Alejandro Sevilla

I was familiar with the synchronous learning tools available such as chats, conferencing, IM, etc but didn't think too much of the asynchronous component and how those can be helpful to students when the class is offline. I never did consider the use of social media in a classroom environment as it may be distracting (depending on platform). Now with the use of groups on social media, there may be some community knowledge students can benefit from. 

A common theme in this lesson is communication with our students in the classroom and offline. The emaphsis placed communicatiing out expectations to our students about coursework, tests, outcomes, projects, etc. I did like the suggestions about encouraging participation by either a 'passive' or 'aggressive' approach such as private emails and student-led discussions. 

A few things I learned from the reading was the emphasis of time management. That is, I will plan on creating a detailed syllabus and post assignments, deadlines, and expectations for every course taught. Doing so will allow me to effectively answer student's questions about the topics as I will be aware of them as the terms progresses. The course content will be presented when scheduled online and I can allow students to review the content in advance, if needed.