23 THINGS AN ONLINE INSTRUCTOR SHOULD KNOW

1.      Create a course syllabus – list modules, due dates, reading assignments, etc…
2.      “Be present!” - use announcement and discussion board postings
3.      Set clear expectations
4.      Define grading scales and rubrics for each assignment and like the rubric with the assignments/assessments
5.      Direct students to a helpdesk for technology problems
6.      Respond quickly and promptly to students
7.      Provide choices and options for students in their assignments
8.      Monitor discussions and post reminders
9.      Be open to try new things.  Think about blogging and twitter, as well as polling, surveys, and texting as a form of communication.
10.   Allow time to create new assessments
11.   Provide feedback on assignments quickly and often
12.   Use a variety of learning activities.  Consider learning objects from sites like Wisc-Online
13.   Don’t overwhelm students with activities
14.   Utilize the course management systems
15.   Support students in their reflections and inquiries
16.   Don’t be afraid to use ready-made content (YouTube,  TeacherTube, NOVA, Yahoo! Video, Google Video)
17.  When choosing your technology, keep in mind the students capabilities to access your choice
18.   Think about virtual online office hours using sites like Elluminate, Skype, Oovoo
19.  Know what not to use in your class
20.   Keep investigating new tips and tricks from colleagues
21.   Utilize a variety of current resources in your class
22.   Create a syllabus quiz that teaches students how to navigate your course (Use sites like ProProfs and Quia)
23.   Evaluate what worked well and what needs to be improved on

Ready-Made Content

A skill that nurses must possess is the ability to assess their patients in a systematic manner and note any abnormalities. This You Tube video is one of a series of 18 for student nurses learning how to do a head to toe assessment of an infant.These videos can also be used for nurses who would like to refresh their skills in regards to assessing an infant. The series is numbered for ease of finding, but the title of the videos only states Head to toe assessment with a # and not the specific system that is being assessed. In addition, each separate video is not lengthy and could be viewed quickly. The instructions needed for the students would be the specific video title along with the number or numbers that would be required to view. The student would also need to have a computer with audio to get the maximum benefit of the video. It did not take a lot of time on my part finding the video series.

Creating a Prezi Presentation

I created a presentation using prezi entitled: Cheating & Tips to Prevent It ... Take a Look!!

Classroom Assessment Survey





http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y2CJCYL



Creating a survey using surveymonkey.com was relatively easy.  The steps to creating an account were  clear and concise.  I think that surveys would be an excellent tool to use in the classroom, both from the instructor and student perspective.  I would be able to use the survey in several ways.  One way I might use a survey is to obtain an understanding of my students' basic knowledge regarding online courses.  I could assess how many students have taken online courses previously and how comfortable they may or may not feel with the process of taking an online course.  I can also use an online survey to obtain anonymous feedback about my course content and the way in which I presented the information.  Students would be able to use this tool to evaluate each other with the use of group projects. 

  

Creating Content for Instructional Purposes

"How to take an infant's/child's temperate in American Sign Language and English"

Creating this video and then uploading it to YouTube was an interesting project.  I learned how to create video content as well as how to upload the video with the help of my kids.  In terms of the curriculum and content I teach, I think this is a great way for students to have a "hands-on" learning experience.  It is also a good way for students to become more comfortable with teaching patients and families on care on skills that may need to continue following discharge from the hospital.

Texting as a form of communication

Texting is a tool for synchronous learning, but I would  use texting with limitations. There are privacy issues with texting, and I don't want to be accessible 24/7.

Elluminate

Elluminate is interesting and allows an instructor a way to make the class interactive. I think interactivity is the key to a successful on line course. The more interaction students have with the content the better. Elluminate allows for this interactivity and allows for the excitement and spontaneity of real time events. Asynchronous tools allow for reflection and flexibility but Elluminate would be good for a presentation or a question and answer or review session. I am not too familiar with using Elluminate, and it would require considerable practice and an exploratory spirit to experiment and problem-solve with its functions.

The problematic aspects are the expense, the scheduling over time zones, and the hardware or software necessary for ALL students to have an equal chance in interactivity

Polling and texting

When I took the poll, my initial reaction and response to cellphones in teaching was "not likely at all".

Currently, I do give my cell phone # to students so they may contact me. In nursing we attend "clinicals" in hospitals, and since these sites are off campus students need to reach me if there is a problem. Normally they are quite surprised when I tell them to text me- they say "You text?"

I think part of my initial 'no' response was due to the amount of time I have spent trying to get students off of their smart phones in class. But the more I think about it, allowing their use in class in this manner may actually decrease their personal usage.

As far as this assignment, I have now changed my response to "very likely". I do see the value in polling with students whether it be via a smart phone or other method. I have used clickers in a f2f class and texting can equate to those.

Polls/texting lets you know what the students are thinking right now. They can bring interactivity into the classroom.They can also increase participation, encourage risk taking with anonymous responses, and grab students attention with thought provoking opening questions.

Nursing related blogs

Pediatric nursing news offered within nurse.com offers headlines from the world of pediatrics. It offers the latest techniques and tips associated with caring for younger patients. Within nurse.com students can create an account to view nurse.com boards giving them  access to view discussions and other features. By joining the community, the student can post topics, respond to poll,s and upload content.

http://forums.nurse.com/blog.php?CFID=90825106&CFTOKEN=30735364

Organizing Resources...

 

Diigo gives students the opportunity to learn in a safe collaborative environment. Saved sites can be tagged for easy searching, organized into lists, or presented as a slideshow. Another nice option is that Diigo bookmarks can be public, or private, and there are many options for sharing with individuals or groups. Also, Diigo can be used to work on project based  learning tasks. Teachers can share annotated bookmarks to research a given topic.

http://www.diigo.com/user/svalenti?type=all

Tweet tweet

http://twitter.com/ 

Twitter can be used in education as a tool that facilitates communication and collaboration. Twitter can also meet instructional needs, and I image no matter what your pedagogy, you could find a way for using Twitter. But personally, I would prefer to keep it as a "social site". Technology lets us communicate in the moment, but there are so many methods of communication. I am accounted out! Personal email, work email,student email,dept number, office number, home number, cell number, personal Twitter, work Twitter, student Twitter.... Also , on the flip side from a studnet's perspective, I don't think my students would like me following them. I think there needs to be a separation of communication because there are just too many methods.

Blogging in Nursing Education

Incorporating blogging into part of the educational experience I provide students can be beneficial in several ways.  The use of a blog would be a great discussion tool.  A blog as a discussion tool versus the discussion boards on learning sites such as Blackboard might be more technologically familiar to current students as well as easier to use.  It seems to me, in the short time I have been exploring the blog I created, that the discussion would also be easier to view and all content would be in one location without having to click several links. Also, with blogs, pictures and videos can be posted, making the discussion more interactive.  Blogging can incorporate a variety of learning styles because of the array of content that can be posted in one place.  Also, I think I would be able to use blogs in the clinical setting, allowing students to journal about their experiences as well as share their stories and frustrations. 

Wow.. my first blog

I created this blog for my Technology Tools online class.  This is something that is entirely new for me and should hopefully be a great learning experiences.