OLLIE Iowa

Teachers need to have a certain level of comfort and skill with troubleshooting and supporting their students with technology.  Instructional time is valuable and it is much more efficient if the classroom teacher can quickly resolve basic issues instead of waiting for external support all the time.  However, it will certainly take time to build this capacity within teachers.  

I agree and know that I will need to practice and be knowledgeable personally before delivering content and modeling the use of technology to teachers via Canvas.

I was thinking the same things...we need to be risk takers and learn the ropes, just like we are expecting our students.  It is beneficial for us to know the ins and outs of the technology we incorporate into our lessons. 

I am glad we spent this time learning the ropes so we can use what we know and what we struggled with to help the learners in our classrooms. I want to use a lot of my computer lab time teaching about Canvas and practice using it, so when we are in the classroom, the students can pick up a surface and be independent with what they are doing. Rather than having to ask a million questions of how to get somewhere or do something.

When designing online instruction, it is certainly important for teachers to be very thoughtful in the organization of their content and delivery methods in order to accommodate the various learning styles of students and their experience with online learning.  I generally try to organize a course with the assumption that there is one person in my course with no experience with online learning or the Learning Management System.  In addition to this, online teachers need to consider how to support students who may need guidance with pacing their independent learning since it is very different than a face-to-face classroom. 

I think it is important to keep in mind the value of collaborative work even in an online setting.  It can take a little more effort in an online setting to ensure that everyone is comfortable with the setup, but I think it helps create a community of learners, deepen learning, and add interest to the learning environment. (NS)

I love the collaborative work that can happen in an online setting.  I think when used and taught correctly, it can be even better than in person collaborative work for some kids.

I really like that they specified that the work needs to be goal-oriented. I am constantly trying to get my students to keep in mind what they are working toward as they work. I think goal-setting is extremely important and something that often falls aside. I really think that teachers can get more buy-in from students if they feel like they are working toward a common goal. 

I love the asynchronous nature of online collaboration. It allows for students to work at their own pace and contribute when they can.

I think there is a lot of value in experiencing online learning from the student perspective.  I have personally gained a better understanding of what is helpful as far as the organization of a course, what is frustrating, and what tools/activities can increase the effectiveness of a course.  (NS)

I definitely agree with this!  Once you have been in the shoes of the student you have a better understanding of what they need.  It's like looking at it from the students' point of view.

I am taking a student driven learning course that meets this also!  Am enjoying it.

I also agree! I know now from the perspective of a student how tough it can be to navigate and completely understand the online learning environment and how much your comfort level can effect your success. It has been an eye opener for me and hopefully with help me as I assist with some online instruction.

I have been taking online courses all winter and there is something to be learned from being on the other side.  I seem to be learning more about my own learning style and form of communication.  We will have students experience the same!  

Having this experience from a student's perspective can help teachers be proactive and address misconceptions or potential barriers before the get in the way of student learning.

I certainly can understand the frustration of students when they are learning something new!

For the first online class I took, I felt like the learning curve was very steep!  It has gotten easier with each class and I feel like I have actually become a 21st century learner!  Students are starting with this from a much younger age and it will become just another learning tool, another way of learning for them.

I would have to agree with this also.  When implementing Canvas at the high school level, us teachers barely knew what we were doing, but the students and parents were expected to hop on the train with us.  I wasn't able to help the students with their view because I couldn't understand mine :) I would feel like I would have a better understanding of what they are learning and assist them better as a teacher.  

wow...great analogy with the Canvas reference.  We make decisions based on our past experiences.  If we have never experienced online learning we may not have a good understanding of what should even be expected of an online learner.  

I agree with this and want to implement Canvas into my classroom as soon as possible! Becoming familiar with the website just like I did will help students in the long run. It is important to be a student before a teacher to realize what will cause problems. This is the same thing with any lesson. In science I would go through the experiments by myself first to make sure it worked and to see where students would struggle or have questions.

I am learning so much as I take these courses as a student! It gives us a real flavor for what our students will actively participate in.

Marie Alger- I completely agree with this! It is essential that we are able to work through the course through the eyes of a student to ensure that we have sufficient directions and guidance for student success. There has been multiple times when I thought that something online would be a piece of cake yet when I went to work through it I realized that there needed to be more structure. 

I am always humbled when learning something new and is a great reminder of how students feel when faced with a new challenge. Demonstrate that risk and failure is okay-growth mindset.

I think it can be easy for online instructors to create and organize their content ahead of time and not be responsive to student data throughout the course.  It is important for them to make an extra effort to be flexible and use data to guide their instruction. (NS)

I like the tool we use to facilitate conversation about instruction in our building.  I also like the teaching cycles we are going to for next year.

I agree that we need ti be flexible with instruction. If the data isn't headed in the same direction as what is written in the plan book, we need to adjust for the students!

I think that this is important for bettering ourselves as educators and people. To be able to have an open mind, gather knowledge presented, and use that to our advantage is learning that needs to occur.

This is an essential standards, that I believe can be overlooked. I wonder if it would be appropriate to address what effective communication means. Could some negative student behaviors be avoided if communication from all educators is effective, consistent, and positive?

This is going to be one of the biggest challenges once the course is up and running. Finding the time in an already full day to stay on top of the online component of a blended course is critical, but daunting too! Tim Fisher

One thing I worry about is keeping up with the classroom and with the online classroom with blended learning. It could be potentially easy to let the online classroom slip more and care to the classroom in front of you. It will be extremely important for me to keep my eye on the online classroom with communication that is constant and effective to let students know there is a presence and purpose.

Creating an online learning community is essential to learning and yet it is likely the aspect of online teaching that may be most challenging.

Creating an online learning community is essential to learning and yet it is likely the aspect of online teaching that may be most challenging. 

Presenting streamlined content that still addresses the need for depth and diverse learners will be a challenge in designing on-line courses. 

It is important that the Iowa Online Teaching Standards make reference to the Iowa Core at the beginning because technology and online tools are for the purpose of teaching core curriculum.

I think it is interesting that these particular theories are mentioned in the standards, and it seems important to have a refresher of these theories in the online learning courses.