EDIC716 - Teaching Online – Course Development

Project and EDIC706 – The Global Classroom

presented by Carolyn Bennett

ePrincipal – FarNetcarolyn@farnet.schoolzone.net.nz

0211295465

My Course Development Project and Global Classroom Project

This Course Development Project and Global Classroom Project was developed using the LMS – Interact and my online classroom was called Te Tiriti ō Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi.

FOCUS:The focus of the project was to provide opportunities for the cohort to participate in a range of learning experiences, using both synchronous and asynchronous, requiring them to work individually and collaboratively to achieve the outcomes of the learning experience, and to build on their knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi and introduce Te Reo Maori and Tikanga Maori.

The students … 32

The students came from two different cohorts.

The first, a bilingual class (21 students) , named “Te Awatea or 10 Tahi” from Northland College, Kaikohe in the Far North - (decile 1 school – 95% Maori)

The second, a social studies class (12 students) named “10 Roxi” from Roxburgh Area, (12 students) Central Otago – (decile 4 school – 21% Maori).

The teachers …There were a number of teachers

involved during this project and on reflection, we realised that we all took on different roles at different times.

E-Teacher: The e-learning teacher – in the virtual environment

C-Teacher: The classroom teacher – the traditional F2F environment

M-Teacher: The managing or mentoring teacher – “experienced learner”, learning together with the students.

What did I do …?Throughout the learning experience, the cohort were

introduced to a range of technologies which were either a tool within the Learning Management System (LMS) used, INTERACT, or was embedded in as a link. Video Conferencing was also used to develop a relationship between the students from the two different locations.

Interact provided an online learning environment (OLE) to provide an online classroom which focused around the theme of Footsteps of a Nation – The Treaty of Waitangi – Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Social Studies Curriculum

I used Video Conferencing once a week to have a synchronous meeting between the two classes.

Technologies Used …Students and teachers were introduced to a wide range of technologies throughout the course. Through their blogs, they wrote about their experiences ….

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Using a Learning Management System: InteractSynchronous & Asynchronous

The OLE was used as an online portal for students and teachers to share their experiences.

It provided the tools to be able to work online both synchronous and asynchronously.

When I knew the students had their computer time in their schools, I made an effort to be in the class at the same time, even welcoming them into the class as they logged on.

Using Online Learning Objects

Synchronous & AsynchronousThere are some great LO in both tki under social

studies and Te Reo Maori and in the Learning Federation to use to develop this.

Each week I would post a Task Sheet which had a range of OLO for students to work on. Most of these tasks were not compulsory and they could do them in any order. They had to record their experience in their blog.

One of the learning outcomes was to develop their Te Reo Maori skills. This was a great LO for students to work at their own level. http://animations.tewhanake.maori.nz/modules.cfm?m=1.1

Using Video Conferencing - Synchronous

We started the course off with using video conferencing to hold a powhiri, welcoming the two classes into the online classroom.

During the course, we met weekly via VC. Some of the meetings were recorded on the

Tanberg Content Server – administered by the MOE – this was for students who had missed the meeting or reviewing their online practice so they could write about it in their blogs.

I have used skype to speak with the teachers in between time.

Tanberg Content Server - TCS

These are some of the shots of the meeting. They can be viewed on the TCS on http://tandberg.wlg.co.nz/tcs/#page:conferenceList&status:recorded&pageNumber:1There is a password on it - Treaty

Using a discussion forum Synchronous & Asynchronous

I introduced students to their online environment by firstly getting them to introduce themselves in a forum and to comment or reply to three other students from the other school.

I had a discussion about student’s “internet footprint” and what was “appropriate” and “not appropriate” in an online environment.

We agreed that the students could use txt messaging in their forums but formal writing in their blogs.

Their Discussion Forums

Keeping a personal blog or an online journal

Each student had the facility to keep a personal blog, starting with a formal introduction, then commenting each day on their tasks. It was agreed that their personal blog would just be seen by myself and the other teachers and themselves and would be written in formal writing. It was identified as OUR EXPERIENCES/OUR BLOGS. I also kept a reflective blog of my journey with the class.

Using a Group WikiSynchronous & Asynchronous

We have just started to use the class wiki to gather the information shared in the forums, their blogs and to post their research.

ASSESSMENT – RUBRICAsynchronousIn my initial planning, I was going to put a

lot of emphasis on assessment, however as the course developed, I realised that their “engagement” in their online classroom was a great way of assessing. I found they were enjoying the course, and I certainly was, because it wasn’t about trying to cram the curriculum in, but I felt that we were all on a journey together.

I created a rubric for students to assess where they were at through self-appraisal,but it future, and with more time, I would develop this rubric with students. –

You can find the rubric here

Research

• One of the main tasks for students to complete was to prepare a powerpoint of their knowledge about the Treaty of Waitangi.

• This was to be presented during a video conferencing meeting but we ran out of time and I didn’t get a chance to share them with each other.

• Work was posted to me and then I posted it HERE so students could view each others.

You can visit the class now – Username: guest706

Password - guest

My• This experience has dramatically shifted

my pedagogical ideas about the delivery of an online class and being an e-teacher.

• Looking for PD opportunities for your e-teachers or for yourself?

• I would strongly recommend our e-teachers to undertake one of these online courses through Canterbury University.

Professional Development