I am currently in the process of using Google Sites to create a unit on classroom dynamics.  I have chose Google Sites because I think it will be the most universally accessible application, one which will be compatible with other Google applications, and one which promises to be around for the foreseeable future.

Because I currently teach in a bricks-and-mortar environment (Carthage College) I am more inclined to go asynchronously most of the time.  Since we meet regularly face-to-face it would seem unnecessary to create any synchronous activities.  The exceptions may be if I am ill or if there is a snow day.

I will continue to learn more an more about all the Google applications rather than any other.  I believe that Google will have the most generally available tools that will be around for the foreseeable future.

I am currently frustrated with Google Docs because I cannot insert an existing pdf document into it.
Can anyone out there tell me how to do this?   I inserted my own evaluation numbers into the pdf checklist for evaluating online courses.  I would now like to be able to insert that pdf file into a Google doc as part of my assignment.

As we move from 501 to 502 I am pleased to know that - having explored some of the tools available - we will now be focusing more on the pedagogy which - after all - should determine which tools are best.

I am already looking forward to creating a unit that I will be able to use in the fall.

Responses to Self Assessment Regarding Preparedness for Online Teaching

I completed both questionnaires.  There was some redundancy in the questions.

It seems that only one of the two questionnaires allowed me to "submit" and obtain feedback.

I created a separate Google document for my responses to each questionnaire.

Aside:  According to one website Google Drive has replaced Google Docs.  This continual renaming and revising of applications is frustrating.  I see a real problem in terms of creating resource documents for students because the terms that we use in these documents (Ex:  Google Docs) will rapidly become obsolete as they are replaced by other terms (Ex: Google Drive).  This will undoubtedly cause frustration for students unless we are constantly editing our documents to reflect the changes.

I was surprised that my feedback was generally only in the "beginner to intermediate" range.

I'm wondering if this just isn't a ploy to encourage people to take more courses.

As I think more about this it does seem that I am still hanging onto the face-to-face mode.  Perhaps my age (66) is showing.  However, I resist the complete online approach because -thus  far - I have encountered enough technical problems to cause frustrations for me ... and my students.  In addition to the technical problems there are also compatibility problems.  For example:  I cannot assume that next fall all my students will have Windows 8.  I have encountered some definite Windows 8 versus Windows 7 compatibility issues.  Also,  I cannot assume that all students are PC users.  Last semester it seemed that there was a growing number of Apple users.    Excel runs very differently on a PC compared to a Mac.  Nevertheless...

I am impressed with the plethora of online resources available.

In the short run I will continue integrating online resources into my bricks-and-mortar classes.  Carthage is not ready to jump into the online game at this point anyway.  It seems that for now blending the online with the face-to-face is the most appropriate avenue for me to take

I have learned a great deal from CEdO501, not the least of which are the several new ideas of have encountered merely by observing Louis Loeffler's practices as an online instructor.  I have found him to be an excellent model for creating rubrics and linking us - via the syllabus and session documents - to valuable resources.  He also has a very congenial interpersonal style; ... always very positive and helpful.  He kept our online class meetings on-schedule, and yet allowed plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Thank you Louis !   I look forward to 502

More thoughts re: online collaboration

After publishing my last blog post I realized that I might be confronted by the following challenge:  Bob, if you don't like to collaborate then go ahead and write this paper on "Browser Comparisons" by yourself.
As I think about that potential challenge I recognize a larger issue... one that I find extremely important; namely, the pros and cons of assigned topics.

I am finding it VERY valuable for me to now be in the position of "student."  I have always argued against assigned paper topics because I believe that students do their best work when they are intrinsically motivated by a genuine interest in a topic.  Frankly, I am not genuinely interested in comparing five different browsers on the 21 criteria that we have been assigned.  Thus, I am resisting this assignment.  And, as I think about it even more, it is the assignment topic - not the collaboration - that I am resisting.  If I were given the opportunity to collaborate on a topic that I was genuinely interested in... that would be exciting!

So, this experience of being a student, is reminding me of how important it is to give my students as much control of how they want to spend there time as possible.  I realize, of course , that there are limits to how much freedom of choice I can give them.  Their choices must be within the domain of the course that they are taking.

I will try to discipline myself to study the five browsers and complete the comparison worksheet.

Lauren and Beth,   In the spirit of collaboration, could we each take approximately 7 of the 21 criteria ... rather than all three of us looking at all 21?

Social Bookmarks

My general reaction to social bookmarks is that I am not yet motivated to use them.

I am also discovering that I am resisting on-line collaborative processes.  I understand that there is some consensus that our students will need collaborative skills in order to compete in the job market.  In other words:  preparing our students for careers requires that we prepare them to collaborate.  I understand all this. Nevertheless, my personal experience with online collaboration has been frustrating.  The amount of time it takes to collaborate - in my experience - competes with the amount of time available to do research on a given topic. Right or wrong, I would much rather write a paper by myself than to collaborate.

I recognize that this is a minority perspective.

Social Bookmarks

I am giving up for now on trying to fill-in the worksheet for the social bookmarks.  I have spent well over an hour trying to add Google extensions for

delicious     Diigo  digg  Xmarks   StumbleUpon

It seems as though StumbleUpon has taken over my Google browser with its own tool bar.
It keeps taking me around and around and around in circles ... very frustrating.