Session #20: Summary

We began the first session of the 2010-2011 academic year by sharing our successes and struggles in online teaching.   Successes included asking better discussion questions, using more multimedia, getting more skilled at troubleshooting, and producing process mini lessons.

Struggles included issues with the Help Desk, using all of the features of Blackboard, long-term impact on teachers' practices, developing a research agenda, creating a sense of community in classes, more dynamic ways for formative assessment, and being a better facilitator.

Next, we discussed possible topics for this year's LTTO sessions.  I am working on some exciting ideas and will let you know as soon as I have them planned.

Finally, we looked at a few tools for creating online timelines, including TimeRime, Timeglider, Timetoast, dipity, and preceden.  There is also a new tool that allows for real-time collaboration on a document by up to 13 people at the same time, called TypeWith.me.

On September 1, 2010 the Office of Learning Technologies at the Indiana Department of Education introduced the 21st Century Learning Lab, a new communication channel which will be used to explore innovations in educational technology and to showcase the progress that Indiana schools are making in bringing such innovations to the classroom. There will be four main pieces to this project, all revolving around a monthly theme.

1. First will be a monthly podcast (posted on or around the 1st of the month) presented by an employee of the Indiana Department of Education. This will be an opportunity to tell the audience a little about the topic and IDOE’s stance on it. The September podcast will focus on Digital Curriculum and Textbook Alternatives, along with a podcast introducing the 21st Century Learning Lab.

2. Next will be the monthly webinar, which will be a chance for schools to tell other schools about their projects and successes. Each webinar will be moderated by a member of the DOE staff, will include about three school participants, and will always include a 15- minute Question and Answer period.

3. Last, there will be ongoing conversations about the monthly topic. Participants will be able to share their thoughts and questions about the topic in the related Learning Connection community. Also, three members of the Office of Learning Technologies staff – John Keller, Yancy Unger, and Gary Bates –will be blogging about all things ed tech. 

October's LTTO session will be on using all the "bells and whistles" in Blackboard.  I'll let you know when I have the date and time for the session.