Myths of Interactivity on the Internet by Gerry McGovern
"If commerce is selling with people, then ecommerce is selling with content. If learning is learning with people, then elearning is learning with content. It is the very removal of people...Interactivity starts with having a policy in relation to how quickly you are going to respond to the emails you receive." A reason to use WebCt - the email system within. Is this a waste with the groupwise email system in place? Will or should I teach email usage the first week of class? Will the portals that can be individualized be in place, so that my web site (and discussion board - community zero or webct or webboard) will be always there?
Another opening thought - online interview form - background stuff, ready to go?
Another - misperception/preconception check - "beliefs about communication" background knowledge probe online?

 
push-pull development
push = (1)read textbook chapter, (2)take online quiz, (3)complete vocab list with own definitions (4) 2 online asynchronuous contributions, personal and to another (models and rubric)
pull = (1)read web pages 3+1, (2) document with personal reflection, written summary, diagram and visual representations/poster, 3-d model, oral class report (models and rubric)
weekly plan = Monday - (1) information dump, (2) guiding questions and critical concepts discussion (all expected to participate - rubric) = making meaning, (3) minute paper (most important idea learned today, muddiest point from today's discussion, what question I have left from today's discussion)
Wednesday - Powerpoint/lecture presentation and discussion
Friday - hands on activities (case studies)
Tuesday/thursday (office hours, small groups and individual meetings)
quarterly projects - informative speech (famous speaker), persuasive speech (cultural or gender communication issues), seinfeld essay test, personal project (?final exam = database study?) (rubrics)
quarter report and conference (rubric)
comprehensive rubric?
get calendar and map out potential scenario

 
Margaret Honey - New approaches to assessing student's technology based work
"If technologies are to be used to support real gains in educational outcomes then five factors have to be in place and working in concert."
1. leadership around technology use is anchored in solid educational objectives
2. professional development in service of this core vision
3. adequate technology working smoothly
4. recognition that real change takes time
5. evaluations in place to see if goals are being reached and to make adaptations

 
From Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web
"good learning is problem solving" must revitalize my case study approach, separate out "information" from "activities" with my topic files, think about which works for inclass or online discussion or both
what links to include on a course web site - a reference bank?
"in learning centered learning the selection and sequencing of the learning materials is a task performed by the student" I fear that Landmark is not ready for this kind of learning centered learning. Students come to use for the structure for sustained learning. Providing choices, choices that feel like real choices, is the way to go. However, the rub is assessment - the technology assessment rubric/checklist system by Benton needs to be adapted. What's great about this rubric besides as a helpful rubric is that it creates a vision of technology embeded instruction. In concrete terms like no one else. A task for me, for the next web site, is to make up these rubrics that promote the assessment vision provided here. Including a participation rubric and quarterly report.
"learning centered learning means that each and every learner wants to be learning whatever they are learning...learning centered design is a misnomer. Once we start making decisions for the learner - even if they are in the learner's best interest - we have moved from the realm of learner centered learning to the realm of instructor centered learning." This makes me think of Karen Boutelle's approach with coaching students. It all has to do with their point of view and not even thinking of a student's best interest. I mean why would you do this with an adult friend. We respect individual's choices. This makes it hard to express to a student that you care. That you do mind if they do not follow their best interest. It's a type of dispassion that hard to actualize (like karen does). I want students to know that they are important enough that I do care for them. But of course, they are guarded and if you care, or project caring more than they do then you disempower them or provoke a counteractive and counterproductive response.
There is difficulty at landmark about the daily decision that we have to make each day with each student - the accomodating vs. enabling situation. my stickiest point is passivity and acceptance of low expectations by students, I don't want complicitiy with that. (no 8AM classes!)