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SHERIE MORAN
Professional Educator
Idaho Online Teaching Standards with Rationale and Artifacts
As each state implements Common Core State Standards, each aspect of teaching is also standards-based. Although I have been teaching online for Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) since 2007, it is exciting to be a part of the Boise State University pilot group to validate my experience and knowledge in its new Online Teaching Endorsement. Concurrently, I am working to finish my Masters in Educational Technology with a School Technologist endorsement by Summer 2014.
Standard #1
Knowledge of Online Education
The online teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures in online instruction and and creates learning experiences that take advantage of the trans-formative potential in online learning environments.
1.1 Current Standards for Best Practices
I obtained my teaching certificate in California at California State University in Fullerton in 2006. When I moved back to Idaho in 2007, I started working for both Cambridge School District (CSD) and Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA). Throughout my journey as a teacher, I have had to learn standards. Standards for California, Standards for Idaho, National Economic Standards, National Geographic Standards, PTE Standards, and Common Core State Standards. I assembled a resource page on different educator standards as it makes it convenient to have a set handy when developing course content.
1.2 Communication Technologies
I continue to work full time for CSD and part-time for IDLA which gives me the opportunity to work along the entire spectrum of teaching from fully online to fully in the classroom. For IDLA, I use the Blackboard LMS for cohort classes and the BrainHoney LMS for flex recovery classes. For CSD, I use BrainHoney for my blended Economics courses, in Idaho, a blended course is one in which at least 51% of instruction is delivered online. I am proficient in using both systems as teacher and/or course developer. As a student, I have taken courses using Blackboard, BrainHoney, CT, Moodle and Edmodo. I recently got a trial version of canvas that I hope to spend some time with this summer.
1.3 Emerging Technologies
I recently completed a course at Boise State University (BSU) called Mobile App Design where I developed a learning app for Android using MITs App Inventor. In designing the app, I took special care to adhere to CARP (contrast, alignment, repetitive, proximity) principles when designing each of the pages. I developed the app with 4th grade teachers in mind as Idaho history is the focus that year. As my son is in 4th grade this year, he was my biggest fan...and critic.
1.4 Troubleshooting Skills
Even though technology has rarely intimidated me, I have discovered that isn't always the case for my students. Some are almost terrified of it so I've learned to be very specific in my instructions. In this example feedback, my student submitted a file that was in a format that my programs couldn't open. At IDLA, we have had pretty good results using Rich Text Format (.rtf), but recently, I've started asking students to either save their files as a Portable Document Format (.pdf) or use the Google Drive program and share their link instead.
1.5 Design Methods and Standards
IDLA requires its teachers to sign up for at least one of their professional development courses every school year. This year I'm taking a course entitled "Designing Materials for Online Courses" for which I created this flyer that adhered to CARP (contrast, alignment, repetition, proximity) design which I then posted in my blended course. For CSD, I am the adviser for yearbook and my Publishing students struggle every day with these concepts. By taking the class this year, I now have several resources that will help next year's students do much better.
1.6 Access, Equity and Safety
In several of my classes at BSU and some of the professional development courses with IDLA, we discussed the digital divide becoming a problem as more of the nation's schools start going 1:1 with a mobile computing device. Here in our small town, even though the community has fiber optic cable throughout the community, a portion of the population cannot afford it. Our school received a grant for iPads and unfortunately some students can only access the Internet while at school. Consequently, the activities I create for the iPad must be done during my class time which means we are still unable to take advantage of the flip classroom models of instruction. However, even with this limitation, I include discussion boards, wikis and/or blogs in some of my lessons as it gives students the opportunity to use their written communication skills. As part of my expectations for acceptable behavior, I share these "rules of etiquette" in announcements, emails and on a poster in my room.
Standard #2
Knowledge of Human Development and Learning
The teacher understands how students learn and develop, and provides opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development.
2.1 Online and Blended Learning
Over the last six years, I have watched the line between online teaching and classroom teaching blur. Teachers in the classroom are taking advantage of the materials placed online and developers of online materials are becoming more sophisticated as they deliver quality material across multiple interfaces. For example, the NEFE materials and the Hands On Banking materials that I use for this unit provide quality instruction that I don't have to develop myself. Online teachers are also becoming more proficient at using universal design principles to create accessible materials to more than just the "mainstream" student. With the power of online education, students gain access to teachers across the state with IDLA which provides them with more content and and teachers than most rural districts such as CSD can afford otherwise.
2.2 Communication Technologies
With the use of learning management systems, it makes it possible to teach my students more than just content and technology. With the power of the Internet at my disposal, I can provide opportunities for students to improve both their media and visual literacy. Using my virtual office is very helpful as I can put materials on the whiteboard and then use it to discuss how the media influences voters with positive and negative advertising methods. There is also a vast array of infographics that students are learning to deconstruct to understand the vast amount of information that can be displayed in a small amount of space. I used that lesson with my 7th graders and was impressed by how quickly they comprehended the elements and could create infographics of their own.
2.3 Motivational Theories
Student engagement is one of the toughest things to master at the secondary level. Students lead very busy lives with sports, FFA, BPA, band, drama, yearbook, and even their academics. To get their attention, lessons must be relevant and learning must be entertaining. With students raised on television and video games, teacher must adapt to these formats to engage their students. Last summer, I took a GameLab workshop at BSU and we discussed the elements of a good game. They must start simply with easy to comprehend entry tasks that gain difficulty as they progress. There must be instant feedback on success or failures. The ability to gain points, badges, or other recognition of achievement created interest and a desire to improve. My simple mobile learning app has lots of room for development, but the games were the hook while the learning was embedded in the elements of the game.
2.4 Student Development
I work with adolescents online and off and it sometimes becomes a challenge to remember that they are not fully developed adults. They sometimes look like adults and occasionally even act like adults, but they make bad decisions and often have no self-discipline skills as they choose to go hang out with friends rather than complete the term paper or read the assigned chapters in their online textbook. The have short attention spans and get bored with the same types of assignments over and over. Physically, their stamina for prolonged tasks is limited and their ability to focus on a talking head or pages of text online is nearly impossible in their environment that changes from moment to moment. As a teacher in the classroom or online, it is important to break things into manageable chunks. The days of showing a 40 minute video and asking questions at the end no longer work as a learning tool. Instead, videos must be broken into 3-5 minute chunks with only a question or two intermixed with a paragraph or two of reading. It actually makes for better teaching when done this way as it also helps provide different formats for different learning styles. In my personal finance unit in my blended economics course, it means that I can cover the same learning targets in different ways in smaller chunks which prevents physical injury and appeals to an adolescent mindset.
Standard #3
Modifying Instruction for Individual Needs
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to learners with diverse needs.
3.1 Accessibility
Even without the legal mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Assistive Technology Act, and Section 508 requirements for accessibility, teachers want to reach all their students. Some students find it easier to listen to audio podcasts as they can use them on their iPads or iPods while working out or doing other activities. Some student handicaps may include difficulty seeing or reading text for extend period of time. This podcast sample, read by the author of the article, was able to provide the necessary inflection for emphasizing the parts he wanted stressed. I have also recorded myself reading a selection and posted the podcast in the same position as the link to the reading. Some students will read along and highlight or make notes as the recording is playing...thereby using both formats.
3.2 Differentiation
As noted above with the podcast, students sometimes take advantage of multiple pathways to get the learning they need. It isn't just the blind student that will use the podcast, but so to will the sighted student who wants to do their exercising while listening to the audio for the assigned reading. Or maybe the struggling reader will take advantage of both formats at the same time. When developing learning targets, it is important for the online teacher to also develop multiple pathways to teach the material. Those pathways may include an online textbook, relevant vides, presentations, podcasts or even a gaming simulation or interactive activity to engage the kinesthetic learner. What is important is that students have the opportunity to learn the material in whichever way works best for them. This sample lesson provides all of these pathways for the same learning targets.
3.3 Coordination with Adult Professionals
As both an online and face-to-face teacher, I often interact with various professionals (e.g., Resource staff, Special Education Coordinators, Speech and Audio Specialists) in preparing Individual Educational Programs (IEPs) and 504 modifications required under the Americans Disabilities Act for students. Parent meetings are a part of this process. Some modifications require allowing additional time for assignments, providing copies of modified notes, or allowing additional attempts on unsuccessful tests. I have created podcasts of me reading the online text so that struggling readers could follow along and replay them multiple times. Also, when developing lessons for my blended course, I search out Internet-based resources from reputable sources that meet the same objectives but are presented in different ways to engage diverse learning styles.
Sample Podcast (be patient as the 8 min audio may take a few minutes to download and start)
Standard #4
Multiple Instructional Strategies
The online teacher understands the and uses a variety of instructional strategies to develop students' critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
4.1 Evaluation Methods
In my work with Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) courses, I utilize many different student-centered tools to develop assignments that are engaging. These authentic assignments involve small group work (wikis & blogs) and peer coaching (discussion boards) to keep engagement high. Sometimes I use podcasts for additional instructions or to model expectations and to add additional modification for gifted and talented students who want to learn more.
4.2 Student-Centered Instruction
Students were to create a radio broadcast promoting social change. For teacher discussions (students must verbally defend their findings), I utilize a grading rubric which makes my expectations more accessible.
4.3 Learning Enhancements
This life lessons podcast was created using "digital age media" to demonstrate how music and text can be brought together to make a persuasive argument for change.
Standard #5
Classroom Motivation and Management Skills
The teacher understands individual and group motivation and behavior and creates a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
5.1 Learning Environment
In one of my first few announcements or getting started emails, I share my rules for discussion board etiquette with my online students. Additionally, students are introduced to the concept of "netiquette" in the orientation course materials provided by IDLA.
5.2 Management Tasks
Student enrollment, communication logs, progress reports for all online IDLA students are kept in the virtual Student Information System. As a IDLA teacher, we are required to update our records every 7 days at a minimum. This may include notes, emails or telephone calls made to the students, parents, and/or school-based IDLA site coordinators.
5.3 Time Management
After six years teaching both fully online off, and now in a blended format, it quickly became clear that students often ran into the same misconceptions in their thinking about the material that I was teaching. It became obvious that in order to keep my feedback consistent (especially important when working with students at the same school) and to expedite grading, creating a document with "default" feedback became a great time-saver. A task that used to take 10-15 minutes now takes only a minute or two as I can cut and paste and then individualize as needed. I have discovered that I often run into the same student issues for almost every class. Over time, I have developed my own "Default Feedback" that I use with appropriate customization.
Standard #6
Modifying Instruction for Individual Needs
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to learners with diverse needs.
6.1. Thoughtful and Responsive Communicator
Part of my duties with IDLA require that I facilitate discussion boards, blogs, wikis, and voiceboards to ensure that students stay on topic and observe an appropriate online dialogue on various and sometimes controversial subjects.
6.2 Effective Communication Strategies
I try to model effective communication strategies in my classroom and online at all times. Sometimes, it may take direct action like revising their discussion board post or providing a direct sample of what I'm expecting. I created this Voki to serve both purposes by demonstrating what one looks like and how to use to to properly deliver content.
6.3 Communication Mediums
It also helps to create a sense of community and student engagement to use a variety of communication tools and media in the weekly announcements. This may include graphics, audio, video or a Voki avatar.
6.4 Cultural Communications
Even in a strictly online setting, it is sometimes necessary to speak directly to my students in order to provide clarity or additional instruction. Most of the time, that conversation takes place over the telephone or occasionally in the virtual "office" where I use Blackboard Collaborate which allows for audio, visual, or chat box functionality depending upon the comfort level or technology available to the student.
Standard #7
Instructional Planning Skills
The online teacher plans and prepares instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
7.1 Stated and Measurable Objectives
Regardless of whether a person teaches online or in a brick and mortar classroom, it is important that students understand the purpose of the day's lesson or even the overall learning targets for a unit of instruction. By clearly stating them early on and then revisiting them as a review for the upcoming assessment, it improves student performance. It serves no purpose to have a good teaching if there isn't an equal amount of learning going on. Clearly stated objectives help to close the gap between what is being taught and what is being learned.
7.2 Accurate and Current Course Content
In developing two semester-long blended courses for my economics students, I have learned how to better use the BrainHoney LMS. The first semester, called Common Sense Economics, covers the basics of economic principles, and is based on materials given to me by the authors of the text, Common Sense Economics. The teacher workshop was given in Tallahassee, Florida, on August 12-14, 2012. The second semester looks at a variety of economic topics including financial literacy, marketing, personal branding and entrepreneurship.
7.3 Subject-Specific Course Content
I used numerous resources (online and off) in the development of my blended courses. Many were open-source such as NEFE's High School Financial Planning Program and Hands On Banking. Some were based on sources that I read, Business Plan in a Day and The Top 10 Distinctions between Entrepreneurs and Employees. Lastly, we did use a few of the chapters from our textbook, Marketing Dynamics. In all cases, students are provided with the links and or texts under the fair use for educational purposes section of U.S. copyright law.
7.4 Multimedia Content Design
As a teacher and developer, I use multiple forms of media to design course content. Similar to this unit from my economics course, I often try to include multimedia and reading into every lesson. Some of the information is for dissemination only while other lays the groundwork for student-created portfolios or collaborative work.
7.5 Facilitate Interaction
With the inclusion of discussion boards, wikis, blogs, student videos, and other tools, it encourages online collaboration and oftentimes students post their completed work on their personal social media sites. In this lesson, students watch a video in our classroom where they learned ways to build good credit. With their newly acquired (or refreshed) knowledge, they are given the opportunity to discuss online about some sample credit seekers chances to obtain credit. This allows them to synthesize the information, make credit decisions, and defend their position.
7.6 Intellectual Property Rights
When I ask students to create work using the Internet or other resources, I also ask that they be sure to cite their sources. It makes it easier for the reader to find further information. In order to model this behavior, I also cite sources or provide links to the source material (if possible) so that my students are also aware that I'm not claiming this work to be my own and giving suitable credit. In this sample, I demonstrate this courtesy at the bottom of the instructions where I attribute resources that I used to create unit. In the course, I also use a live link to the website where they can obtain their own copy of the book if they are interested.
Standard #8
Assessment of Student Learning
The online teacher understands, uses, and interprets formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and and advance student performance and to determine program effectiveness.
8.1 Assessment Techniques
Each unit in my online and blended courses developed in BrainHoney or Blackboard has a variety of assessment creation tools to build teacher-made tests, performance tasks and a variety of other formative, summative, and authentic assessments. Whether in Blackboard or BrainHoney, each unit/module provides multiple types of assessments that may include pre-tests, wikis, discussions, student-created works like charts, presentations and/or practice quizzes that allow checks for understanding along the way toward the unit/module post-test.
8.2 Security of Online Assessments
IDLA utilizes Blackboard and BrainHoney learning management systems which provides include secure, password-protected gradebooks so that students and their direct stakeholders (teachers, school-approved site coordinators and parents) must login to gain access to that student's records. IDLA also has its own password-protected website to secure student data (progress reports, contact information, IEP/504 reports, etc.) For the final exams which are reused for several semester cycles, there is a specific password-protected process. The IDLA office provides the passwords to the school site coordinators who must key in the password as each of their students is ready to begin the final. No students are authorized to gain access to the passwords.
Standard #9
Professional Commitment and Responsibility
The online teacher is a reflective practitioner who demonstrates a commitment to professional standards and is continuously engaged in purposeful mastery of the art and science of online teaching.
9.1 Laws and Policies
Before becoming a teacher, I worked in a variety of jobs in the private sector, including more than 10 years in the legal field. Consequently, confidentiality and privacy of information is part of my professional demeanor in my chosen field. I maintain strict adherence to federal, state and local policies in my dealings with students, stakeholders and the public.
9.2 Teacher as Online Student
Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) mandates attendance at their annual summer conferences and a minimum of one professional development course during each school year. Typically a combination of online and multiple face-to-face sessions that span one to three days, my attendance is recorded in our IDLA professional profile. Currently attending Boise State University, I will graduate in 2014 with a Masters in Educational Technology.
9.3 Standards Alignment with 21st Century Skills
Creating content that is aligned with the standards is a common task in teaching. The move to online doesn't change that and, in fact, it makes it much easier to keep that alignment throughout a unit. The sample is my entrepreneurship unit where I include both state economic standards and common core standards. The multimedia and reading are blended with different strategies to motivate, engage and maintain rigor in my teaching at the same time my students are learning this content, they are learning to use the technology that is becoming ubiquitous in education and training in the public and private sector.
Standard #10
Partnerships
The online teacher interacts in a professional, effective manner with colleagues, parents, and other members of the community to support students' learning and well being.
10.1 Professional and Effective Interactions
In my work with IDLA, it is always a challenge to get interaction from parents in an online environment. At a summer conference last year, someone suggested a "virtual" open house which inspired me to do one. Attendance was high so I did it again the next semester and added a mid-term "virtual" parent-teacher conference. I have been pleased with the attendance in the cohort classes, but unfortunately this format does not have the same success in the flex recovery classes. I plan to continue them in my cohort classes. In my flex recovery classes, I've found some success with direct emails to site coordinators and parents to be the most effective. The samples provided include a copy of the announcement, presentation and a broadcast email that I've found to be the most effective formats so far.