea of thinking what motivates me and using those concepts to motivate my students.  I teach math in a culinary school and it is not one of their favorite subjects to start.  I try to get them to change their way of thinking from, "I hope I pass this course and cannot wait to get it over with"  to "I now want to understand and be able to use that information on the outside to solve problems".  Whenever this shift happens, I become motivated to stop it up a notch. 

Hello everyone!

I like to use rubrics when assignment written projects. These help students identify clear goals and objectives.

hows everyones day

Every decade or so, people talk about the need of students to take a break from school- a gap year- before they go on to college.  They can do community service, find another competency or skill, etc. It was in the news yesterday and today (See below)  What do you think?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/30/voices-column-gap-year/8513019/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/05/01/college-admissions-gap-year-education-column/8577689/