Increasingly, we are demanded as teachers to engage more and more with our students in flexible models of learning. That's why I was excited to get the opportunity to test the waters of this course - even though I had taken most of it as a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) earlier in the year. I was surprised to see how expansive the iNACOL standards were in terms of creating a quality online course and found myself spending many hours thinking carefully about the progression of learning for my students. Even as all of these transitions in our world change, online and blended learning from these machines to the handheld devices today have become educational reality for our students. It opens their world to flexible learning and the possibilities to engage with material just about anywhere there is a wi-fi or cell phone signal (and even with satellites our earth is becoming more covered!). This opportunity to learn about what makes an excellent standard in planning a unit for blended or online learning using the iNACOL Standards for Quality Online Learning gave me the insight into the front loading that goes into this kind of education - especially the careful writing and communication of a syllabus - but truly the rewards await both student and educator in terms of the access. However, it needs careful thought upfront so that both the student and the educator stay on track! That is why the "Keeping Pace" documents are important to revisit every year.
I have selected to continue on this online educator path and will be embarking on the next ITEC in the series on how to design online units of learning.
I have selected to continue on this online educator path and will be embarking on the next ITEC in the series on how to design online units of learning.