Distance Teachers Chatboard

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have used it for a couple of years We do short mini-lectures and announcements and even voice discussion forums wtih wimba. I've done a few synchronous meetings with students and one of my online schools uses wimba for a lot of professional development workshops. Ours is part of Blackboard so I don't know how it works outside of Bb.

May 29, 2008

marjoryt My version is also in Bb, and after reading a very broad overview, I plugged in my headphone/microphone and started recording. It worked.

I decided to do several very short bites to intersperse between my lectures and activities.

I sound like Paula Deen's Missisisppi cousin.

Jun 1, 2008

Just counted up; 8 years online, over 50 courses offered

by marjoryt

Jun 1, 2008

I started teaching online in 2000, as part of a pilot project sponsored by the community colleges in the state. My American Literature II course was the first and only online, and it had 35 students.

Over the years as an online instructor, I've gone through at least 4 different versions of Bb, experimented with various platforms such as D2...See More

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bernoulli Sorry. Using my daughter's MAC and don't what what does what.

Not sure who you are responding to, but I do not consider myself qualified to give you any advice. All my on-line teaching was with two universities I have been teaching at since before on-line classes existed. So, I have not had to find a job.

Good luck!

On...See More

Aug 10, 2008

marjoryt 1. Don't wait for an advertised opening. If you wait for the ad, it's already been filled. Apply at anyplace that offers online ed. 2. Find out who offers online ed and GED. In this state, that's the baliwick of community colleges, but a very few 4 year colleges offer limited programs. Be aware, some colleges separate the GED from the college; I do...See More

Aug 18, 2008

Earth Science for Educators

by GLY 6934/ESC 6835

Jul 11, 2008

A Graduate Earth Science course is now being taught at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL in conjunction with the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA). The course is conducted through distance learning so it can be taken from anywhere Internet access is available. The primary goal of the ESSEA course is to enhance Earth system...See More

Ed.S Degree-Instructional Technology

by John Doe

Jul 27, 2008

Would a specialist degree in Instructional Technology be especially helpful in attaining an online teaching position?

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John Doe On 7/27/08, bernoulli wrote: > On 7/27/08, John Doe wrote: >> Would a specialist degree in Instructional Technology be >> especially helpful in attaining an online teaching >> position? > > If you have AT LEAST a Masters degree in a teaching subject > area to go with it, it may help you at the college level. > > ...See More

Jul 28, 2008

marjoryt Here in Mississippi, everyone I know with a master's, specialist, or Ph.D. in Instructional Technology works in one of these positions: 1) Runs the office supporting other instructors - purchasing equipment, providing training to instructors, troubleshooting, establishing "special case" scenarios for all technology. This includes everything from em...See More

Aug 4, 2008

New Distance Learning Teacher

by Ms. Egan

Aug 6, 2008

This September I am faced with a dual challenge. This will be my first year as a Secondary Social Studies teacher at the high school level. I was also hired as a Distance Learning teacher for Advanced Placement Psychology. I will be instructing two live classes simultaneously with 2 classes streaming in live from other districts. I was wondering if...See More

bernoulli How are you physically teaching two classes simultaneously?

I taught this type of class once with a class at my university and two other remote sites at other universities. The rooms were miked so everyone could hear everyone else. Extra cameras also showed the students in each classroom. PowerPoint presentations were shown on a separate s...See MoreHow are you physically teaching two classes simultaneously?

I taught this type of class once with a class at my university and two other remote sites at other universities. The rooms were miked so everyone could hear everyone else. Extra cameras also showed the students in each classroom. PowerPoint presentations were shown on a separate screen in each room.

One consideration is handouts if you intend to use them. We would send out files a day or two in advance so handouts could be printed out and be available. We recorded the classes for absentees to review. There was a camera over the front desk over a pad of paper. If the instructor wrote on it, the camera projected it to all classes.(Keep the pages and make copies or scans if it makes sense to do so).

The technology is critical. Everything has to work for everyone to be able to see, read, and hear. You need a technician at each site who is capable and on time. Get to class very early and make sure everything is working. Have telephone and cell numbers for all classrooms, instructors and techies so you can reach them as needed.

Leave some slack so that if technology doesn't work, you can make it up later. We almost lost one whole class session because the feed to the remote sites didn't work. We taped the session and sent copies to the other sites.

I assigned two students each class to make a web page for topic of the day. This turned out to be a good idea because students took pride in their work and were "published" on the internet.

On 8/06/08, Ms. Egan wrote: > This September I am faced with a dual challenge. This > will be my first year as a Secondary Social Studies > teacher at the high school level. I was also hired as a > Distance Learning teacher for Advanced Placement > Psychology. I will be instructing two live classes > simultaneously with 2 classes streaming in live from other > districts. I was wondering if any of the seasoned > veterans or newbies like myself could offer any advice or > online resources where I can find tips on conducting > distance learning classes. Thank you in advance!

Aug 6, 2008

Distance educator... where do I begin? How do I start?

by Omni

Aug 7, 2008

hi all, I am a new mom and decided to stay this year at home with my baby. I am toying with the idea of trying distance learning. I have 7+ years of elementary classroom experience and my MA of ED in curriculum&Instruction. I have heard of k-8 virtual classrooms and thought that perhaps to give it a try. I just don't know how or where to begin....See More

marjoryt I don't know about K-8, but our state does have an online high school program, created for students who travel, who have severe physical handicaps, and those who have been expelled. Visit the state board of education website and look around, and you may want to actually call and speak with someone.

Aug 9, 2008

Is this company legit.

by Jessy

Aug 26, 2008

Hello everyone,

Has anyone heard about [link removed].

Shawn Yes, this company is definitely LEGIT!...I work for their DC, MD, Northern VA region. I am a field marketing Rep and we provide free online tutoring in the privacy of the child's home on dell desktop computers in reading or math.

On 8/26/08, Jessy wrote: > Hello everyone, > > Has anyone heard about [link removed].

Oct 14, 2008

Questions

by Beth

Sep 3, 2008

I have been thinking about teaching some college level classes online. When researching this area I keep getting sites that advertise "being an online" student. What am I doing wrong?

Also, what training do I need to be a online instructor?

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marjoryt In the college setting, an advertised job is close to being filled. Don't wait for an advertised position - submit applications anyway. 1. Look for local institutions that offer online courses. As an inexperienced instructor, you're going to need mentoring AND more direction. Do you really want to travel 3 hours for a 2 hour workshop? 2. Take a ver...See More

yesterday, 2008

check these out for finding your first online teaching job [link removed]

Mar 7, 2009

Online Reading Courses

by Teresa

Sep 16, 2008

I am currently working on my teaching certificate in Idaho and need one more online reading course for my endorsement. Does anyone have suggestions of possible online or correspondent courses?

On-line learning in NYC, NY state

by Kelly

Sep 30, 2008

New York city is applying to the state for a waiver of "seat-time" requirements that prevent on-line courses from counting towards graduation... what do you think? Would love to hear about your experiences with teaching & learning on-line, since this is new for our city.

marjoryt Our state community colleges formed a consortium in 1999 to offer freshman, sophomore, and technical courses throughout the state. In addition, the system was set up so that a student at one community college could take courses offered not only by the home college but also with colleges in the consortium. By the second semester, not only were commu...See MoreOur state community colleges formed a consortium in 1999 to offer freshman, sophomore, and technical courses throughout the state. In addition, the system was set up so that a student at one community college could take courses offered not only by the home college but also with colleges in the consortium. By the second semester, not only were community college students taking classes, but students enrolled in state and private universities were taking classes through the Mississippi Virtual Community College system. I started teaching online Summer 2000; in my first online American Literature I survey class, one of my students was in Germany; she taught in the elementary school on a USAF base. She took my course to keep her teaching license.

MSVCC is a 2-platform system; using Blackboard and Desire2Learn software. The MSVCC carries the registration, scheduling, and grades forwarding. Individual colleges register students, provide the courses, and pay the instructors. Each college decides which courses it will accept; a few college will only accept courses taught by its instructors, some accept any MSVCC approved course, and some accept courses after specific review of instructor CV and syllabus.

Here are the issues any institution should consider BEFORE starting the plan: 1) Who will teach? Not only must each instructor be certified for the subject, but that instructor must also be very skilled with computers, the software, and with assisting students (talking them through the technology for the first 2 or 3 weeks). Probably every semester I'll receive requests from other colleges or universities wanting to examine my syllabii, and sometimes I get phone calls asking to justify content. (I'm very proud to say that almost all university instructors have been extremely impressed by the coverage, and a few wanted copies of my lecture notes.) 2) Who will be the "technology wonk"? This person is the interface with students, instructors, administration, and the software company. At the MSVCC colleges, this is the Distance Learning Coordinator (DLC) - it's a multiperson office. This is much more than just an administrative job - it's GEEK Squad and Academic VP and student counselor and software integration engineer and scheduler and registrar all in one. 3) What's the schedule? This must be set up VERY well in advance, in order for instructors, proctor sites, registrar, and advertising to be correct. 4) What are the costs - it should be equal across the board for all institutions. This is going to require hardware, software, proctor costs, advertising, paper processing, textbooks. 5) What PROVES the student is actually doing the work? In MSVCC, we set up 2 proctored tests per semester. The student must show up (appointment setting required) at an approved site, must log in independently under supervision, and complete an assignment. Normally, that's a midterm and a final. The software allows instructors to set password- protected tests. The proctors have access to the password lists. An instructor can also demand that every assignment be completed under proctor IF CHEATING IS SUSPECTED. I've had to do that two times (suspects revealed their guilt in both cases). I teach in far south Mississippi; my middle and north Mississippi students visit their home campus proctor sites for the tests, so I never see them. Possibly your situation would be something different - you'll want to examine "hybrid" classes.

Mississippi 4 year public institutions are far behind the community colleges for organization and reputation.

There is a Mississippi online GED and highschool system, much smaller, but using the same platform.

My community college online students include: military homebound by illness or family responsibilities such as children travelers (such as truckers) off-shore workers (many people around here work on off-shore oil rigs) athletes with heavy travel schedules people with varied job schedules (such as health care) students who do not want to take a specific teacher, but that teacher "owns the subject" at a college students with scheduling conficts - course not offered, must take a different course only offered that same time (we get many university students in the summer for this reason) classroom course overloaded "learning situations" - My college has a few students with Asberger's and Tourette's Syndrome - they do NOT function well in a classroom, but do well in the online environment. Visual and auditory disabilities - the computer can seemlessly adapt to these needs.

I suggest googling Mississippi Virtual Community College if you want more information. You also might contact the Blackboard and Desire2Learn companies for demonstrations.

Oct 10, 2008