Artifact 1 – Course Schedule
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will apply experiences as an online student to develop successful strategies for teaching online. (II.iv.I)
Artifact- Course Schedule
Reflection:
One of the most important aspects of developing a successful online course is making certain that students know and understand what is expected of them. While syllabi are important, they are often extensive and require a lot of reading. A course schedule quickly and succinctly lets students know exactly what they are to be doing and when. Creating this schedule helped me analyze what I wanted my students to accomplish. It also helped both them and me stay organized throughout our online module. This course schedule shows that I have developed a well-paced course with varied activities. Organization, varied activities, and clear expectations are all successful strategies for teaching online.
Candidates will apply experiences as an online student to develop successful strategies for teaching online. (II.iv.I)
Artifact- Course Schedule
Reflection:
One of the most important aspects of developing a successful online course is making certain that students know and understand what is expected of them. While syllabi are important, they are often extensive and require a lot of reading. A course schedule quickly and succinctly lets students know exactly what they are to be doing and when. Creating this schedule helped me analyze what I wanted my students to accomplish. It also helped both them and me stay organized throughout our online module. This course schedule shows that I have developed a well-paced course with varied activities. Organization, varied activities, and clear expectations are all successful strategies for teaching online.
Artifact 2 – Online Course Prep Checklist
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will demonstrate the ability to anticipate challenges and problems in the online classroom. (II.iv.II)
Candidates will continually review all materials and Web resources for alignment with course objectives and standards and or appropriateness. (II.v.I)
Artifact- Online Course Prep Checklist
Reflection:
The best offense is a good defense. Prevention is key. Be proactive not reactive. These three common quotes are why this standard and artifact are so important to an online course. Something will go wrong, links will be broken, there will be an internet outage, students will forget passwords. However, if we prepare the course the best we can and attempt to prevent as many issues as possible from arising, our students will have a better experience and the teacher will have considerably much less stress. This artifact shows that I considered possible issues in my online class and worked to correct them before beginning my course. It also shows that reviewed the syllabus and revised it for content as well as grammatical errors. As technology is constantly changing, as teachers evaluating resources frequently must become routine. As a future online teacher, this artifact helped me to develop a routine for ensuring a successful course.
Candidates will demonstrate the ability to anticipate challenges and problems in the online classroom. (II.iv.II)
Candidates will continually review all materials and Web resources for alignment with course objectives and standards and or appropriateness. (II.v.I)
Artifact- Online Course Prep Checklist
Reflection:
The best offense is a good defense. Prevention is key. Be proactive not reactive. These three common quotes are why this standard and artifact are so important to an online course. Something will go wrong, links will be broken, there will be an internet outage, students will forget passwords. However, if we prepare the course the best we can and attempt to prevent as many issues as possible from arising, our students will have a better experience and the teacher will have considerably much less stress. This artifact shows that I considered possible issues in my online class and worked to correct them before beginning my course. It also shows that reviewed the syllabus and revised it for content as well as grammatical errors. As technology is constantly changing, as teachers evaluating resources frequently must become routine. As a future online teacher, this artifact helped me to develop a routine for ensuring a successful course.
Artifact 3 – Online Learning Resources
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies. (I.i.VII)
Candidates will model appropriate strategies essential to continued growth and development of the understanding of technology operations and concepts. (I.i.VIII)
Artifact- Online Learning Resources
Reflection:
There is an old saying that the only things in life that are certain are death and taxes. I have always wanted to add change to that list. Especially with technology, everything changes. A good online teacher needs to stay on top of the latest technologies. Researching, evaluating, and testing are all key aspects of this standard. In this artifact, it is clear that I have the skills and knowledge to seek out quality professional learning to enhance my online teaching abilities. Creating this artifact will help me in the future because it made me realize that I do not have to do everything on my own. There are many great resources to assist with teachers transitioning to online instruction.
Candidates will demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies. (I.i.VII)
Candidates will model appropriate strategies essential to continued growth and development of the understanding of technology operations and concepts. (I.i.VIII)
Artifact- Online Learning Resources
Reflection:
There is an old saying that the only things in life that are certain are death and taxes. I have always wanted to add change to that list. Especially with technology, everything changes. A good online teacher needs to stay on top of the latest technologies. Researching, evaluating, and testing are all key aspects of this standard. In this artifact, it is clear that I have the skills and knowledge to seek out quality professional learning to enhance my online teaching abilities. Creating this artifact will help me in the future because it made me realize that I do not have to do everything on my own. There are many great resources to assist with teachers transitioning to online instruction.
Artifact 4 – Learning Styles
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will differentiate instruction of students’ learning styles and needs and assist students in assimilating and accommodating meaningful information. (II.i.IX)
Artifact- Learning Styles Inventory
Reflection:
Differentiation is one of the most widely discussed and universally supported teaching strategies. Often, it is based on students prior knowledge. However, it is also important to differentiate based on learning styles. In an online course, students are expected to work mostly independently and the teacher is not able to instantly analyze a student's progress and adapt to their individual needs. Hence, it is especially important in an online course for teachers to ensure that they have created a large variety of activities that reach out to all learning styles. This artifact shows that I understand each of the different learning styles and how to incorporate them into an online course. This was an eye opening experience for me as I had to put myself into the shoes of others with different learning styles and ask myself how each type of learner could be affected with my instruction.
Candidates will differentiate instruction of students’ learning styles and needs and assist students in assimilating and accommodating meaningful information. (II.i.IX)
Artifact- Learning Styles Inventory
Reflection:
Differentiation is one of the most widely discussed and universally supported teaching strategies. Often, it is based on students prior knowledge. However, it is also important to differentiate based on learning styles. In an online course, students are expected to work mostly independently and the teacher is not able to instantly analyze a student's progress and adapt to their individual needs. Hence, it is especially important in an online course for teachers to ensure that they have created a large variety of activities that reach out to all learning styles. This artifact shows that I understand each of the different learning styles and how to incorporate them into an online course. This was an eye opening experience for me as I had to put myself into the shoes of others with different learning styles and ask myself how each type of learner could be affected with my instruction.
Artifact 5 – Course Syllabus
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will provide an effective online syllabus that lays out the terms of the class interaction for both teacher and students, defines clear expectations for both teacher and students, details the grading criteria and appropriate and inappropriate behavior for students, and explains the course organization to students. (II.ii.III)
Candidates will provide an online syllabus with objectives, concepts, and ideas, and learning outcomes in a clearly written, concise format. (II.ii.IV)
Candidates will provide clearly defined statements informing students what to expect in terms of your response time. (II.ii.VII)
Artifact- Course Syllabus
Reflection:
Developing a syllabus is one of the most important aspects of any course. This becomes increasingly more important in an online course when the syllabus is the first resource a student has for information on the course. The syllabus I developed for this course defines clear expectations, explains the assignments and their weights, as well as gives information about appropriate behavior in an online course. It is clearly written and as concise as possible. It tells students various ways to contact me and when they can expect a response. Creating this syllabus was the single most important step I took before beginning my online course. It prepared me mentally for what I expected from the students and what they could expect from me. It helped me organize my thoughts and determine what were realistic expectations and what were not.
Candidates will provide an effective online syllabus that lays out the terms of the class interaction for both teacher and students, defines clear expectations for both teacher and students, details the grading criteria and appropriate and inappropriate behavior for students, and explains the course organization to students. (II.ii.III)
Candidates will provide an online syllabus with objectives, concepts, and ideas, and learning outcomes in a clearly written, concise format. (II.ii.IV)
Candidates will provide clearly defined statements informing students what to expect in terms of your response time. (II.ii.VII)
Artifact- Course Syllabus
Reflection:
Developing a syllabus is one of the most important aspects of any course. This becomes increasingly more important in an online course when the syllabus is the first resource a student has for information on the course. The syllabus I developed for this course defines clear expectations, explains the assignments and their weights, as well as gives information about appropriate behavior in an online course. It is clearly written and as concise as possible. It tells students various ways to contact me and when they can expect a response. Creating this syllabus was the single most important step I took before beginning my online course. It prepared me mentally for what I expected from the students and what they could expect from me. It helped me organize my thoughts and determine what were realistic expectations and what were not.
Artifact 6 – Orientation
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will explain the course organization to students. (II.ii.III)
Artifact- Orientation Video
Candidates will explain the course organization to students. (II.ii.III)
Artifact- Orientation Video
Artifact- Orientation Video Transcript
Reflection:
Although students today have grown up using technology, there are a variety of ability levels out there. Even the most comfortable with technology may still be uneasy about an online course. It is, therefore, important that a teacher take the time to explain the outline of the course, the learning management system and the syllabus. I chose to do this through a video and a transcript of the video. This way, the students may come back and view it at any time and it can be used from year to year. This artifact helped solidify the important aspects of the course for me and for my students. It allowed me to highlight the most important aspects of the syllabus and give out basic instruction on course navigation.
Reflection:
Although students today have grown up using technology, there are a variety of ability levels out there. Even the most comfortable with technology may still be uneasy about an online course. It is, therefore, important that a teacher take the time to explain the outline of the course, the learning management system and the syllabus. I chose to do this through a video and a transcript of the video. This way, the students may come back and view it at any time and it can be used from year to year. This artifact helped solidify the important aspects of the course for me and for my students. It allowed me to highlight the most important aspects of the syllabus and give out basic instruction on course navigation.
Artifact 7 – Student Engagement & Higher Order Thinking
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will demonstrate effective strategies and techniques that actively engage students in the learning process, in designing, and assessing online learners and instruction. (II.i.I)
Candidates will apply technology to engage students’ higher order thinking skills and creativity. (II.i.XI)
Candidates will promote collaborative learning through reflection and social negotiation. (II.i.V)
Candidates will lead online instruction groups that are meaningful, project-based, inquiry-oriented. (II.i.VII)
Artifact- Webquest
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will demonstrate effective strategies and techniques that actively engage students in the learning process, in designing, and assessing online learners and instruction. (II.i.I)
Candidates will apply technology to engage students’ higher order thinking skills and creativity. (II.i.XI)
Candidates will promote collaborative learning through reflection and social negotiation. (II.i.V)
Candidates will lead online instruction groups that are meaningful, project-based, inquiry-oriented. (II.i.VII)
Artifact- Webquest
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
In this activity, students had to complete a web quest which took them to various internet tools, then develop 3 easy and 3 medium questions based on what they learned. Students they had to solve some of the problems of their group members and finally they had to respond to their group members responses to their problems. This is an important standard and artifact because it ensures that we are using technology appropriately and not just for low level skills and remediation. My students had to reach the highest levels of thinking and creativity to solve problems, assess others, and collaborate effectively. This artifact taught me as an online teacher to explore the possibilities the internet has to offer and to look for ways to adapt existing activities instead of creating new ones.
In this activity, students had to complete a web quest which took them to various internet tools, then develop 3 easy and 3 medium questions based on what they learned. Students they had to solve some of the problems of their group members and finally they had to respond to their group members responses to their problems. This is an important standard and artifact because it ensures that we are using technology appropriately and not just for low level skills and remediation. My students had to reach the highest levels of thinking and creativity to solve problems, assess others, and collaborate effectively. This artifact taught me as an online teacher to explore the possibilities the internet has to offer and to look for ways to adapt existing activities instead of creating new ones.
Artifact 8 – Differentiation
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will differentiate instruction of students’ learning styles and needs and assist students in assimilating and accommodating meaningful information. (II.i.IX)
Use student data to inform instruction, assist students in their own time and task management, monitor learner progress with available tools, and develop intervention plans for unsuccessful learners. (II.ii.V)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will differentiate instruction of students’ learning styles and needs and assist students in assimilating and accommodating meaningful information. (II.i.IX)
Use student data to inform instruction, assist students in their own time and task management, monitor learner progress with available tools, and develop intervention plans for unsuccessful learners. (II.ii.V)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
Differentiation is a crucial aspect of education. In an online class, this often shows up through varied activities and student choice in product. Students need to have choice in their learning and appropriate scaffolding to reach their goal. One way that I differentiated my instruction and helped students with task management is by giving an open ended final assessment. Students were allowed free choice of how to present their study guide. Students were given an variety of links to explore to gain information. This class is an AP Calculus class and I had no students who were unsuccessful learners. However, I did have a few who I had to work with to get assignments turned in on time. In the future, I may not be working with such students and may have to monitor their progress more closely and give smaller chunks of material at a time.
Differentiation is a crucial aspect of education. In an online class, this often shows up through varied activities and student choice in product. Students need to have choice in their learning and appropriate scaffolding to reach their goal. One way that I differentiated my instruction and helped students with task management is by giving an open ended final assessment. Students were allowed free choice of how to present their study guide. Students were given an variety of links to explore to gain information. This class is an AP Calculus class and I had no students who were unsuccessful learners. However, I did have a few who I had to work with to get assignments turned in on time. In the future, I may not be working with such students and may have to monitor their progress more closely and give smaller chunks of material at a time.
Artifact 9 – Accommodations & Modifications
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will respect diverse talents and use strategies designed to include all students. (II.vi.I)
Candidates will provide activities, modified as necessary, that are relevant to special education modifications, student age, cultural background and experiences. (II.vi.II)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will respect diverse talents and use strategies designed to include all students. (II.vi.I)
Candidates will provide activities, modified as necessary, that are relevant to special education modifications, student age, cultural background and experiences. (II.vi.II)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
I had one student who explained in his "Getting to know you" post that English was not his first language and he still struggles writing in English. This student was assured face to face that he would be graded on the content of his work and not of his grammar and to come to me if he needed help writing anything. The other students in the class were accepting and responded appropriately. I did also give extended time when circumstances arose that required it. As an online teacher, this is something that I will need to be fluent in dealing with. Whether it is a ESOL student or an ESEP student, I need to create an environment where they can be successful.
I had one student who explained in his "Getting to know you" post that English was not his first language and he still struggles writing in English. This student was assured face to face that he would be graded on the content of his work and not of his grammar and to come to me if he needed help writing anything. The other students in the class were accepting and responded appropriately. I did also give extended time when circumstances arose that required it. As an online teacher, this is something that I will need to be fluent in dealing with. Whether it is a ESOL student or an ESEP student, I need to create an environment where they can be successful.
Artifact 10 – Diversity
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will respect diverse talents and use strategies designed to include all students. (II.vi.I)
Artifact- Riemann Sum Applet from Activity 3
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will respect diverse talents and use strategies designed to include all students. (II.vi.I)
Artifact- Riemann Sum Applet from Activity 3
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
Anytime students are expected to work in groups, it is important to establish those groups with thought and care. I varied the groups that I designed. Some groups were homogeneous and others were heterogeneous so that each student had an opportunity to participate at an appropriate level and be challenged. Group work is important for interpersonal learners. I also included several individual activities to cater to intrapersonal learners. There were activities that involved manipulating online graphs for the visual and kinesthetic learners. For auditory learners, links were provided to videos and tutorials. The structure of my course accommodated for diverse learners because each module had a collaborative discussion post, and individual problem set, and an activity that involved outside research. This standard is essential to ensure that online courses do not just appeal to interpersonal learners who are typically successful at school. This standard and artifact will remind me to always provide a variety of activities to reach all learners.
Anytime students are expected to work in groups, it is important to establish those groups with thought and care. I varied the groups that I designed. Some groups were homogeneous and others were heterogeneous so that each student had an opportunity to participate at an appropriate level and be challenged. Group work is important for interpersonal learners. I also included several individual activities to cater to intrapersonal learners. There were activities that involved manipulating online graphs for the visual and kinesthetic learners. For auditory learners, links were provided to videos and tutorials. The structure of my course accommodated for diverse learners because each module had a collaborative discussion post, and individual problem set, and an activity that involved outside research. This standard is essential to ensure that online courses do not just appeal to interpersonal learners who are typically successful at school. This standard and artifact will remind me to always provide a variety of activities to reach all learners.
Artifact 11 – Community Building
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidate will create and maintain a community by creating value, effective facilitation, and an environment of trust. (II.i.III)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidate will create and maintain a community by creating value, effective facilitation, and an environment of trust. (II.i.III)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
This standard is important because without a community online education becomes independent learning. Students miss out on collaboration and group learning which is an integral part of our society. To create an online community, I began the online course with a "Getting to know you" forum. I made sure to respond to each post and that each student had group members to respond to as well. As an online educator this helped me get to know my students as well as assuage their fears about an online classroom. This is an important step in beginning an online course and after seeing the results, one that I will incorporate into all future online courses.
This standard is important because without a community online education becomes independent learning. Students miss out on collaboration and group learning which is an integral part of our society. To create an online community, I began the online course with a "Getting to know you" forum. I made sure to respond to each post and that each student had group members to respond to as well. As an online educator this helped me get to know my students as well as assuage their fears about an online classroom. This is an important step in beginning an online course and after seeing the results, one that I will incorporate into all future online courses.
Artifact 12 – Teacher-Student Communication
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will consistently model effective communication skills and maintain records of applicable communications with students. (II.ii.I)
Candidates will facilitate regular and frequent teacher-student interaction in a variety of ways. (II.ii.II)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will consistently model effective communication skills and maintain records of applicable communications with students. (II.ii.I)
Candidates will facilitate regular and frequent teacher-student interaction in a variety of ways. (II.ii.II)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
Just like targeted feedback, teacher student communication is key to a successful online course. Students need to know that there is a teacher on the other end of the computer who is there to help them and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. I used messages, help forums, and face to face conversations to communicate with my students on a daily basis. These screenshots show a few messages reminding students of assignments and a help forum for a module that students were finding difficult. In the future, I hope to encourage more students to email or message me as I get notifications of those interactions while I do not get notifications on help forums.
Just like targeted feedback, teacher student communication is key to a successful online course. Students need to know that there is a teacher on the other end of the computer who is there to help them and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. I used messages, help forums, and face to face conversations to communicate with my students on a daily basis. These screenshots show a few messages reminding students of assignments and a help forum for a module that students were finding difficult. In the future, I hope to encourage more students to email or message me as I get notifications of those interactions while I do not get notifications on help forums.
Artifact 13 – Teacher-Parent Communication
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will utilize synchronous and asynchronous tools effectively (i.e., discussion boards, chat tools, electronic whiteboards, etc.). (I.i.IV)
Candidate will facilitate regular and frequent teacher-parent interaction in a variety of ways. (II.ii.II)
Artifact- Screenshot below
Candidates will utilize synchronous and asynchronous tools effectively (i.e., discussion boards, chat tools, electronic whiteboards, etc.). (I.i.IV)
Candidate will facilitate regular and frequent teacher-parent interaction in a variety of ways. (II.ii.II)
Artifact- Screenshot below
Reflection:
One of the most common complaints amongst teachers at the high school level is the lack of parental involvement. This is because teachers understand that while we have limited resources at our disposal for motivation, parents have a plethora of options that are not available to us. However, many of the teachers who are complaining about it, do not actively engage their parents. Above is an example of a weekly email sent out to all my parents. Parents are also encouraged to view Parent Portal to see their child's grades. In addition, parents can sign up for the same Remind 101 texts that I send my students. As a future online teacher, this standard and artifact have stressed the importance of communication clearly and frequently with parents in as many ways as possible.
One of the most common complaints amongst teachers at the high school level is the lack of parental involvement. This is because teachers understand that while we have limited resources at our disposal for motivation, parents have a plethora of options that are not available to us. However, many of the teachers who are complaining about it, do not actively engage their parents. Above is an example of a weekly email sent out to all my parents. Parents are also encouraged to view Parent Portal to see their child's grades. In addition, parents can sign up for the same Remind 101 texts that I send my students. As a future online teacher, this standard and artifact have stressed the importance of communication clearly and frequently with parents in as many ways as possible.
Artifact 14 – Student-Student Communication
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will utilize synchronous and asynchronous tools effectively (i.e., discussion boards, chat tools, electronic whiteboards, etc.). (I.i.IV)
Candidates will facilitate and monitor appropriate interaction among learners. (II.i.IV)
Candidates will encourage collaboration and interaction among all students. (II.vi.III)
Candidates will model and demonstrate effective moderator techniques to facilitate active student participation. (II.i.VIII)
Candidates will facilitate regular and frequent student-student interaction in a variety of ways. (II.ii.II)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will utilize synchronous and asynchronous tools effectively (i.e., discussion boards, chat tools, electronic whiteboards, etc.). (I.i.IV)
Candidates will facilitate and monitor appropriate interaction among learners. (II.i.IV)
Candidates will encourage collaboration and interaction among all students. (II.vi.III)
Candidates will model and demonstrate effective moderator techniques to facilitate active student participation. (II.i.VIII)
Candidates will facilitate regular and frequent student-student interaction in a variety of ways. (II.ii.II)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
Students need to collaborate and solve problems as a group. They need to interact with each other. They need to learn from each other and analyze each other's work. In an online classroom, student to student communication must be stressed by the teacher in order for this to occur. The screenshots above show the variety of ways my students interact with each other, in addition to the face to face interactions they have. Students participate in a discussion post each week by responding to a prompt and then grading two other peer's responses. Most modules had students working in groups to produce a final product. In addition students were encouraged to post and respond in the help forum for bonus points. One of the hardest things for me as a teacher was trying to find the balance between monitoring and facilitating. I monitored the discussions, but did not always participate. For the most part, I did not feel that the students needed me because they were doing fine on their own. I did, however, try to make occasional comments so that they knew I was reading and paying attention to their posts.
Students need to collaborate and solve problems as a group. They need to interact with each other. They need to learn from each other and analyze each other's work. In an online classroom, student to student communication must be stressed by the teacher in order for this to occur. The screenshots above show the variety of ways my students interact with each other, in addition to the face to face interactions they have. Students participate in a discussion post each week by responding to a prompt and then grading two other peer's responses. Most modules had students working in groups to produce a final product. In addition students were encouraged to post and respond in the help forum for bonus points. One of the hardest things for me as a teacher was trying to find the balance between monitoring and facilitating. I monitored the discussions, but did not always participate. For the most part, I did not feel that the students needed me because they were doing fine on their own. I did, however, try to make occasional comments so that they knew I was reading and paying attention to their posts.
Artifact 15 – Synchronous Collaboration Tool
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will utilize synchronous tools effectively (i.e., chat tools, web conferencing, virtual electronic whiteboards, etc.). (I.i.IV)
Artifact- Session Video
Candidates will utilize synchronous tools effectively (i.e., chat tools, web conferencing, virtual electronic whiteboards, etc.). (I.i.IV)
Artifact- Session Video
Reflection:
This artifact shows me using a web conferencing tool, Wimba, and its capabilities. This is a synchronous session led by me and two other colleagues. In all effective online instruction, there will need to be a time for the class to get together as a whole. In my time at KSU, I have had one class that did not do this at any point in the semester and I remember feeling very lost and confused about what to do and what the teacher expected. This gives some familiar ground to students and a way to interact with their teacher and classmates through more traditional avenues. Teachers can hold tutoring sessions or lectures. Groups of students can work together on a group project or a presentations. These are important and effective strategies for an online teacher to use. This experience gave me confidence in using breakout rooms, Wimba, virtual whiteboards, monitoring chat boxes, and troubleshooting live synchronous sessions.
This artifact shows me using a web conferencing tool, Wimba, and its capabilities. This is a synchronous session led by me and two other colleagues. In all effective online instruction, there will need to be a time for the class to get together as a whole. In my time at KSU, I have had one class that did not do this at any point in the semester and I remember feeling very lost and confused about what to do and what the teacher expected. This gives some familiar ground to students and a way to interact with their teacher and classmates through more traditional avenues. Teachers can hold tutoring sessions or lectures. Groups of students can work together on a group project or a presentations. These are important and effective strategies for an online teacher to use. This experience gave me confidence in using breakout rooms, Wimba, virtual whiteboards, monitoring chat boxes, and troubleshooting live synchronous sessions.
Artifact 16 – Asynchronous Collaboration Tool
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will utilize asynchronous tools effectively (i.e., discussion boards, email, announcements/news, etc.). (I.i.IV)\
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will utilize asynchronous tools effectively (i.e., discussion boards, email, announcements/news, etc.). (I.i.IV)\
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
I used three types of asynchronous tools. Remind 101, a group text messaging service, announcements, and discussion boards. The students loved the text message reminders because they were scheduled to go out each day when something was due. Asynchronous tools are important in an online class because students are working at different time and on different items and these help keep everyone on the same page. In my "Getting to know you" forum, one of the most common concerns that students had were missing deadlines. This artifact and standard draws attention to how important class announcements and communication are to the success of an online class.
I used three types of asynchronous tools. Remind 101, a group text messaging service, announcements, and discussion boards. The students loved the text message reminders because they were scheduled to go out each day when something was due. Asynchronous tools are important in an online class because students are working at different time and on different items and these help keep everyone on the same page. In my "Getting to know you" forum, one of the most common concerns that students had were missing deadlines. This artifact and standard draws attention to how important class announcements and communication are to the success of an online class.
Artifact 17 – Formative Assessment
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will use student data to inform instruction, assist students in their own time and task management, monitor learner progress with available tools, and develop intervention plans for unsuccessful learners. (II.ii.V)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will use student data to inform instruction, assist students in their own time and task management, monitor learner progress with available tools, and develop intervention plans for unsuccessful learners. (II.ii.V)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
There is absolutely no point in assessing students if they cannot learn from it and improve upon it before their next assessment. This is why formative assessment is so significant in education. In an online class, it is doubly so because students are much more isolated and have fewer resources to look to for exemplars. The screenshot above shows the scores for an activity that students did poorly on. I analyzed it and realized that they did not fully understand the assignment. They all posted their problems and responded to peers, but they missed the third part, where they were supposed to grade their peers responses to their problems. Therefore, I created an intervention plan for the students who missed this piece and gave them an extra day to go back and complete the last portion of the assignment. This experience has taught me that an online teacher should continuously monitor progress and provide assistance and modifications as necessary. This is an integral part of teaching online.
There is absolutely no point in assessing students if they cannot learn from it and improve upon it before their next assessment. This is why formative assessment is so significant in education. In an online class, it is doubly so because students are much more isolated and have fewer resources to look to for exemplars. The screenshot above shows the scores for an activity that students did poorly on. I analyzed it and realized that they did not fully understand the assignment. They all posted their problems and responded to peers, but they missed the third part, where they were supposed to grade their peers responses to their problems. Therefore, I created an intervention plan for the students who missed this piece and gave them an extra day to go back and complete the last portion of the assignment. This experience has taught me that an online teacher should continuously monitor progress and provide assistance and modifications as necessary. This is an integral part of teaching online.
Artifact 18 – Targeted Feedback
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will provide timely, constructive feedback to student assignments. (II.ii.VI)
Artifact- Screenshot below
Candidates will provide timely, constructive feedback to student assignments. (II.ii.VI)
Artifact- Screenshot below
Reflection:
Targeted and timely feedback is of the utmost importance in an only class because it is one of the only times that a student gets to interact directly with the teacher. In a face to face classroom, students can have a teacher check their work at any time by simply raising a hand and a teacher can quickly evaluate learning by asking a probing question. In an online class, a teacher usually has to wait until a product is submitted to give feedback so it is important that the feedback is quick and informative. Above is an example of feedback for a graded discussion post. It shows that I provided clear feedback to the student about what they did well and what they could improve upon. I learned a lot about grading online during this experience. It took quite a while to get used to not marking anything on paper and finding the right combination of open windows for maximum efficiency.
Targeted and timely feedback is of the utmost importance in an only class because it is one of the only times that a student gets to interact directly with the teacher. In a face to face classroom, students can have a teacher check their work at any time by simply raising a hand and a teacher can quickly evaluate learning by asking a probing question. In an online class, a teacher usually has to wait until a product is submitted to give feedback so it is important that the feedback is quick and informative. Above is an example of feedback for a graded discussion post. It shows that I provided clear feedback to the student about what they did well and what they could improve upon. I learned a lot about grading online during this experience. It took quite a while to get used to not marking anything on paper and finding the right combination of open windows for maximum efficiency.
Artifact 19 – Quiz/Test
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will provide continuous evaluation of students, to include pre- and post- testing as well as student input throughout the course. (II.v.IV)
Candidates will review student responses to test items in online testing software to identify issues in testing or pedagogical strategies. (III.iii.II)
Artifact- Pre-Quiz Results
Candidates will provide continuous evaluation of students, to include pre- and post- testing as well as student input throughout the course. (II.v.IV)
Candidates will review student responses to test items in online testing software to identify issues in testing or pedagogical strategies. (III.iii.II)
Artifact- Pre-Quiz Results
Reflection:
Education without assessment is like practice without a performance. You cannot judge with what content a student is struggling or if it is time to move to the next topic without assessment. Online courses provide new opportunities for quick grading and feedback to students as well as quick pre test results for the purpose of differentiation. This artifact shows the results of an online pre-test given to my students through an online student response system called Socrative. I am excited about exploring this more in the future as the CCGPSs will be assessed exclusively online beginning in the 2014-2015 school year.
Education without assessment is like practice without a performance. You cannot judge with what content a student is struggling or if it is time to move to the next topic without assessment. Online courses provide new opportunities for quick grading and feedback to students as well as quick pre test results for the purpose of differentiation. This artifact shows the results of an online pre-test given to my students through an online student response system called Socrative. I am excited about exploring this more in the future as the CCGPSs will be assessed exclusively online beginning in the 2014-2015 school year.
Artifact 20 – Gradebook
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidate will apply technology to increase productivity. (II.i.X)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidate will apply technology to increase productivity. (II.i.X)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
Teachers do more than just teach. We plan, grade, communicate, tutor, and fill out paper work. We are typically overworked and often short of time. Therefore, it is critical that we use any and all technology available to increase productivity and efficiency. I created several rubrics to help with efficiency in grading. This allowed me to give quality feedback to many students in the least amount of time as possible. I would love to create something like this for all my classes, even the face to face ones, so that students get more information than just a number on their paper.
Teachers do more than just teach. We plan, grade, communicate, tutor, and fill out paper work. We are typically overworked and often short of time. Therefore, it is critical that we use any and all technology available to increase productivity and efficiency. I created several rubrics to help with efficiency in grading. This allowed me to give quality feedback to many students in the least amount of time as possible. I would love to create something like this for all my classes, even the face to face ones, so that students get more information than just a number on their paper.
Artifact 21 – Tracking Tools
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will demonstrate awareness of observational data (i.e., tracking data in electronic courses, web logs, email, etc.) and its uses in monitoring course progress and effectiveness. (III.iii.III)
Artifact- Screenshot below
Candidates will demonstrate awareness of observational data (i.e., tracking data in electronic courses, web logs, email, etc.) and its uses in monitoring course progress and effectiveness. (III.iii.III)
Artifact- Screenshot below
Reflection:
Being able to monitor students usage can be one of the first warning signs of a student failing behind. Especially if the course was fully online and not blended, this would be the only way to see if students are working toward course goals at least on a weekly basis. Above is a screenshot of one of my student's usage reports. I can see what she accessed and when as well as a chart showing the days she accessed the course. I can see that she has checked the syllabus and reviewed the support, directions, and guidelines lesson. This is useful to a teacher. In the future as an online teacher, I would be sure to view each of my students' online activity weekly. If there were students who had not participated, I would reach out to them through email or phone to try to get them back on track.
Being able to monitor students usage can be one of the first warning signs of a student failing behind. Especially if the course was fully online and not blended, this would be the only way to see if students are working toward course goals at least on a weekly basis. Above is a screenshot of one of my student's usage reports. I can see what she accessed and when as well as a chart showing the days she accessed the course. I can see that she has checked the syllabus and reviewed the support, directions, and guidelines lesson. This is useful to a teacher. In the future as an online teacher, I would be sure to view each of my students' online activity weekly. If there were students who had not participated, I would reach out to them through email or phone to try to get them back on track.
Artifact 22 – Technical Support
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidate will troubleshoot typical software and hardware problems. (I.i.V)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidate will troubleshoot typical software and hardware problems. (I.i.V)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
Anytime you are dealing with technology, it is understood that issues will arise. It is vital to your sanity and your students' frustration levels that you prepare yourself and your students for these issues that will arise. My students were required to go through this lesson so that they could troubleshoot most of the issues they encountered. I also allowed students to hand in submissions early if they were fearful of not being able to submit due to technological issues. I also helped one student compress his image so that it was small enough to be uploaded to the site. This gave me a good foundation for the types of troubleshooting that are necessary in an online classroom.
Anytime you are dealing with technology, it is understood that issues will arise. It is vital to your sanity and your students' frustration levels that you prepare yourself and your students for these issues that will arise. My students were required to go through this lesson so that they could troubleshoot most of the issues they encountered. I also allowed students to hand in submissions early if they were fearful of not being able to submit due to technological issues. I also helped one student compress his image so that it was small enough to be uploaded to the site. This gave me a good foundation for the types of troubleshooting that are necessary in an online classroom.
Artifact 23 – Acceptable Use
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will use appropriate strategies and resources for dealing with student issues arising from inappropriate use of electronically-accessed data or information. (II.iii.VI)
Artifact- Acceptable Use Policy in Syllabus
Artifact- Screenshot below
Candidates will use appropriate strategies and resources for dealing with student issues arising from inappropriate use of electronically-accessed data or information. (II.iii.VI)
Artifact- Acceptable Use Policy in Syllabus
Artifact- Screenshot below
Reflection:
Acceptable Use Policies and Netiquette guidelines help students understand the difference between using the internet recreationally and for education purposes. This is an important aspect of online education because it is completely new to students as many have never used the internet in a professional manner before. These artifacts show the policies put in place in my online course for acceptable behavior. Students were informed that breaking these rules would result in a disciplinary referral to administration. I did not have to deal with any issues because the students were made aware of acceptable use prior to beginning the module. In the future, I will also spend more time focusing on internet safety as I noticed that is lacking in my policies.
Acceptable Use Policies and Netiquette guidelines help students understand the difference between using the internet recreationally and for education purposes. This is an important aspect of online education because it is completely new to students as many have never used the internet in a professional manner before. These artifacts show the policies put in place in my online course for acceptable behavior. Students were informed that breaking these rules would result in a disciplinary referral to administration. I did not have to deal with any issues because the students were made aware of acceptable use prior to beginning the module. In the future, I will also spend more time focusing on internet safety as I noticed that is lacking in my policies.
Artifact 24 – Course/Teacher Evaluation
PSC Online Teaching Endorsement Standards:
Candidates will provide opportunities for evaluating teaching effectiveness within the online environment (i.e., classroom assessment techniques, teacher evaluations, teacher peer reviews). (III.iii.IV)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Candidates will provide opportunities for evaluating teaching effectiveness within the online environment (i.e., classroom assessment techniques, teacher evaluations, teacher peer reviews). (III.iii.IV)
Artifact- Screenshots below
Reflection:
Just as it is critical to a student's success to provide feedback on their performance, it is critical to the success of a teacher or an online course to recieve feedback. The screenshots above show the surveys I am having my students complete and the responses thus far. I can review this data and see that I may need to increase the amount of reflective thinking in the course and can be confident that I am providing the proper amount of support to students. I can see that help forums and discussion posts are key components to the course and should be kept in, but may need to give more instruction on how to show work so that your thinking is clear clear.
Just as it is critical to a student's success to provide feedback on their performance, it is critical to the success of a teacher or an online course to recieve feedback. The screenshots above show the surveys I am having my students complete and the responses thus far. I can review this data and see that I may need to increase the amount of reflective thinking in the course and can be confident that I am providing the proper amount of support to students. I can see that help forums and discussion posts are key components to the course and should be kept in, but may need to give more instruction on how to show work so that your thinking is clear clear.