Instructor: Course Number: 06-10-04

Credit Hours: 3 MSDE credits

Class Time:

Face to Face meeting at

Synchronous Online Meetings (computer, headphones and microphone required) will be held in this Blackboard Collaborate room. The link to the site will be in our course page. See tutorials here.

Course Overview: This course prepares K-12 teachers and professional staff to teach and facilitate online learning for both students and professional development courses. It provides a learning experience in the teaching and facilitation of pre-developed and facilitator ready fully-online courses. It provides a foundation in methods, skills, processes and best practices for teaching and facilitating a completely online course. This course assumes that the following content is present in a facilitator-ready course: instructional content, discussion prompts, and assessments. The course does not cover the design (other than general theory) of materials, the creation of assessments, or the use of course content with face-to face students.

The course consists of 6 modules, each consisting of 1-3 sub-modules. Each sub-module contains a series of online readings, online discussions, and related activities.

Delivery Format: The course is designed for online delivery using Moodle, Blackboard Collaborate and other online resources. Participants will be required to access and use e-mail, file attachments, discussion forums, and live chat resources. There is one mandatory face-to-face session and two mandatory online sessions.

Pre-requisites: Participants must have access to a computer with a headphone output and a microphone/microphone headset, Internet connectivity, and an e-mail address. Participants are expected to know how to navigate online via links, access and edit a web document and send/receive e-mails with attachments.

General Course Requirements and Guidelines

1. Participants are expected to complete all readings, activities, and discussion assignments on time. The due dates for assignments will be given at the beginning of each module.

2. Participants are expected to access the course site, resources, and the discussion forum at least three (3) times per week (fall/spring offering) or five (5) times per week (summer).

3. The expected time commitment is about 4-6 hours per week (fall/spring) and 6-8 hours per week (summer). This includes time spent for the essential readings, research, responding to the discussion forum, and other related activities.

4. Sub-modules will begin and end on various days of the week. It is important to be aware of the course schedule to manage your time.

5. Participants are expected to check the discussion forums several times throughout the session and be an active participant in every discussion. Specific posting and timeline expectations for each discussion will be posted in the discussion forum.

****Attendance (as required for MSDE credit):****

1. Each participant is expected to attend every class. However, participants are allowed one excused absence for unexpected, extenuating circumstances with approval of the facilitator. Any exceptions will be handled on an individual basis.

2. If a participant misses two class sub-modules, he/she must contact the instructor for approval to continue with the course. Failure to receive such approval will result in no MSDE credit earned. If more than two sub-modules are missed, no MSDE credit will be awarded, and the participant must drop the course. The registration fee (if applicable) is non-refundable.

3. In an online course, “attendance” includes timely and appropriate participation in any course discussions and other online class or group activities. The facilitator will provide participants with expectations regarding posting deadlines and participation requirements. Failure to meet those expectations for any given activity constitutes a “missed class” for purposes of the required attendance guidelines as described in 1 and 2 above. If you miss a discussion, or post late, you are subject to the terms described above. This is one major way in which online coursework is different than face to face coursework.

Course Materials: Reading and other materials for this course are provided online. In addition, you will be reading portions of Teaching Online: A Practical Guide by Susan Ko and Steve Rossen. You may wish to purchase the book for your own personal use but it is not required for this course.

Outcomes:By the end of the course you will be able to:

• create an online learning space which has personality, activity, warmth, interaction, and is inhabited with real people - a sense of place where known others are present.

• implement effective synchronous & asynchronous means of interacting with online students

• implement a framework and organizational structure to optimize student achievement and success in online courses.

• manage groups and monitor student activity within the online course

• weld available tools and strategies to manage workflow and monitor student activity in the online environment

• engage students in actively constructing knowledge as an effective online instructional technique.

Course Activities and Assignments:

The course work includes group discussion, group and individual activities, and personal reflections. Specific assignments by module/sub-module are provided in a separate document. All activities must be completed satisfactorily to receive credit. Assignments other than discussion postings that are not eligible for credit may be returned by the facilitator for further development. As an online course that can be audited, BCPS must ensure the integrity of the assignments and rigor of the course.

Participation in the discussion forums is an essential part of this course. Participation in the discussion forums is assessed (to earn credit for the activity) using the criteria below:

• Meets requirements as to due dates and minimum number of postings

• Content is insightful and contributes value, moves the discussion forward, or adds new perspectives.

• Message is well-written and contains all requested information

Orientation (3 Days)

Module 1 – Introduction to Online Teaching (12 Days)

• Mod 1 P1: Overview

• Mod 1 P2: Opening – Success as an Online Student

• Mod 1 P3: Checklists

• Mod 1 P4: Opening – Ice Breaker Discussion

• Mod 1 P5: Safety and Netiquette in Action

• Mod 1 P6: Online Facilitation

• Mod 1 P7: Online vs. Face-to Face Instruction

• Mod 1 P8: Do you have what it takes?

• Mod 1 P9: Learning Log

Module 2 – Community Building (16 Days)

• Mod 2 P1: Overview

• Mod 2 P2: Checklist

• Mod 2 P2.1: Personalizing Your Space

• Mod 2 P2.1.1: Setting the Stage for Your Learners

• Mod 2 P2.1.2: Who are You?

• Mod 2 P2.1.3: Do You Have a Voice?

• Mod 2 P2.1.4: From Empty Space to OUR Place

• Mod 2 P2.1.5: Assignments

• Mod 2 P2.1.6: Sharing Your Real Voice

• Mod 2 P2.1.7: What’s Next

• Mod 2 P2.2: Establishing Trust

• Mod 2 P2.2.1: Creating Safety & Trust

• Mod 2 P2.2.2: It’s Nice to Meet You!

• Mod 2 P2.2.3: It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It

• Mod 2 P2.2.4: Online Response Skills

• Mod 2 P2.2.5: Using Your Response Skills

• Mod 2 P2.2.6: Establishing Expectations

• Mod 2 P2.3: Building YOUR Community

• Mod 2 P2.3.1: Who Are Your Learners?

• Mod 2 P2.3.2: Community Building Do’s & Do not’s

• Mod 2 P2.3.3: Interaction is the Key

• Mod 2 P2.3.4: Learning Log

Module 3: Facilitating for Learning (14 days)

SYNCHRONOUS SESSION ONLINE Day 2 of this session 4:30-6:30

• Mod 3 P1: Overview

• Mod 3 P2: Checklist

• Mod 3 P3.1.1: Successful Online Learners are Active Learners

• Mod 3 P3.1.2: Working with Groups

• Mod 3 P3.1.3: Assignments

• Mod 3 P3.2.1: Asynchronous Interaction

• Mod 3 P3.2.2: Essential Principles for Facilitating Asynchronous Discussions

• Mod 3 P3.2.3: Synchronous Interaction

• Mod 3 P3.2.4: Tools for Synchronous Interaction

• Mod 3 P3.2.5: Supporting Online Discussion

• Mod 3 P3.2.6: Summarizing Online Discussions

• Mod 3 P3.3.1: Managing Behavior Online

• Mod 3 P3.3.2: Recognizing Students Who Need Help

• Mod 3 P3.3.3: Helping Struggling Students: Providing Support Resources

• Mod 3 P3.3.4: Additional Help for High School Students

• Mod 3 P3.3.5: Helping Students with Special Needs

• Mod 3 P3.3.6: More Tips to Assist Students with Special Needs

• Mod 3 P3.3.7: Scenario Activity

• Mod 3 P3.3.8: Learning Log

Module 4: Assessment (9 Days)

• Mod 4.1: Overview

• Mod 4.2: Checklist

• Mod 4.3: First Things First

• Mod 4.4: Assignment I – Rubric Creation Activity

• Mod 4.5: How Do You Know?

• Mod 4.6: Assignment II - Academic Integrity

• Mod 4.7: Reflection

Module 5: The Heart of the Matter – Doing the Job Well (7 days)

SYNCHRONOUS SESSION ONLINE Day 7 of this session 4:30-6:30

• Mod 5.1: Overview

• Mod 5.2: Checklist

• Mod 5.3: A Few Caveats

• Mod 5.4: Standards and Guidelines

• Mod 5.5: Manage the Course

• Mod 5.6: Time Management

• Mod 5.7: Being Efficient

• Mod 5.8: Summing Up