Students have different technology skills. Asking the appropriate questions at the beginning of class is imperative to getting to know your students. Do they know how to fill out a Google doc? Do they know how to use Dropbox?
It is important to know how to navigate different tools to be successful in online learning. As instructor we must make sure our students learn to access and navigate online learning tools to make sure they are not stress and are very successful. Building a good easy to use system will be efficient in learning process.
Assessing students ability to utilize technology, by asking yes or no questions, can assist instructor in knowing how to assist students in becoming more comfortable. Provide different technological activities to be completed.
Again communication, What tools can be used to help each student be successful .
The climate of our online courses need to be student focused and be a constant work in progress.
Technology skills must be evaluated if the teacher is to be successful. Students who cannot use the technology provided, will fall behind an struggle. The struggle may be confused with "lack of knowledge", which would not be the case. It is important to have a "student centered" mindset to ensure students feel part of the learning process.
Student centered learning creates a space for students to learn how they best can receive and apply knowledge.
Utilizing different technology factors in a lesson helps to build a personalized feel to the content and helps to reach all types of learners.
I learned the differences between asynchronous and synchronous communication tools in this module. Both are great tools to utilize for communication in online instruction.
Make sure students are aware on their knowledge of using technology
Assessing technical skills is just as important as assessing other skills. Students should have access to how-to documents and guides to ensure their success with technology.
Using a variety of tools for both synchronous and asynchronous learning is the best approach to reaching all your students.
Using of a variety of communication tools is paramount for an online course. These tools should be assessed as to whether they enhance or detract from communicative learning. I learned about asynchronous and synchronous learning environments. Asynchronous is "Anytime" (discussions, emails, wikis, blogs, and synchronous is "Real Time" (meeting together online as two people or a group).
To become more interactive
Students are expected to come with some technical skills. Using the tools available to us, we have many ways of communicating with our students.
Social networking allows for direct and helpful communication, a quality that is essential for effective learning to take place.
Before starting a course, make sure that the students are familiar with the different communication tools used in the class - both asynchronous and synchronous.
Being available and guidance.
Posting multiple types of assignments and utilizing various platforms can enhance the learning process. I will come up with a way to use social networking and have the necessary guidelines in place for the students to be able to handle the material on the different platforms.
Using and knowing all tools that are available for effective online communication is key.
