Teaching Online: Becoming A Connected Educator eCourse

On Monday I posted information about a Certificate Program that began Monday, January 23rd, so today I figured I should post information about this one.  I’m not sure how it came across my electronic desk, but given the Certificate Series I posted – and the connection of this course to North Dakota State University – I figured it was worth including.

Overview:

Learning today takes place anywhere and anytime. To meet the needs of today’s connected learner, today’s educator needs to be fluent in new media literacies. The Teaching Online: Becoming a Connected Educator eCourse will prepare you to be an online professor, teach online courses in blended environments such as a virtual school, or teaching blended courses in traditional settings. Through this 10-week eCourse you will explore:

• How to plan and deliver online instruction that moves beyond just digitizing analog lesson plans
• How to truly leverage the transformative potential that online learning provides
• Deep learning in a digital age – what does it mean and how do we get there

For more information, visit http://plpnetwork.com/get-involved/ecourses/teaching-online-becoming-a-connected-educator-ecourse/

[DEOS-L] Certificate Program Begins Monday, January 23rd – Register Today!

This showed up in my inbox overnight on Thursday-Friday.

From: Janet Gubbins <jgubbins@westga.edu>

Attention Everyone!

Distance Education Certificate Program offered by University of West Georgia Distance Learning -

Program begins next Monday, January 23rd.  Seats are limited. Register today!

The certificate program is a professional program that offers 8.7 CEU credits. It is offered completely on-line with no residency requirement. It comprises three seven-week modules which incorporate conceptual knowledge into practical learning experience. It is suggested that participants spend about 3-5 hours per week participating in on-line bulletin boards, reading materials, and completing exercises. Many of the exercises are optional, but regular participation on the course bulletin board is required for graduation. The program is asynchronous, so one can logon at their convenience. There is no requirement to login together except the occasional optional chat session.

The cost of the program is $695, which covers everything including reading material.

Please go to our website for information and to register:  http://www.westga.edu/~distance/certificate.html

If you need further information or assistance, please contact Dawn Senfeld at 678-839-5489 or dsenfeld@westga.edu.

Sincerely,

Dawn R. Senfeld
Social Media Specialist
OJDLA Managing Editor
DLA2012 Conference Manager
University of West Georgia
678-839-5489
dsenfeld@westga.edu
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Go to http://lists.psu.edu/archives/deos-l.html to change your subscription settings and to search the DEOS-L archives

DEOS-L is a service provided to the Distance Education community by the Adult Education Program, College of  Education, The Pennsylvania State University. Opinions expressed are those of DEOS-L subscribers, and do not constitute endorsement of any opinion, product, or service by The Pennsylvania State University.

As I have reviewed other certificate programs in the past (as part of a Certificate Series), I figured that I should take a quick look at this program.

In looking at this program, while it is offered by a university it doesn’t appear to be a graduate certificate or degree-based program like the others that I reviewed as a part of the certificate series.  It appears that it is a single course with three modules:

Module I : Introduction & Distance Learning Theory – history and foundations of distance education; theory and perspectives of distance education; technologies of distance education;

Module II : Distance Teaching Strategies – course design; teaching behaviors; needs assessment; evaluation; integration of technologies, development of online courses;

Module III : Program Management – learner support; administration & budgeting; course support; training and mentoring; marketing & promotion; facilities management; copyright laws and other policy issues

Note there is no obvious K-12 focus on any of these items.

I should mentioned that the University of West Georgia is the home of the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration and the annual Distance Learning Administration Conference.  While the journal does publish some K-12 focused articles, the conference rarely features any K-12 focused sessions.  It all honesty, it appears that this certificate is modeled after their Distance Education Certified Trainer Program (which is mainly for a corporate audience).

Your Scholarship Is Now Available

I received this message about a week or so ago.  See below for the relevance…

Dear Professor Barbour,

Greetings! I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you today with exciting news! We have just received copies from the initial print run of Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs in our warehouse, and orders are now being filled! We are excitedly anticipating the book’s success and anxiously awaiting its positive response in the academic community.

If you have contributed a full-length chapter in Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs you should have received an email from no-reply@igi-global.com with instructions on how to access a complimentary PDF of your scholarship. If you did not receive this email, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Since the book is now in print, we also have the final citation information for your scholarship. If you visit the Web page for your chapter, you can access the citation data in several formats. The Table of Contents for Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs can be viewed at: http://www.igi-global.com/book/developing-technology-rich-teacher-education/56018#table-of-contents.

Now that Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs is available, this is a vital time to promote your research. Share the news of your excellent contribution with your peers, colleagues, and students by encouraging them to visit the book’s Web page at http://www.igi-global.com/book/developing-technology-rich-teacher-education/56018. Remind them to recommend the book to their librarian using our librarian recommendation form at http://www.igi-global.com/forms/refertolibrarian.aspx?titleid=56018, or offer them the opportunity to purchase their own copy of the book and other related publications using our exclusive discount offer located at http://www.igi-global.com/Files/Ancillary/84b57bad-f933-4697-b5c4-b77c9a5d2a91_978-1-4666-0014-0.pdf! You can also use the official IGI Global press release, located below, to inform your network about the book.

I would also like to remind you that if you will be attending any conferences, you may want to consider promoting the book among your colleagues there.

Please also keep in mind that as a valuable stakeholder to IGI Global, we love to hear about your upcoming projects and research activities. Currently, we are in the process of forming a News Room where we will be promoting the activities of all of our contributing authors. If you have news you would like to share, please contact Ms. Christine Bufton, Director of Promotions and Communications at cbufton@igi-global.com.

***As an IGI Global contributor, we’re sure that you’ll want to stay up-to-date with news about our latest and most exciting publications and other interesting information. Because of this, you have been automatically subscribed to IGI Global’s monthly newsletter and course adoption newsletter. To UNSUBSCRIBE from these e-mails, please click here: http://bit.ly/rHeALM. To stay even more up-to-date with IGI Global news, sign up for additional updates by clicking here: http://eepurl.com/M5dl.***

If you have any questions, or if I can provide you with any other marketing-related assistance, you can contact me at bhendershot@igi-global.com. Thank you again for your valuable contribution, and have a wonderful day!

Best,
Bethany Hendershot

Bethany Hendershot
Sales & Marketing Assistant
Reference and Serials
IGI Global – (Disseminator of Knowledge since 1988)
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Phone: 717-533-8845 (ext. 139); Fax: 717-533-8661
Email: bhendershot@igi-global.com; igi.bhendershot@gmail.com
Website: www.igi-global.com

InfoSci^®-Journals

A Database for Progressive Technology Research

IGI Global Topic Collections

One Collection. Unlimited Access. Fraction of the Cost.

*Envision the Future of Library Communities*

The second title in the Advances in Library Information Science (ALIS) Book Series, Partnerships and Collaborations in Public Library Communities: Resources and Solutions, is available now! Visit our website today to take advantage of a special discount offer!

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Contact: Christine Bufton                                                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Title: Director of Promotions & Communications
Address: 701 E. Chocolate Ave., Hershey, PA 17033
Email: cbufton@igi-global.com
Tel.: 717-533-8845 x120
Fax:  717-533-8661
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New Release: Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs

Hershey, PA – January 2, 2012 – Though technology is expanding at a rate that is alarming to many skilled laborers concerned for the welfare of their industry and jobs, teachers should feel safe in their position; however, teachers who refuse to adapt to technology will be left behind.

Edited by Drew Polly, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA; Clif Mims, University of Memphis, USA; Kay A. Persichitte, University of Wyoming, USA, IGI Global’s newest release, Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs: Key Issues offers professional teacher educators a rare opportunity to harvest the thinking of pioneering colleagues spanning dozens of universities, and to benefit from the creativity, scholarship, hard work, and reflection that led them to the models they describe. Contributors from 32 universities from around the world came together as authors of case studies, methodologies, research, and modeling to produce the work that went into this reference work. The target audience for this book includes faculty, leaders, teacher educators, and administrators within higher institution and every level of education.

Topics covered in Developing Technology-Rich Teacher Education Programs: Key Issues include, but are not limited to:

Blackboard

Content Area and Methods Knowledge and Technology

Content Specific Experiences

E-Learning

Foundational Knowledge and Technology

Higher Order Thinking Skills

Moodle

Social Networking

Technology Acceptance Model

Web 2.0 for Collaboration

To learn more about IGI Global’s newest release, please visit http://www.igi-global.com/book/developing-technology-rich-teacher-education/56018.

About the Editors

Drew Polly is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research agenda focuses on examining how to support the implementation of technology and standards-based pedagogies. More information can be found at: http://education.uncc.edu/abpolly.

Clif Mims (http://clifmims.com) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Instructional Design and Technology at the University of Memphis and is the Executive Director of the Martin Institute for Teaching Excellence in Memphis, Tennessee. Mims is a teacher, researcher, author, speaker and educational consultant specializing in the effective integration of technology with teaching and learning.

Kay Persichitte is the Dean of the College of Education at the University of Wyoming. Persichitte has extensive experience and background in curriculum and program development, accreditation, standards-based instruction, telecommunications systems and distance instruction and preservice teacher technology integration.

About IGI Global

Since 1988, IGI Global has provided comprehensive research materials on computer science and information technology management, focusing on the ways in which information technology affects human activities and interactions across disciplines. With offices in Hershey, PA, and New York City, IGI Global is a leading multimedia publisher of books, reference works, journals, encyclopedias, teaching cases, proceedings, and databases covering the areas of education, social science, library science, healthcare, business management, public administration, and computer science. More in-depth information about IGI Global’s mission and resources is available at www.igi-global.com.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to receive updates from IGI Global.

Order inquiries may be directed to: 717-533-8845 x100, to cust@igi-global.com, or to book wholesalers or journal subscription agents.

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I have a chapter in this book entitled “Training Teachers For A Virtual School System” with an abstract that reads:

Online learning at the K-12 level is growing at exponential rates. Students learning in supplemental virtual schools and full-time cyber schools, using a variety of delivery models that include and sometimes combine independent, asynchronous and synchronous instruction, in almost every state in the U.S.. In some instances the knowledge, skills and abilities required by teachers in this technology-mediated environment is consistent with what they learned about face-to-face teaching in their teacher education programs; while in many instances the two are quite different. Presently the lack of empirical research into effective K-12 online teaching limits teacher education programs. However, teacher education programs still need to better prepare pre-service and in-service teachers to design, deliver and support students engaged virtual schooling.

Check it out…

Poll – Do You Need Training To Teach Online?

Before the holidays, a good friend Dennis O’Connor posed a question in the comments to the entry Stay In Touch? UW-Stout: E-Learning & Online Teaching.  As a way to promote that query, I decided to use the question as the January poll.  The preamble that Dennis provided read:

I recently had a teacher write me and ask if he really needed any special preparation to teach online.

He’s veteran teacher with strong tech skills.

This is a question I’d like to ask you and your audience!

As you wonder this poll question, let me point you to a blog entry by The E Teacher that is entitled “Another thing they never told me in teacher college.”

Start Your Year Off On The Right Track With The Sloan-C Certificate

Many of you may recall the “Certificate Series” that I wrote this past August and September (see http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/tag/graduate-certificate-in-online-teaching/ for these entries and more on the topic).  While this certificate is not university-based, nor does it have a specific K-12 focus or track, I did want to pass on the information.

The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) Online Teaching Certificate Preparing educators to teach and improve online courses using the Sloan-C pillars of quality in online education—learning effectiveness, scale, faculty and student satisfaction, and access. The next session starts January 4, 2012! The certificate consists of a 9-week foundation course and 3 individual electives that focus on improving overall competency within a specific area of academic focus. Participants achieve a Sloan-C Online Teaching Certificate by completing 3 chosen electives. Specializations will be cited on the candidate’s certificate of completion. 9-Week Foundation Course In this intensive, collaborative practicum, participants explore an array of topics, develop strategies to build their online courses, and give and receive peer reviews. Working in teams with mentors who provide one-on-one coaching, participants demonstrate their mastery of the basic elements of online courses: planning the course, understanding role adjustment, organizing the course, incorporating the advantages of online communications, and applying the pedagogical principles that create purposeful learning communities. Electives Elective courses are currently broken down into seven specializations: Accessibility Administration Blended Learning Design and Delivery Mobile Learning Social Media Tools and Techniques Program Objectives Leverage your background & proficiencies as educators, administrators, & institutional leaders to become highly effective in the principles & practices of asynchronous instruction Integrate Sloan-C‘s research-based, conceptual & theoretical foundations relating to learning theory & assessment to compliment & personalize your online classroom Capitalize on your potential as innovators in online education by creating high quality work products which will be assessed by program facilitators & your peers Program Benefits Work with & learn from recognized experts in online education Actionable feedback for immediate application Enhancement of existing instructional design & planning strategies Collaboration with peers from a variety of institutions & disciplines Creation of personal online portfolio	Additional Information A unique feature of this program is that expert mentors work individually with each certificate candidate to accomplish specific goals. Interested in learning more? Watch the recorded webinar: Sloan-C Online Teaching Certificate Program. Next cohort starts January 4, 2012. More Information Register Pricing What our graduates have to say… The Online Teaching Certificate helped me to expand my base beyond the instructors who teach online at my home institution. The most valuable area for me was the interaction with other learners from institutions around the country. It was great to interact on common problems and see multiple solutions. - Dr. Dorothy J. Anthony, DC, DACBN Keystone College, La Plume, PA The hands-on workshops and individualized guidance from experts was valuable professional development. The Sloan certificate is recognized and respected in the higher education community. - Barbara A. Frey, D.Ed. Senior Instructional Designer, University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PARead more.
The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C), sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is composed of institutions and organizations dedicated to continually improving the quality, scale, and breadth of their online programs, according to their own distinctive missions, so that education becomes a part of everyday life, accessible and affordable for anyone, anywhere, at any time, in a wide variety of disciplines. The Sloan Consortium – PO Box 1238 – Newburyport, MA 01950-8238