Sunday, November 2, 2014

First Blog

Hello to all,

Like the rest of you I have been assigned creation of a blog for GA Virtual.

Currently, I teach English and spend most of my time with my web page, rather than a blog.  I have found that my webpage becomes one of my most important teaching documents.  On it, I keep a record of what we have done in class on that day, assignments and handouts, and I have even convinced some administrators that it can also serve the purpose of a lesson plan.  In all, a web page ends up being a technological tool that can help organize and drive my instruction.  Plus it helps that it also serves as a means of parent/student communication and transparency.

As I have read and reflected upon several of my colleagues' blogs, I can see more potential with this tool as well, and can see how it might also be a substantial asset for both hybrid and completely online instructional models.  The level of communication that the blog provides can transcend the one-way communication of a teacher generated web page.  With the blogging students, parents, colleagues, any one can directly communicate with me about whatever assignments, lessons, or ideas I present on the web page.  And this level of communication is essential for learning to occur.

As an online teacher for the last decade, I have used assignment dropboxes, discussion forums, and announcements but all within a specified educational platform such as Blackboard, Angel, ecampus, etc.  With the blog assignment for GA Virtual I am noticing that some of these platforms might be supplemental to the open nature of the world-wide web.

I hope to explore the potential of using blogs as I get more familiar with the wonderful and exciting world of GA Virtual.

Happy teaching,
Chris

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