Tips, Tricks & Techniques of Teaching Educational Computer Technology Online

Laura Turner Computer Technology Instructor College of Education go to web page

ISTE Standards Were Used In Course Design

Online Class Setup WebCT is used –Course Content –Private Mail –Bulletin Board –Online Testing

Design Suggestions Use storyboarding to help you in the creation of your course Use deadlines throughout your course Use some type of sectioning of your course –modules - chapters - sections All sections of your course should have the same look

Design Suggestions When using handouts, use an online link to each handout Use timed online testing for theory Use project based activities for technology competency Plan on revising after the first time through Save all your revisions for one time

Course Setup 8 Modules - 2 weeks each in length Two textbooks are used –all assignments are sent as attachments –attachments can be in any format (software) that the student is working in Online handouts are used Online Midterm and Final are given

Textbooks used Teachers Discovering Computers –by Shelly Cashman Gunter - Course Technology Office 2000 Brief Concepts & Techniques –by Shelly/Cashman/Vermaat - Course Technology - Course Technology - Shelly Cashman - Shelly Cashman

Before You Begin Students must read this handout before they begin the online class Contains all relevant information about all aspects of this course Contains various online handouts Includes course syllabus

Module 1 The Internet & the WWW –interactive assignments Using the Internet - WebCT & Attachments Search Engines Overview Children Search Engines Internet Terms Worksheet Windows 95/98

Module 2 Using Computers in Education –interactive assignments Downloading Images from the Internet –clipart.com, hoxie.org, wendys-world.co.uk/ Downloading Programs from the Internet –tucows.com Using Word - flyer creation Windows Operating System

Module 3 Software Applications for Education –interactive assignments Creating a Teacher’s Web Page –Netscape composer (Netscape Communicator) used –creation of teacher web page Using Excel –gradesheet creation –formulas, functions, formatting & web queries

Module 4 Hardware Applications for Education –interactive assignments –Troubleshooting Hardware Problems Using Access - –database creation –sorting/querying Digital Cameras Lesson Plan Online Search

Module 5 Multimedia in Education –interactive assignments Using PowerPoint –5 slide classroom presentation

Module 6 Education & Technology Integration –interactive assignments Using AppleWorks –drawing/painting –word processing –spreadsheets –database

Module 7 Integrating Ed. Tech. into the Curriculum –interactive assignments Graphic Organizers Curriculum Pages Evaluating Educational Software Evaluating Web Pages Using MAC computers

Module 8 Security Issues, Ethics & Emerging Technologies in Education –interactive assignments Final Project –1 week narrative plan that incorporates the various types of educational computer technology that the student has learned in the previous 7 modules

Time Saving Ideas When Using WebCT To Teach Computer Technology Online

As a WebCT instructor, you set up your students’ logon and passwords. What seems to work best is to have your students contact you via your campus . You can then reply back to your students, giving them their logon and password for your WebCT class, and related instructions 1

If your allows you to send attachments when replying, your instructions can be sent as such to each student as they contact you. If you cannot send attachments when replying, instructions relating to #1 can be done in Word, copied and pasted into your reply . Then, you do not have to type the same intro message times. 2

As the instructor, you can easily return a student’s assignment to them if there were problems. Use the Private Mail function to send your student an attachment of their work and your comments. 3

As you receive your assignments from your online students, create a folder for each student on your hard drive (desktop is preferable as it is easy to access). As you receive assignments, save it in the correct folder, correct and grade your student’s work and then delete the assignment from WebCT. 4

Rename the files you are correcting in some manner, so you can sort the files in each student’s folder. Then, you can see if any assignments are missing/or easily find the file you are looking for. For example: I rename all my student files according to the Module that they are in (Mod 1- A-1) When I want to sort my student’s files in their folder, I open their folder, click View – Arrange Icons – By Name. My student’s files are now all arranged according to Mod 1 to 8.

6 If your students have sent in more than one online assignment at a time, correct them together. WebCT will remember the previous path and folder so when you correct the second assignment, you will not have to find the desktop and correct folder(s).

7 Occasionally, a student’s file will be sent as an HTML file. To change a HTML file to a Word file, (or other file type) when you are saving in WebCT. –add the extension.doc (or other extension) to the filename before you save the document to the correct folder –under files of type, choose All Files

8 If you receive an attachment from a student that is empty, it is probably because the student has opened the attached file to check it before he/she sends it or they have not placed the checkmark in front of the file before clicking Done. Have the student resend without checking (opening) the file or make sure they have checkmarked the file before sending

When you are correcting your student’s online work, use a red font (red pen) to make your comments and to assign a grade to the work. Then save your comments to their work (file). If you need to return their online work, it is easy for the student to read your comments and to find the grade you have given them. When you assign a grade in your gradebook, if you do not actually place a grade on your student’s on- line work, you may have documentation problems.

When grading student’s online work, Excel works well as the gradebook. WebCT does have a gradebook function, but it can be time consuming to use. You can create your gradebook in Excel and have that open at the same time you are working in WebCT. As you save, open, and grade your student’s online work, you can easily switch to Excel, record a grade and switch back to WebCT and continue grading the next assignment.

You will want to send each student information on their progress in your Internet class. You can send grade information to your students at anytime during your class. I send each student a copy of their progress after every 2-3 modules have been completed. 11

Open a blank Word document Open your Excel gradesheet document Copy the needed information from Excel into Word for the first student on your list. (their scores and the total points for each assignment) Save the Word file. Compose a message in WebCT to your first student and attach the Word file. Complete this process for each student

You may have students working on MACs. If you have a PC in your office as your main work computer, you will be able to accept most MAC generated documents as long as your students use a PC formatted diskette to store their work. This format allows MAC users to send PC users data in a PC readable format, (most of the time). 12

Thank you for choosing to attend this session Tips, Tricks & Techniques of Teaching Educational Computer Technology Online