CEP 820 Teaching K - 12 Students Online
Instructors: Michelle Schira Hagerman and Ammon Wilcken
The main objective of CEP 820 was the acquisition of strategies for teaching in an online setting. The learning outcome was the creation of a module using a course management system (CMS). For CEP 820, I created a course called Financial Literacy using CourseSites by Blackboard. http://financialliteracy.coursesites.com/
Financial Literacy in CourseSites
Decision 1: What to teach?
I decided to create a module for financial literacy using the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy National Standards. The learning objective for the unit was the application of reliable information and logical decision making to personal financial decisions. This was the easy part.
Decision 2: What technology or CMS to use?
There are many open course management systems available to educators. Each model has unique instructional, functional and structural features so it is important to know how you want your content presented when selecting a CMS. My financial literacy course had to be organized, linear not layered, easily navigated, interactive, engaging and productive.
After a great deal of research, I selected a relatively new CMS called CourseSites by BlackBoard. In addition to its functional and structural features, CourseSites fulfilled my need for freedom to create my course and to share it outside of our district. Many of the lessons that I plan on using as content are open educational resources and I wanted the same access for my course. Having created several courses in Moodle, I also wanted to learn another course management tool whose creator, BlackBoard, is used by most of the major online providers of high school courses.
Decision 3: How to teach online?
Begin with the end in mind! Say this to yourself several times before you start designing an online class.
Module one of my financial literacy course was designed using the six JumpStart standards for financial responsibility and decision-making. Using the TPACK approach, I integrated various technologies to support the learner through the content. Student assessment for each section of the module was an application project using the skills and knowledge mastered in the section. My experience with mentoring online students has shown that the best online assessment is a project-based presentation that is aligned with the standards.
After mentoring online students for three years, I was really excited to have the opportunity to be on the creating side of the virtual classroom. The initial design was for an 18-week course. When reality set in, my final project resulted in one three-week module, but I learned how to use a new CMS, create screencasts, and become more focused on the needs of the online learner. The course I created is a work in progress. Looking forward, my plan is to work towards completion knowing that I will always be tweaking the course to improve accessibility, update media and to keep the content relevant and engaging.
I decided to create a module for financial literacy using the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy National Standards. The learning objective for the unit was the application of reliable information and logical decision making to personal financial decisions. This was the easy part.
Decision 2: What technology or CMS to use?
There are many open course management systems available to educators. Each model has unique instructional, functional and structural features so it is important to know how you want your content presented when selecting a CMS. My financial literacy course had to be organized, linear not layered, easily navigated, interactive, engaging and productive.
After a great deal of research, I selected a relatively new CMS called CourseSites by BlackBoard. In addition to its functional and structural features, CourseSites fulfilled my need for freedom to create my course and to share it outside of our district. Many of the lessons that I plan on using as content are open educational resources and I wanted the same access for my course. Having created several courses in Moodle, I also wanted to learn another course management tool whose creator, BlackBoard, is used by most of the major online providers of high school courses.
Decision 3: How to teach online?
Begin with the end in mind! Say this to yourself several times before you start designing an online class.
Module one of my financial literacy course was designed using the six JumpStart standards for financial responsibility and decision-making. Using the TPACK approach, I integrated various technologies to support the learner through the content. Student assessment for each section of the module was an application project using the skills and knowledge mastered in the section. My experience with mentoring online students has shown that the best online assessment is a project-based presentation that is aligned with the standards.
After mentoring online students for three years, I was really excited to have the opportunity to be on the creating side of the virtual classroom. The initial design was for an 18-week course. When reality set in, my final project resulted in one three-week module, but I learned how to use a new CMS, create screencasts, and become more focused on the needs of the online learner. The course I created is a work in progress. Looking forward, my plan is to work towards completion knowing that I will always be tweaking the course to improve accessibility, update media and to keep the content relevant and engaging.
Title created with Spell With Flickr