is needed is an approach that helps teachers learn how to choose, apply, evaluate and further develop different configurations of tools and artifacts - digital and otherwise - depending on their practice, their learners, the contexts they are in, and the nature of the subject they teach. If this sounds like teaching our teachers how to fish, it is. They should not be given a prescribed technology or the proverbial fish; instead, they must learn how to fish, or specifically to think through, critically choose or design and configure, learn and apply technologies that will best meet the teaching and learning needs that exist within their context. If this can be done, teachers can go beyond thinking of themselves as merely being passive consumers of technological tools and begin thinking of themselves as being designers or purposeful users of technology specifically to aid students' learning.
"The discussion method is one of the most commonly used pedagogical techniques in the online classroom. Discussion is widely used because it can promote several types of thinking-and certain types of thinking especially those characterized as constructivist, are important in education. Proper attention to the design, facilitation, and maintenance of an online instructional discussion is critical to promote students' constructive thinking. Questioning is a significant instructional design element for the promotion of effective discussion. This article describes a theoretical framework for designing questions for starting online discussion and follow-up questions to maintain the discussion. This framework is placed within a broader context of discussion within a constructivist, online environment. Numerous examples of discussion questions which were gathered from experienced online instructors are presented with the goal of preparing students and teachers to participate effectively in online discussions."
