Christine Dasaro

When teaching online instructors must have a way to evaluate and then revise if necessary the course content.  Also to save time instructors should have a way to store changes and revisions so they can be reused in the future.

As the instructor I should provide private feedback on grades and constructive criticism, as well as public feedback in discussion boards to get conversations flowing in the appropriate direction.  It will be my job to monitor discussion boards and keep them safe, positive and productive.

I thought the point that the teacher is the role model for the students as an example to time management and communication strategies is critical.  Young students will only participate as much as the teacher requests their presence.

WorkLoad Management Systems are an important piece to being a successful teacher online. Teachers must personally have a plan to monitor all personal responsibilities, plus set up systems to answer student issues so the teacher does not have to answer the same questions over and over. Having a frequently asked quetion page is important.

Online classes are not easier classes.  Students have to plan extra time for reading and writing, typically 2 to 3 hours per 1 hour of online time.  Students need to adhere to professional  respectful guidelines during online course work.  Teachers need  to outline in the syllabus the expectations for time management and professional discussions.

This module stressed that technology skills need to be taught for each program you intend to use for your online course. We can use screen shots and how to videos to make sure our students can access the content and respond appropriately online.

This module makes the point that online instructors are first teaching online learners to be good online citizens and then teaching content.  Communication needs to be clear and professional.  Community building is just as important in an online class as in a face to face class.

This module was about using self analysis to improve online teaching and online learning for students.  By giving students a chance to think about their strengths and weknesses teachers can preteach how to use the confusing parts of an online program and how to encourage and motivate students in their strength areas.  Time management is definitely important for both the teacher and the student.

This module was about communication and participation.  Instructors should provide rubrics for discussion boards so students will know what they are expected to do.  Rubrics also provide higher levels of self evaluation and better product output which makes the teacher's job easier.

Different generations have different preferred modes of communication and different levels of writing expectations.  Having clear expectations for communication through a Code of Communication posted and agreed to by students will be a good first step to eliminate communication misunderstandings.