Teaching on the Education Frontier Instructional Strategies for Online and Blended Classrooms Grades 5-12

Kristin Kipp, a classroom teacher and instructional coach, was the Colorado Online Teacher of the Year for 2010 and the National Online Teacher of the Year for 2011. She has been teaching online and blended courses since 2007 and she chronicles her experiences on her blog, the Education Frontier, (www.educationfrontier.org) She also consults and does webinar and speaking engagements around the country.

About the Author xv

Foreword xvii
Susan Patrick

Introduction xix

1 The Many Variables of Online and Blended Teaching 1

Self-Paced versus Cohort Approach 3

Full-Time versus Part-Time Online Students 5

Blended versus Fully Online Courses 6

Create-Your-Own versus a Purchased Curriculum 8

Teacher as Course Author and Organizer versus Teacher as

Facilitator Only 10

Teacher Performance (and Perhaps Pay) Based on Course Completion versus Based on Rubric or Evaluation Systems 12

What Kind of Online or Blended Teaching Model Is Right for You? 13

2 Course Philosophy 17

Connect to Content 18

Connect with Other Students 21

Connect with the Teacher 23

Connecting on All Three Fronts 24

3 Preparing to Teach an Online Course 27

Course Organization 28

Fleshing Out the Course Information Button 30

Be Vocal, an Acronym for Teacher Success 34

AWord to theWise 35

4 Building Relationships with Students 37

Starting at the Beginning 38

Continuing the Relationship 42

Hosting Face-to-Face Events 46

Building an Online Persona 46

5 Using Announcements Effectively 49

Types of Announcements 50

Practical Considerations in Using Announcements 55

Incorporating Voice Elements into Announcements 58

6 Discussion Board Strategies and Facilitation 61

Discussion Board Basics 63

Asking Quality Questions 64

Rubrics and Grading 66

Teaching Students to Respond in Ways That Keep the Discussion Moving 70

Teaching Discussion Board Etiquette 72

How Much to Be Involved 73

Types of Posts 73

Handing over the Reins for Student-Led Discussions 75

7 Teaching Synchronous Sessions 77

Basic Capabilities of Synchronous Tools 78

Communication Tools: Microphone, Video, Chat, and Polling 79

Presentation Tools: Whiteboard, Screen Sharing, and File Sharing 81

Time Considerations 82

Making Up Missed Sessions 83

Building a Routine 84

Activity Ideas 85

8 Creating and Modifying Assignments 89

Defining a Good Assignment 90

Creating Un-Googleable Assignments 92

Keeping Your Course Current 93

Using the Platform to Create Unique Experiences 94

9 Collaborating in Online Courses 97

Why Collaboration Is Essential 97

Wikis 97

Blogs 99

Google Docs 99

E-portfolios 101

Collaborative Groups 101

Staying Involved 102

10 Differentiating Assignments 105

What Is Differentiation? 105

Creating Choice within Assignments 107

Customized Path through a Session or Unit 111

Critical Paths 111

Differentiating for Special Needs Students 113

11 Grading and Feedback 117

Grading in a Virtual Space 117

Understanding the Basics 118

Canned Comments and Personalizing Feedback 121

Rubric Grading 127

Word Options for Grading Student Work 129

File Management 130

12 Accessibility, Communication, and Office Hours 135

Communicating with Digital Natives: Speaking Their Language 135

Office Hours and Tutoring 137

Communication Methods 139

Choosing Your Communication Method Based on Message 147

13 Time Management and Routines 151

Making the Transition 151

Creating a Weekly Routine 152

Top-Three Strategy 152

Managing the E-mail Monster 153

Using Adaptive Release 155

Creating a Work-Life Balance 155

14 Strategies for Blended Learning 159

Toward a New Way of Learning 159

Basic Blended Learning Models 160

Learning Variables on a Digital Scale 161

Example Activities for a Blended Environment 163

Designing Mixed Assignments 164

Using Online Tools to Make the Face-to-Face Classroom More Efficient 165

Choosing Your Tools 165

15 Training to Teach Online 169

The Process of Becoming an Online Teacher 169

Taking an Online Course 170

Online Training Courses and Professional Development Books 170

Teaching Part-Time Online 171

Taking on More Advanced Roles 172

What to Expect During the Transition 172

Finding a Mentor or Mentor Community 172

Avoiding Isolation and Connecting with Other Online Teachers 173

A iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses 177

B Sample Syllabus 185

C iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Teaching 193

D Frequently Asked Questions 209

References 213

Resources 215

Glossary 221

Acknowledgments 223

Index 225

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.