Online Instructor Training

Do you like taking classes online? Have you considered becoming an online instructor for AEA PD Online? We are always looking for Master educators who want to develop their own courses and teach them online for AEA PD Online.

One of the requirements for becoming an AEA PD Online instructor includes taking 3 courses from our OLLIE series (Online Learning for Iowa Educators). You can get a jumpstart on this requirement in the new year by enrolling in one, or more, of the OLLIE courses.

One of the required courses, OLLIE: Technology for Online Instruction: Moodle, begins January 6, 2016.  It is a 5-week course designed to help you feel comfortable using Moodle for a host of different purposes, including online courses, hybrid courses, web portals, and online communities. You will develop content in the Moodle platform, including activities, forums, lessons, and assessments. Skills and concepts will be analyzed in context of the Iowa Online Teaching Standards and Online Course Standards. The course is delivered online, in an asynchronous delivery (participants work at their own time and place).

A second course, OLLIE: Online Learning Instructional Design, begins February 17 and ends March 22, 2016.  This course introduces you to the core principles of online instructional design. You will experience and discuss how to create student outcomes, assessments, and lessons for an online asynchronous format. You also will have exposure to existing online technologies, including web 2.0 tools, as well as online resources and repositories. You will create 2 instructional units, with lessons and assessments, and will practice your understanding of working in small groups. All content and activities created by participants will be able to be used after class is completed in your own online course.

To sign up for either course, go to the AEA PD Online course catalog, https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/home and type OLLIE in the Title or Description (optional) field. Then click Search.

For more information about becoming an AEA PD Online instructor, check out this webpage,  http://www.aeapdonline.org/p/instructor-toolbox.html, or contact Peggy Steinbronn at psteinbronn@aeapdonline.org.

Online Course Design Revisited

Instructors new to online teaching are always concerned about the design of their course(s). Having a layout that is pleasing, easy for students to navigate, with clear instructions is an art in and of itself.

Sometimes just having something to look at and compare one course to another is very helpful--a checklist of sorts. Check out this infographic for a design checklist for elearning:

Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics

For more specifics about each point in the checklist, visit The Perfect eLearning Course Design Checklist Inforgraphic.

Peggy Steinbronn, Ed.D.

New Beginnings

 

  

I can't believe it is already August. What happened to all the time I was going to have in the summer to read, relax, refresh, rejuvenate? I wish I could get some of that time back. I am thinking I really didn't get a lot accomplished over the summer--it was just too busy. Do you feel the same way? Do you go back to school with less energy and enthusiasm than you left with at the end of the school year?

What are your plans to make learning more fun, more useful to students, to show more passion about learning? Our students look to the teacher to find enthusiasm, passion, and energy for learning. Teachers are their models. What characteristics does a "passionate" teacher possess? Who is/were your favorite teacher(s)?  What did they do that makes him/her, still to this day, stand out as a favorite for you?

Did you use any of these words to describe that teacher: excitement, energy, delight, zeal, vigor, devotion, enjoyment (just to name a few). Did you also use the word "fun"?

If the teacher is having fun, chances are, the students are too. By fun, I don't mean all fun and games with no learning happening, but rather, the teacher enjoys what he/she is doing and that becomes an important part of the classroom culture. Hard work and fun go together. An article, by Hal Urban, talks about the teacher's enthusiasm. He played around with the letters of the word and used each to find other words that "paint a picture of what successful teachers do."

Energetic
Not Boring
Tough
High Standards
Understanding
Sense of humor
Imagination
Always personal
Storyteller
Motivated

To see more specifics about each of these words, read Urban's article, Lesson #1: Good teachers share one special quality .

Although you may not ever “see” the online teacher, students do get a sense for what their instructor is like. Online teachers convey enthusiasm, understanding, a sense of humor, are motivated and prepared, etc. The online instructor participates frequently, interacts with individuals throughout the course, and provides feedback, encouragement, and support for all online students.

If you are new to online teaching here are some hints for preparing your online course:

• Be clear, concise, and comprehensive
• Provide a manageable amount of content
• Provide a variety of learning activities 
• Avoid making last-minute changes 
• Provide resources to help students succeed in the online classroom. 
• Test the course in different browsers and on different computers.

From: Six Tips for Preparing Your Online Course, R. Kelly. http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/six-tips-preparing-online-course/ January 16, 2015

What do you do to get ready for your online students? Go!

 

Welcome to the new school year!

Let's get ready!

Among teacher variables, enthusiasm has the most powerful and positive impact on student learning.
                                                                 – Toni Kempler

Peggy Steinbronn, Ed.D.

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Day!

May 5 is National Teacher Appreciation Day and AEA PD Online would like to extend a special thank you to all of our dedicated instructors who provide quality, online professional development to educators.


Top 10 Reasons AEA PD Online Says "Hats Off" to its Online Instructors

AEA PD Online Instructors are...

1. passionate about each and every learner.
2. creators of community.
3. builders of trust.
4. excited about their content.
5. creative in how they engage their participants.
6. responsive to student needs and questions.
7. technologically advanced.
8. dedicated to making learning relevant and meaningful.
9. learners as well as instructors.
10. committed to providing rigorous learning opportunities that push their participants thinking.