I’ve been asked to create a course for a university around me on “Delivery Techniques for Online Learning.” As of now, I don’t have the whole course completed. I’m slowly working through the course trying to decide what really needs to be a part of the course. One item I found that I think other educators would really use is the eBook, “Adding Some TEC-Variety” by Bonk and Khoo. You can find a free downloadable version here. If you are trying to work on adding blended or virtual schooling to your institution, this book has a plethora of information to help.
The first principle refers to tone and climate in an online environment. As I began my course design, one item that stood out was the introduction. As an online teacher, you cannot just type all of your information on the site, and then basically, walk away. Students will NOT read your information. You need a “hook!” There has to be something that can pull your students in from the beginning. You want them to constantly check your resources, because of the faint possibility that you will create something cool again like your introductory video.
So….here’s mine! I used Powtoon which is a free site for educators. It’s very simple to use, and the result is quite professional looking. I used one of the templates provided. It had the theme of “Mission Impossible,” so I just took that and ran with it. This is the result. You can also upload it to YouTube directly from Powtoon.
This is a great tool to use to introduce yourself, but you can also use it to introduce any new topic or content that you are introducing in your online environment.
Testin' Tech 