E-Learning & Online Teaching » research

E-Learning & Online Teaching Graduate Certificate: UW-Stout

wiredinstructor — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:31:09 +0000

E-Learning for Educators UW-Stout Graduate Certificate Program

University of Wisconsin-Stout
School of Education
Online Professional Development

E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/elearningcertificate.html

Are you looking for an E-learning and Online Teaching Certificate program?
Is your institution rapidly developing online courses and programs?
Are you looking for a new career or a way to supplement your current salary?
Our courses benefit educators interested in effectively teaching online or blended courses.

Spring registration is open. Sign up soon.

Courses are completely online; no travel to campus required.
8-Week Online Courses Recommended Course Sequence

EDUC 760 E-Learning for Educators two start date options: February 8, 2010 or March 22, 2010
EDUC 762 Assessment in E-Learning Begins January 11, 2010
EDUC 763 Instructional Design for E-Learning Begins February 1, 2010
EDUC 761 Creating Collaborative Communities in E-Learning Begins January 25, 2010
EDUC 764 E-Learning Practicum (Prerequisite: Completion of EDUC 760, 761, 762, 763 and Consent of Instructor)

For more information, visit http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/elearningcertificate.html You may enroll in any single course for professional development or complete all four courses and the practicum to receive the Certificate in E-Learning and Online Teaching.

Courses can be used to fulfill requirements in the Master of Science in Education, Master of Science in Career and Technical Education and Ed.S. in Career and Technical Education degree programs.
Benefits

Expert facilitation by veteran online educators
Small highly interactive classes
Professional quality projects for an e-portfolio to aid in job searches
Career mentoring and job placement assistance
Credits may also apply as electives in three different UW-Stout graduate degree programs
Highly competitive tuition (tuition is the same for Wisconsin residents, out-of-state and international students)

The courses model best practices in e-learning with interactive discussions and hands-on experiences

creating and using blogs, wikis, and other social tools
integrating video and podcasts
adopting best practices for engaging class discussions and assignments
designing authentic assessment activities, quizzes and grading options
building strong communication activities in your online class
motivating online students who are falling behind
managing your online teaching workload

If you have any questions, please contact Dennis O’Connor, the program adviser, at (530) 318-1145 or email oconnord@uwstout.edu

REGISTER SOON

Mark university billing (do not include credit card info) and no tuition payment is due until mid January.

8 Online Discussion Response Techniques

wiredinstructor — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:16:38 +0000

Online discussion is the heart of a community of practice oriented e-learning course. However, it can be difficult to know how to respond.

It’s a good idea to think in terms of value added responses. What can you add to advance the discussion?

I like to post the following list at the top of discussion forums in my online courses. It’s a good reminder and a handy reference!

Here are some suggestions to guide you as you respond to each other in discussion forums.

Suggested Techniques for Response :

Expand on the topic.
Provide a teaching story that illustrates the main idea.
Offer a different perspective.
Provide an online resource relevant to the topic (include a hyperlink).
Offer a method you use in your classroom.
Provide a summary of the ideas posted so far (good when you come late to the conversation).
Ask a specific question (but avoid prompting yes or no answers).
Ask an open ended (on topic) question.

The netiquette of online discussion:

Focus on the prompt. Be sure to follow the directions in the prompt closely.
Respond to those who respond to you! This is essential!
Don’t depend on “Me too” or “I agree” posts. Make your posts substantial
Work to respond with something that adds value to the discussion.
Post early in the week. You’ll get more response and become more engaged in conversation.
Avoid doing all of your posting at the end of the week. You miss out on interaction.
Use direct quotations from the text. Include the Name of the text and page number. (Remember not everyone has the same text.)

I hope this helps!

~ Dennis San Diego

Creating Small Groups In E-Learning Environments

wiredinstructor — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:53:39 +0000

In the E-Learning and Online Teaching Graduate Certificate program at UW-Stout we like to limit classes to 20. Sometimes we’ll get 21 – 24 students and have to make the decision to split the group into two classes or use grouping with a single course. I find that groups of about 15 are perfect. Otherwise I prefer to divide the students into different class sections.

Groups help you achieve a sense of intimacy and reduce the stress students feel when facing large numbers of unread posts.

Here’s how I divide students into small groups within the course management system.

I start with a whole class icebreaker, then divide the class by alphabet into balanced sized groups.

I like to ask folks to post to their assigned groups first. Then give them permission to visit and post in the other group if they want. This is a form of differentiation for those high achievers who want to do it all.

At mid-term we change up the groups so everyone works with everyone else.

At the end of the course, in the presentation of projects and journals, we join together again as one class.

This allows ’smaller’ discussions, while fostering a sense of overall community.

Additionally, I offer optional discussion threads open to all. This is another differentiation method that allows me to present value added resources on topics that may not appeal to everyone. (In my E-Learning for Educators classes this includes additional research into blogs, podcasting, and wikis.)

My 2Cents!

Den

Information Fluency: It’s Elementary! (Beta Testers Needed)

wiredinstructor — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:16:37 +0000

Carl Heine is developing a series of online learning games to teach elementary students the essentials of search. We’re looking for feedback and suggestions as we begin the development cycle.

We have an Information Fluency group on Joyce Valenza’s Teacher Librarian Ning where we are asking for feedback on our new elementary age games.

Please join the Ning and our group so you can participate in our beta test?

E-Learning Research at Friday Institute at NC State University

wiredinstructor — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:04:44 +0000

UW-Stout: Good Training Opens the Door to Your Future

Dear Colleagues:

Here at the Friday Institute at NC State University, we have a number of new projects evaluating educational innovations, including virtual schools, 1-1 computing programs in middle and high schools, virtual computing applied to high school and community college engineering programs, technology integration projects, professional development programs, and state-wide policies and programs related to e-learning and 21st century skills. As a result, we are currently seeking to hire 8 additional researchers, 4 at the associate level and 4 at the senior associate level, to further build our existing research and evaluation team. I’ve attached the job description for each level position. Please spread the word to former students (masters and doctoral level), post-docs, and others who would be qualified and interested. Questions or requests for further information should be directed to Marj Santoro (msantor@ncsu.edu), who is coordinating the search process.

Thanks,
Glenn

Glenn Kleiman
Executive Director, Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
College of Education
North Carolina State University
1890 Main Campus Drive
919-513-8509
glenn_kleiman@ncsu.edu

Senior Research Associate
(Multiple positions are available)

The mission of the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University is to advance education through innovation in teaching, learning, and leadership. We conduct research, create resources, advocate to improve teaching and learning, and provide services to educators and policymakers. Our work focuses on innovations that will help prepare all students, from preschool through college, to live and work successfully in the 21st century.

The Senior Research Associate (SRA) will work on several projects to evaluate the implementation and impact of technology-enabled innovations in K-12 classrooms. This individual will assume a central role in the evaluation process and will manage the day-to-day operations of evaluation projects. The SRA will serve as the primary liaison between school personnel, project team members, graduate assistants, and the faculty members serving as principal investigators. The SRA will oversee all data gathering, data management, and data analysis activities related to the project. In addition, the SRA will be responsible for managing the production of reports for the LEAs and schools participating in the study, the funding agencies, and interested educators, researchers, and policymakers. The SRA will also be centrally involved with presentations and publications arising from the projects, and will contribute to proposals for additional evaluation projects. Multiple positions may be available.

This is a one-year appointment under a term contract, subject to renewal depending upon job performance and anticipated continuation of funding.

Qualifications:
• M.A. required, Ph.D. strongly preferred, in relevant field such as education or psychology;
• Training in Evaluation, Educational Psychology, Education or related fields.
• Strong methodological skills, including research design, quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, measurement, and knowledgeable in using SPSS or SAS.
• Strong writing skills.
• Good project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to interact well with teachers, principals and other administrators in public schools at the elementary and middle level.
• Experience working in an elementary or middle school setting.
To Apply:
To apply please visit http://jobs.ncsu.edu and search for position number 03-27-0802.

AA/EOE. In addition, NC State welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation.

Attached File ( Number of downloads: 1 )
FridayInst_SeniorResAssoc.doc

Institutions Vs Collaboration

wiredinstructor — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:06:41 +0000

Anyone who works for an educational institution will recognize this large scale explanation of the tension between old style organizations and the new model of Internet bred collaboration.

The examples here should be familiar to you. What’s intriguing is that this TED talk took place 3 years ago and is fresh and on point right now. Shirky predicts a revolution based on free collaborative technologies that will lead to 50 years of chaos in communications communities. Based on what I saw at NECC 2008, the ideas are just beginning to trickle into institutionalized learning & we need a little chaos to break the logjam that is clogging innovation in education.

In this prescient 2005 talk, Clay Shirky shows how closed groups and companies will give way to looser networks where small contributors have big roles…

Web 2.0 & the Virtual Classroom..Wiki of Resources

wiredinstructor — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:40:47 +0000

http://web2virtualclassroom.wikispaces.com/

I’d like to share a wiki I created as part of a presentation I gave for D2L at NECC in San Antonio last week. Bottom line: The Virtual Classroom is a Web 2.0 Tool.

7 Accessibility Validation Resources

wiredinstructor — Sat, 10 May 2008 01:57:51 +0000

Adobe Accessibility Resource Center Links to accessibility resources fro all Adobe products, including PDF, Flash and Dreamweaver.

A-Prompt (Accessibility Prompt:) (Download the latest version) http://aprompt.snow.utoronto.ca/ has been developed to assist Web authors in improving the accessibility and usability of HTML documents. By checking Web pages for barriers to accessibility and making repairs to correct any problems, A-Prompt will ensure that you are reaching the widest possible audience. (Note: PC only at this time.)

Cynthia Says http://www.cynthiasays.com/ This is a new site backed by internationally recognized accessibility expert, Cynthia Waddell. The site is a web content accessibility validation solution, it is designed to identify errors in design related to Section 508 standards and the WCAG guidelines. The main purpose of this portal is to educate web site developers in the development Web Based content that is accessible to all. This online test only validates one page at a time. Note this demo will test about one (1) page per minute / per site.

Wave 3.0 Web Accessibility Tool http://www.wave.webaim.org/index.jsp You can test a web address or upload a page from your hard drive for an online report. Clear advice and a graphic readout make this tool less intimidating that a typical Bobby Report. Provides a side by side WCAG 1.0 & 508 report. Consider using this tool if Lift or Bobby seem too complex.

WC3 HTML Validation Service: http://validator.w3.org/

Word Press XHTML Validation Plug-in accessibility resource for the popular blog software Wordpress. Takes some technical expertise to install and use, but it will address common problems associated with blogs.

National Archives and Primary Resources

wiredinstructor — Sat, 03 May 2008 08:30:51 +0000

National Archives: Educators and Students

Find a treasure trove of reproducible primary sources, lesson plans correlated to national standards, and cross-curricular connections.

(tags: research)
National Archives Offers Training to Use Primary Sources | 21st Century Connections

For the cost of the call, groups of up to 30 students in grades 5-12 can schedule a one-hour session. Current offerings include a course on the Constitution and an introduction to the National Archives

(tags: research)

Say Yes to Generation Yes!

wiredinstructor — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:18:46 +0000

Generation Yes was a great idea in the last century. It’s a great program in the 21st Century. Check it out! ~ Dennis

Great news! Establish a GenYES program now and never spend another penny to keep it going.

Announcing GenYES 2.0, an all new update to be released Fall 2008.

GenYES 2.0 teaches students to support YOUR teachers, staff, and
administrators with technology — anytime, any technology, any grade level.
GenYES empowers digital age students to take charge of their own learning
and solve real problems facing today’s schools as they help teachers
integrate technology into classrooms. Twelve years of research results
demonstrate that GenYES students increase the use of technology school-wide.

GenYES 2.0 has even more project-based technology curriculum units with
relevant, interesting lessons and activities. New online tools provide your
students and teachers with the most innovative Web 2.0 project management
tools and a student tech support help desk. And we provide intensive
step-by-step support to make GenYES 2.0 your best technology integration
tool.

The biggest news of all is that we are taking the radical step of changing
GenYES from an annual license to a purchase once, use forever license.

At Generation YES, we like radical ideas.

It’s a radical idea to put students in the forefront of making technology
integration happen. But, it works in thousands of GenYES schools around the
world.

It’s a radical idea to put students in charge of mentoring every middle
school student as they become technology literate. And yet, that’s exactly
what TechYES students do every day.

Simply put, Generation YES is about radical ideas that work. Now, it’s a
radical idea you can afford.

But that’s not all.

Our new TechYES Science program ensures all middle school students are
certified as technology literate – in existing science classes. TechYES
Science combines science projects with technology literacy to meet the
urgent call for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education
that engages students.

Check our website http://www.genyes.com or download the Generation YES Fact
Sheet PDF for pricing and more information
http://www.genyes.com//media///generation_yes_fact_sheet_2008.pdf

We look forward to working with you to help you create 21st century learning
environments with your students as key partners.

Forward…..

Dennis Harper, Ph.D.
CEO & Founder, Generation YES
888-941-4369 x111

Sylvia Martinez
President, Generation YES
(888) 941-4369 x107

http://www.genyes.com
http://www.genyes.com//media///generation_yes_fact_sheet_2008.pdf