A couple of weeks ago, we worked in groups to create a web page of resources (see my post titled Web Instruction Resources for Online Learning & Teaching). It is amazing how much we can learn from others!! We covered three different topics; synchronous, asynchronous, and web-based content for online instruction. There is no doubt that I will be referring to these websites frequently. Thanks to my fellow virtual classmates, I have new ideas and resources!!

We had great discussions about distributed learning and mobile learning tonight. One of the highlights for me was discussing the concept of flipped classrooms. Mind/Shift does a great job of defining the flipped classroom concept. In a nutshell, it reverses the traditional idea of lecturing during the class period and having the students do assignments at home. Instead, students learn the material at home via online multimedia resources and work on the assignments in class. This provides a means for the teacher to assist students in class and help them with the application process. When my sons were young, I often felt longer class periods would be more effective because teachers would have time to teach and have time to do hands on assistance. Immediately reinforcing a concept with applicable activities will result in a higher achievement of learning outcomes.

Emerging technologies can make it possible for flipped classroom models to work. Instructional strategy could include recorded lectures as learning objects for a course curriculum. There are some great resources out there for this purpose. Check out Khan Academy and Academic Earth. So much to learn! Thanks for stopping by...stay tuned!

Having a collection of resources is important in any field and is essential where distance education is concerned. Each group had an assigned category. Our team gathered resources on web-based content. This process prompts you to consider how each resource can be effectively utilized in your instructional strategy. An aha moment for me was realizing that each tool, when considered strategically, may actually be used differently in various teaching and learning contexts. The diversity of instructional tools is dependent on creatively meeting the needs of your students. Moreover, emerging technologies challenges us to consider new tools and new strategies on a regular basis. Besides learning about a bunch of great tools, I was also reminded that tools are just that....tools. It is our responsibility to implement them in a way that encourages meaningful learning experiences!

Here is the link to my teams website of resources. ETEC 622 Web-Based Content.

Tonight's class was fun! After taking care of a few things on the agenda, we split up into four different groups to critically evaluate www.drawastickman.com. It is a site which provides a storyline for you to interact with. You start by drawing a stickman and as the story unfolds, you are asked to draw other items to help the story progress. In the end, you can add a few comments of your own and share your animated story, with your drawings, via e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter.

We discussed strengths, weaknesses, and the relevance to our weekly class topics. A key element in our discussion included the e-learning theory and design components that the site includes. The site has interactive, immersive, engaging, creative, and social networking aspects. These are important in any learning environment!

LOL, so I decided to draw a flower with grass and a bug instead of a stickman. Okay, okay, I'm a little strange but I was very curious to see how that would work. I couldn't help myself, ha ha. Someone was kind enough to say, "wow, that's great, you're thinking outside the box." In fact, I wasn't the only one who drew a flower, Macy did too! I was pleasantly surprised to see my flower come to life in the story!! Here's a picture...NO laughing. I will be the first to admit my artistic drawing skills needs serious help.