Should a teacher give out their private home number to students?

I conducted my doctoral research on cyber aggressive behaviors against institutional and counseling policies and procedures. I have to tell you I am very concerned on several levels using social networking and virtual worlds as locations for effective instruction. First of all, there are security issues and breaches in privacy. Although I did not find a FERPA ruling, I feel it will be a matter of time before FERPA steps in and addresses this issue. Secondly research has shown there is a disconnect between fantasy and reality between the ages of 13 to 27 unless they are in a grounded human relationship. Therefore, if a negative action occurs in the virtual world, they respond as if it occurred face-to-face. Therefore, communication and how issues are approached are imperative. Last but not least, I found that cyberbullying were reported more and occurred in their on-line courses. Yet the administration viewed it as less harmful and the disciplinary action was minor because it did not pose an immediate threat. Therefore as an instructor, I am concerned on how students react to what is posted because everyone's perception is very different from ours.

The three most important considerations are (in my opinion): 1) Are the tools used user friendly, can someone with a high school degree understand how to use the technology with a minimum degree of effort or within a couple of hours training? 2) Can older students who may be retooling their job skills make use of the technology with minimum assistance to mitigate any hesitancy with respect to being part of an online class? 3) Have I had the necessary training to make use of the up-to-date requirements/technology that is a fundamental part of the course and is expected to be used by instructors?

Everyday we struggle to reach our students and make sure they understand what is expected of them. What more can we try? One method which is quite effective at establishing the role of instructor is to place a welcome call to the students.

I love to use the Cisco Webex tool that the school I teach at offers. This is a great way to communicate with my entire class. Not only does it provide a personal atmosphere with phone line conversation, visuals are provided as well. I feel it gives the students a great environment for learning and connecting with me as well as their classmates.

I was wondering how many who have chosen to use this format have found it successful. Although I use Facebook for personal use, I am very leary of using it for classroom use. Any other ideas?

How important is it to understand who we are teaching to and what generation they are from when we embrace technology within our online courses?

i often find when blending technology or using technology in an acadmic setting it is important to ensure that students are comfortable with the use of that specific technology through an orientation prior to the class. many of my students, even the younger ones find online learning a difficult process without it.

I still think the standard telephone helps many online students feel a bit better about the class, the instructor, and what they are doing. Chris

In my program we pride ourselves on a primarily asynchronous program. By doing so it provides more flexibility. However there is a lack of connection wit Asynchronous programs. What do you believe is the best? Synchronous, Asynchronous, or a blend.? Some educators are quick to suggest Synchronous learning without taking into account the very real limitation of student’s, home, work, and personal schedules. I am open to hearing my classmates’ thoughts on the matter.

When assessing the use of technology communication tools in a virtual learning environment, what do you believe are the three most important things to consider and why?

When assessing the use of technology communication tools in a virtual learning environment, one of the most important things to consider is how much and what type(s) of experiential equity a student has. Some students may communicate effectively through one medium, such as email, while other students work better through multiple mediums.

While I believe that technology tools lend themselves well to building relationships in the online environment, what if you are restricted to the schools learning/classroom platform. I teach at an online school where communications are restricted to inside of the classroom for reporting purposes(blackboard). Is anyone familiar with any technology tools that enhance communications on blackboard outside of email and holding chat sessions?

For 21st centuary, technology tools have become very important not only for learning but also for communication. Today in any field like emergency manager or planner or responders job, technology tools have become a vital part of the life cycle.

Today more than ever it is so important to keep up with current trends especially geared towards technology. It is changing so quickly, it seems once you get the hang of it, it is obsolete and there is something new to learn. What are some good web-sites to keep up to date on all the changes that are happening with education and technology?

I teach at a two-year career college, and we are required to have students submit their research papers via a website called Turnitin. This is supposed to check for plagiarism in each student's paper. However, I've had a lot of bad luck with it, and students' and other teachers' feedback mirrors my own. Do any of you have experience with Turnitin? Do you have any tips on making it more user-friendly and useful in general?

I teach for an online career college, and I have found that one of my bigger challenges is to get the students to engage with each other. I had one class in particular that did a great job with this, and I could see that it made such an improvement on everyone's performance. I was wondering if anyone had tried to use Facebook as a tool to get classes talking to each other. How did you set it up? How did it work? Would you recommend it? Thanks!

It is in my best interest as an instructor to keep up with technology. My students sometimes are much more advanced in the techno world.

One thing most of my students have in common is a thirst for knowledge. Otherwise . . . The general age range is from late teens to late 60's/early 70's. Some have been working with computers for years, others acquired their first computers when they signed up for online classes. Education levels go from GED to working on a second or third degrees,due to career changes or returning to school after being out of the education system for years. The list of differences could go on and on. By far, by teaching on line, I am working with the most diverse groups of people I have ever had in "one" classroom. In my classes, students are required to introduce themselves within the first few weeks of class. This has provided a starting point for general student initiated "let's help each other out" communities in various classes. Not only are the more technology aware students helping others, but advice has been flowing in other areas also - such as job search and child care. Mostly, all I have done is encourage communcation, so classes can run more smoothly; the students have done the rest. (Granted, this does not happen in all classes.) I am contantly amazed at the willingness of students to help each other out.