Homepages Quest - (Communicate 3.1.1)

The homepage segment of an online classroom is an important springboard for needed information. It is also demonstrates an educator's ability to organize and communicate.  

Please see an example of what my homepage/bulletin board section would look like for a 9th Grade Literature class.

Ongoing Communication Quest - (Communicate 2.1.3)

Why is Ongoing Communication Important in Online Education?

Communication throughout the semester or school year is very important, both in traditional and online educational venues.  I feel that in many ways it is even more critical when considering online education.  For example, if a parent or family member feels something has not been communicated or that they are "out of the loop" regarding school activities and its time-lime in a traditional system, they typically take action.  What do they usually do?  They either make a few phone calls or, more likely, they get in their car and visit the school personally to get the answers they are looking for.  This approach is simply impossible in the world of online education.  Therefore it is critical that we, as educators, communicate as much as possible THROUGHOUT the entire semester or school year.  The better we communicate information, the more likely students and their families will feel the online education experience has been a positive one.  

The following jpg file is an example of communication that is easily created utilizing tools and applications available online.  The more "in the know" our stakeholders become, the more successful we are as educators.  

Communication Guidelines Quest - (Communicate 2.1.2)

Without a doubt, effect communication is critical as an educator.  It is even more critical in an online environment.  It is important to be comfortable communicating information through a plethora of venues, paying particular attention to keeping students and families "in the loop" regarding deadlines, important dates, and special events.  

The outline below provides a framework that helps summarize ways to communicate with the VIPs in the world of online education.  

Welcome Emails:

A welcome email should communicate just that: it should welcome students, families, and facilitators to the class.  Tell them about yourself; make them aware of your enthusiasm and desire to see all your students excel.  This email should provide introductory information and answer basic questions about the semester.  Be sure to include your contact information so families will have it available from the very beginning of the semester.  

Personal notes versus mass communication to stakeholders:

Personal notes should be utilized when personal information needs to be communicated.  Examples would be grades, conference appointment information, and anything that is unique to an individual student and their families.  Mass communication can be utilized for important dates, events, and messages that are applicable to all students.  

Stakeholders:

All communication should be professional, cordial, and respectful.  It is important to both give encouraging feedback while also communicating areas in which a student can improve when appropriate.  

School Policies regarding Communication:

All school guidelines and policies should be followed when creating and utilizing online communication.  Make certain to follow all FERPA guidelines as directed by its current guidelines.  

Tools available for Effective Communication:

A variety of tools are available to communicate with our stakeholders.  Utilize a variety of things like email, phone calls, personal notes, LMS communication features, Dial My Calls, and Remind 101 as needed,

It's always better to over-communicate rather than to communicate too little!   

Identify Stakeholders Quest - (Communicate 2.1.1)

Within the domain of online learning, there are definite stakeholders in the educational process. What are stakeholders, you ask? Stakeholders are the reason online education exists--the people who hold a vested interest in an entity's success or failure.  If educators, students, parents, administrators, and facilitators weren't a part of the process, there would be no process at all!  

In the virtual classroom, communication is of the utmost importance.  Since attendance is not required in a brick and mortar environment, communication must take place through alternative venues.  This communication must be consistent and effective.  I will highlight the descriptions of each group as listed in this quest (www.openteachertraining.org/blog/quest/communicate-2-1-1/) and the part they play within the virtual school environment.

Instructors: Communication should be constant, timely, specific, and adheres to the policies delineated by the school. The instructor should strive to communicate freely with all stakeholders with both positive commentary on performance, as well as communications centering on areas of weakness and/or concern. All instructors must employ a professional tone, ensure availability to students, and monitor student progress constantly.

Students:  As a student in an online course, one must ensure that communication remains continuous with the instructor, questions are asked freely, emails are specific and employ the appropriate tone, and all school policies are adhered to in the correspondence. All students should be proactive and create a dialogue with their respective instructors immediately upon entering the course. Synchronous sessions, email, and phone calls provide students with three specific mediums for presenting questions to instructors, concerning the curriculum, areas of weakness, feedback, and performance in the course.

Parents/Facilitators: As parents of students enrolled in an online course, the concept of effective communication takes a more specific form, in that parents play an active role in the success of their students and instructors rely heavily on the support of parents for continued student achievement.  In truth, parents assume the role of a “coach,” and guide, encourage, and assist their students throughout the learning process. If parents are comfortable with the content, learning platform, and standards, students will seek assistance more freely, asking questions, sharing insights, and knowledge. Typically, parents have the ability to check student progress with auditor accounts, and this affords real-time analysis of grades and overall performance in the course.  

Administration: A number of online learning programs integrate a hybrid approach to virtual learning, and the schools have facilitators or administrative team leads that oversee the progress of students enrolled in both online learning course and the traditional school model.  For online instructors, the local school offers an additional level of support for student achievement and establishing a strong relationship benefits all stakeholders. Staff is available to assist those students enrolled in a virtual class during the school day by monitoring productivity, responding to specific questions, and collaborating with the instruction with distinct observations and questions. Additionally, the local school administration staff provide another mode of contact with parents.

Do the descriptions correlate to your perception?

In my opinion, these descriptions are very accurate for each group.  Each part of the online educational process is important and should facilitate communication and follow through at as many intervals as possible.  Success depends upon all parties that are involved in the process!
How can they be expanded upon or described further?

I would expand their descriptions to emphasize the importance and needs for each specific part.  Bottom line, we are available and at the ready to serve and instruct our students.  Without our students, we would simply not have an online educational program in the first place!
Are there other stakeholders within an online environment not considered above?

Local communities and businesses are future stakeholders in that they will reap the benefits of the students we educate as they obtain employment in the work world.  They should be consulted, when possible, to make sure we are teaching the soft skills and real world life skills that will assist students in becoming self sufficient and successful members of society.  

Laws of Communication Quest (Communicate 1.1.2)

How can one refrain from violating FERPA guidelines in online

communication?

Grade information should NOT be shared in online communication unless it has been approved by administration.  In the case of online education, protocol will be as stated by the plan in place by the school administrators.  In a traditional school environment, NO information of consequence (specific grades, promotion or retention) should be communicated via email. Phone calls or in person conferences are appropriate choices in communicating sensitive information of that nature.  

What methods could be employed to verify that copyright is not being violated?

Cite, cite, and cite again!  If you utilize someone else's work, take the time to cite what you used. Better to be safe than sorry--for both students as well as educators!  Once everyone gets accustomed to citing as they work, it will hopefully become second nature.

Does copyright require that all work, images, words, and graphics must be original?

Not all work needs to be original.  According to www.copyrightkids.org, not everything is protected by copyright law.  The following are categories of things not protected:

-                      Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, discoveries, or devices, (but written or recorded descriptions, explanations, or illustrations of such things are protected copyright);

-                      Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; mere listings of ingredients or contents (but some titles and words might be protected under trademark law if their use is associated with a particular product or service);

-                      Works that are not fixed in a tangible form of expression, such as an improvised speech or performance that is not written down or otherwise recorded;

-                      Works consisting entirely of information that is commonly available and contains no originality (for example, standard calendars, standard measures and rulers, lists or tables compiled from public documents or other common sources); and

-                      Works by the US government.

Trend Impact Quest - (Navigate 4.1.1)

Trends are Everywhere... Including Education!  

In this quest, I will explore the top trend in the future of education and the impact it will likely make in the next five years.  

According to this study, featured in the graphic below, the number one trend in the future of education is "Web-based Tools for Educational Purposes" and I couldn't agree more fully with this prediction.  Online learning is growing at an exponential rate, both in K12 and post secondary venues.  People want a choice in how they educate themselves and their children.  They also want a choice in how they access these educational opportunities.  The more online education expands and grows, the more it will need more tools that are, at least in some ways, unique to education.  

The skies the limit!  As more and more educators explore the possibility of making online education a part of their world, even more tools and web based learning opportunities will be made accessible to every student who desires to learn.  This is indeed a very exciting time in education! :)  

http://visual.ly/exploring-tomorrows-education-today

Tools for Deciding on an LMS - (Navigate 3.2.1)

As education continues to expand its offerings into more and more online access for its students, there will be companies out there who will offer more and more choices and tools to facilitate that process.  There are more LMS and CMS vendors now than even six months ago and that trend will likely continue. 

I have chosen to focus on the K12 learner and the top three LMS vendors, according to www.capterra.com, are as follows:

All three of these LMS vendors have a reputation for excellence in what they have to offer.  I have personally had more experience myself with Moodle and have been happy with its user friendliness and accessibility.  

For me personally, I would learn toward choosing Moodle because of my past familiarity and the fact that so many others have utilized it and it has proved effective thus far.  Money is always a tough commodity to access in most systems as most educators can attest.  Moodle, as an open source LMS, has a genuine appeal for educators and administrators as well.  

LMS Reporting Quest - (Navigate 3.1.4)

Consider the LMS explored during the Navigate skill. Then, discuss the following: 

What are the options for grade reporting? 
I utilized Canvas, from the aspect of an instructor.  There are various options you can select from within this LMS.  You are able to view grading history, upload, download, set group weights, hide or show student names, arrange columns, treat ungraded items as a zero, and show students who no longer enrolled in the course.  

Are there various levels?  
In this version of Canvas, I did not observe that there were various levels you could select from.

Which levels remain most valuable for the online instructor in regard to student performance?
Grade history and group weight would be the two tools that will help me in regard to student performance.  Both areas would allow me to observe student strengths and weaknesses; in the past as well as what assignment and performance areas were stronger or weaker than others.  

Tools within the LMS - (Navigate 3.1.3)

Emails, Deadlines, and Grades--Oh My!  What LMS Tools are Most Important?

The following tools are readily available through Canvas, which was the LMS I most fully explored during this quest.  

Canvas Tools:
Announcements, assignments, discussions, grades, people, pages, files, syllabus, outcomes, social profiles, storage, quizzes, modules, conferences, collaborations

It is very difficult for me to pinpoint which tools rank higher or lower than others: all of them are important to the field of online learning.  At this stage of my online learning experience, I think the social profiles would be the least important since most students are already active within another more commonly utilized social network.  I really appreciate the fact that a plethora of existing platforms like Google, Facebook, and Twitter can connect into Canvas.  This alone is a very helpful tool that helps to make this learning system even more user friendly.  

Creation and Investigation into Courses - (Navigate 3.1.2)

Learning Management Systems--Time to Set Up A Course of My Own!  

After hearing great things about Blackboard, I decided to try that LMS to create my account and shell.  For whatever reason, I was not able to load the supplied module content.  Blackboard stated that the files were not formatted correctly for Blackboard.  So...it was time to go to Plan B! 

I then tried Canvas and was successful in creating my account, content shell, as well as adding the content zip file.  It is very important, as is the case in most activities, to follow the directions that are available.  I needed to select "Import Content", then selected "Zip file to unzip file" choice.  It took a little while, but after it all uploaded it was there and ready to access!  I loved the user friendliness that Canvas provided.  It was much less frustrating in that it actually accomplished what I meant for it to accomplish. 

I look forward to becoming even more accustomed to utilizing Canvas as my online educational journey continues!  

Definitions of Communication Quest (Communicate 1.1.1)

Without question, technology has changed the way we do things as educators.  In many ways, presenting information is easier than it has ever been before.  

We must remember, however, that this brings into play the importance of effective communication.  The very words we communicate are often permanent.  Emails, texts, lectures, asynchronous and synchronous learning tools facilitate a permanency that we're never experienced in previous generations of educators.

Now, more than ever, it is important to practice good manners, or etiquette.  To communicate well, use proper tone, get results from our presentations, all are largely due to how effective or ineffective we articulate and communicate. 

Without our stakeholders, students and their families, we would have no one to educate.  We need to involve and communicate, not isolate.  

How have your individual communication skills changed as with the innovations in technology?

I have definitely become even more cognizant of my communication as technology has become a larger part of our educational arsenal.  I utilize mass emails to parents to communicate important dates and various announcements as well as individual emails or texts depending on what messages need to be communicated.  It is very important to read and re-read potential outgoing communication to make sure the tone is what you intend it to be.  Without face to face interaction and verbal expression, sometimes words on a page may be misconstrued.  

How have advancements in technology altered classroom communication? Will these change further?

Technological advancements have greatly altered expectations in classroom communication.  Students, parents, as well as educators, expect a more professional presentation.  A unit lacking in videos, webquests, and hands-on activities involving technology are just "less than best" in today's tech savvy world.  

I absolutely feel that technology will continue to change--to become even more advanced and capable of more and more possibilities for everyone, including educators. :) 

Lecture Capture Quest (Navigate 2.1.4)

Lecture Capture gives 21st century educators an effective asychronous learning tool.  

Lecture capture enables a quality recording of a lecture to be put into motion, cataloged, and available for students to utilize when it's convenient for them!  

http://www.wpi.edu/academics/ATC/Collaboratory/News/lecturecapturing.html

How would this resource function in the online classroom?

Lecture capture allows educators to present information for students to view and review as needed.  It allows a more flexible time line for students to access the needed information to master the skills taught in the lesson or unit.  This frees up time to then put together synchronous activities that would review the material from the lecture capture and give/receive immediate feedback.

How would the integration of Lecture Capture modify teaching methods?

Lecture capture certainly gives the educator more flexibility in how information is presented.  More information and assignment information may be communicated in this way, knowing that with little exception this would be a one sided presentation.  The ability to integrate white board information, video clips, and slide presentations within Lecture Capture would also allow educators to catalog their information for future use in later courses.  Additionally, they could review this information as they prepare to reteach and perhaps "tweak" or add additional information to supplement the curriculum with even more relevant information.

Commercial versus Open Virtual Classrooms (Navigate 2.1.3)

Consider for a moment the role of synchronous learning in the virtual classroom and the exploration of various synchronous applications.

Synchronous learning is an integral part of the virtual classroom, without question.  This module has given me the opportunity to explore and even utilize some synchronous applications along the way!

When would an open source application take precedence over a commercial product? 

As is often the case, it's often all about the money!  Open source applications are free to the user and therefore are sometimes the only choice when under a strict budget.  It would also take precedence if the product would only be utilized on a small scale.  Perhaps an online course or program choice did not have the need to put together synchronous applications on a regular basis.  

Using these quests as a point of reference, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the open source versus commercial software in relation to synchronous learning.

Open Source System Strengths:  Free to utilize; Fairly easy to acquire through downloading

Open Source System Weaknesses:  No consistent technical support; May not have specialized features you may need

Commercial System Strengths:  Commonality within larger and more sophisticated organizational needs; Knowledgeable technical support and follow up when encountering problems

Commercial System Weaknesses:  Costly/cost prohibitive to utilize for either organization or student, or both

LMS Tool Categories Quest (Navigate 3.1.1)

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are an integral part of a quality online learning environment.  They, in large part, can dictate the success of failure of a program.

So, what are the most relevant features offered in an LMS, which relate directly to effective online instruction?

According to efront learning, these are the seven most important features needed to provide quality online instruction:

1.  Calendar/bulletin board
2.  Webcasts
3.  Tele-Conference
4.  Chat
5.  Shared Whiteboard
6.  Time limited tests/exams
7.  Notifications

http://blog.efrontlearning.net/2014/09/features-to-support-synchronous-learning.html

How might these be used in the online environment?

1.  Calendar/bulletin board:  Keeps everyone on the same page regarding assignments, due dates, special events or deadlines.  This is critical to effective communication, in my opinion.

2.  Webcasts:  Gives educators the ability to create and save presentations that can be utilized by students whenever convenient for them.

3.  Tele-Conference:  Audio or video capability gives educators the ability to create and host synchronous sessions with student, other faculty members, or parents.

4.  Chat:  Gives students and educators the opportunity to communicate in real time with the opportunity to save and review at a later time.  

5.  Shared Whiteboard:  Being able to share with multiple attendees is a fabulous tool for educators.  Additionally, students will be able to pay better attention because they are not having to take the time to copy the notes or problems down by hand.  

6.  Time limited tests/exams:  This allows the opportunity to test students at either the same time with a limited window of time or to schedule on their own schedule but with the same time constraints as a traditional classroom environment.  Depending on the type of test, grading can be shown instantaneously upon submitting the test responses.

7.  Notifications:  Helps to keep parents, students, and educators in the know about what's happening within the online learning environment.  This goes hand in hand with the calendar and bulletin board.  Custom messages could be sent about upcoming deadlines, grades, important meetings and similar events that need to be communicated.  

Delivery Methods and the Synchronous Vendor Market Quest (Navigate 2.1.1)

Synchronous delivery methods are the place to be within a virtual classroom.  It's the best of both worlds!  

http://www.evolllution.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/tutoring.jpg

Live and interactive YET if recorded it can then become an incredible asynchronous resource for students who were unable to attend the live session.  `So....where should you begin this journey if you desire to utilize synchronous delivery methods in your teaching? 

What are some available options in the synchronous delivery market for learning?

Options for a FEE:

Adobe Connect uses flash technology and is for the most part user friendly.  It features a 30 day trial.  After the trial period, the cost is $55.00 per month.  

GoToMeeting uses java technology and has been highly rated by www.onlinemeetingreviews.com.  Its first month free; after that the cost is $49.00 per month.

BrainCert.com delivers four options for your synchronous classroom.  It features a free option as well as three other tiers which range in cost from $18.95 to $98.95 per month. 

Options for FREE:

Google+Hangouts offers this service under the familiar to most Google umbrella of tools and services.  It tends to be user friendly and easily accessible with a Google account.  

BigBlueButton is a popular option for educators and business people alike.  Its site is user friendly and readily accessible.

Moodle is available and backed by over 10 years of dedication to e-learning.  It is connected world-wide and is trusted and proven.  

Discussing the LMS and CMS (Navigate 1.3.1)

Before we begin to compare and contrast, we need to know what an "LMS" and a "CMS" means within the world of online education.  

What is an LMS?

An LMS, or learning management system, is a system of educational content information that is managed and distributed to its users.  This system can help manage its users and also track their use and progress within the system.  "Its usefulness consists of three fields: content delivery, user administration and behavioral tracking."

http://www.educatorly.com/Best-Practice/the-differences-between-cms-lms-and-lcms.html

What is a CMS?

A CMS, or content management system, is a system which focuses primarily upon "collaboratively creating, cataloging, publishing, editing and tracking content. Content can be text, audio, picture and video files, but also lessons and complete courses."

http://www.educatorly.com/Best-Practice/the-differences-between-cms-lms-and-lcms.html

So, when would one need a full blown LMS?

An LMS is a better choice for managing and implementing an entire educational system across the board.  There are more options and levels available to an organization, particularly if there are different tracks of learning and numerous grades, various reporting times, groupings, course offerings, and the like.  A CMS would likely be adequate for a fairly contained and narrow set of educational offerings and content.  

Discuss the perceived difference in the industry between LMS and CMS.

Without question, the LMS is regarded as the almost limitless entity which would likely be chosen for a larger and more sophisticated management capability.  It also has SCORM capability (SCORM is a set of technical standards for e-learning software products), which is optimal for educational software processes.  

A CMS, for the most part, has a narrower audience.  It is designed and utilized mainly for creating, presenting, and facilitating content.  Course management is its main focus, rather than management and administrative utilization like the LMS.  

Describe Roles and Functions in Online Learning Environments (Navigate 1.2.1)

Roles in Today's Online Learning Environments

There are a number of roles that are involved in online learning environments.  As the quest for quality online learning continues, there will likely be additional roles develop as well.  In the meantime, let's talk about the essential roles and functions in today's online learning environments.

http://jzcrouch.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/roles.jpg

Student: 

To be honest, the student is a pretty important part of the mix.  If there weren't any students, we wouldn't need any schools--traditional or online!  The student has a important role--to participate, complete, and be responsible for the classes and curriculum they are signed up for.  

Teacher/facilitator:  

They have a pretty important job, too.  These are the people who teach, facilitate, sometimes design curriculum, grade, and give feedback to the students who sign up for the courses they are affiliated with.  Even in an online environment, they will typically keep "office hours"--times that students will be able to get in touch with them.  They will also handle any problems or concerns on a student by student basis.

Administrator:  

These are the VIPs of the educational hierarchy.  They make decisions, approve policies and curriculum, and oversee the bigger picture of the online educational entity.  

Content Developer:  

These are the resident or contracted "gurus", the people who create the lessons and make sure lessons are loaded into the online course mix as they were designed.  Their job is very important; they are checking to make sure Georgia standards are being met and mastered within the curriculum they develop!

IT and Support Personnel:  

They take the content from the developers and make sure it is functional on today's "information highway".  Links must be loaded, checked, tweaked, and serviced whenever needed.  They are the "go-to" people when your lessons aren't loading or for some reason isn't working properly.  

At Home Facilitator:  

This person works hand in hand with the student.  They could be a family member or even a teacher within a traditional school that decides to participate in online learning course they would otherwise not be able to offer their students.  This person is important because they are able to assist the student in real time.  A quality home facilitator is crucial to student success!

Delineating Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Content (Navigate 1.1.1)

What are the differences between asynchronous and synchronous learning?

Let's find out! :)

Synchronous learning is closer to a traditional classroom environment in that students and teachers come together at a specified time through an online classroom such as Adobe Connect or GoToMeeting.  Typically, in these groups you will hear live online conversations between teachers and classmates if they have an available microphone they can use.  Classroom dialogue could also occur through online chat or even video conferencing if that technology was available.  

Bottom line: synchronous learning = live online learning!  

Asynchronous learning is an online curriculum that allows you to work on each subject area at your own pace, at least for the most part.  Teachers provide the assignments, lessons, videos to view, and activities to complete.  They give students various deadlines throughout the class to make sure assignments and activities are turned in appropriately.  

Bottom line: asynchronous learning = learning on your time-table!

Both synchronous and asynchronous learning have their pros and cons.  Some students like instant feedback; synchronous would be the better choice for them.  Other students may like the autonomy to complete activities in their pajamas at 4 in the morning; asynchronous would be the better choice for them.  

My Digital Health Quest

Without question, sometimes my digital habits get in the way of my general health.  I don't always remember to sit up straight, hold my hands properly on the keyboard, and take the appropriate breaks to stretch or get fresh air.  It's always a good idea to step away, analyze current habits, and decide if anything needs to be tweaked or changed.

The calendar below is the plan I have put into place in the hopes of making my overall health a bigger priority.  Monday and Tuesday have gone well and I have accomplished by goals.  It feels good to make small changes that will make a much larger impact long term.

What is the most proactive means of ensuring the most balanced blend of technology and well-being?

For me, planning is key!  "Plan your work and work your plan" is typically a pretty good way to get a handle on new habits and changing old ones.  Plan to stretch; plan to sit up straight; plan some tech-free times on a regular basis.  Then, FOLLOW THROUGH!

What can students and teachers do to make sure they get the most from technology while simultaneously safeguarding good health?

Make an effort to track computer time during school.  As an educator, we should prompt students to use good posture and hand positioning.  Schedule stretch breaks periodically whenever possible. From a virtual educator's standpoint, suggest these tips to your students whenever possible!

 Everyone can benefit from gentle prompting now and then to remind us to take care of ourselves.

What is Digital Safety and Security, Anyway??? (Participate 4.1.2)

In today's online world, it is critical we attempt to make it as safe a world as we possibly can. What does that mean to an educator?  It means that we need to make conscious efforts to keep our students protected from potential cyber-harm, just as we would make every attempt to keep our students protected from harm within a traditional brick and mortar school setting.

Therefore, we need digital safety and security.  So...what is digital safety and security, anyway? Digital safety and security are the ways in which we are proactive in keeping things safe in the online world.  Safe from potential online predators, thieves, and scammers.  Safe also from creating a detrimental digital footprint could haunt us later in life.


What is the most important step we can take to help ensure our digital safety?

Take the time to install and utilize a quality security software that updates automatically.  There are even some available that are FREE!  There are no excuses to skip this step!

What strategies can we use to consistently keep digital safety in the forefront of the minds of our students?  

These videos below help explain the importance of your digital footprint and things you can do to make safety a priority.  Sometimes all the lecturing in the world will not move students to believe they have a digital footprint until they SEARCH for themselves! 

In my opinion, that "learning by doing" will make a lasting difference in what our students choose to do or refrain from doing in order to stay safe--in the virtual world or in the real world!

Please check out this link to my social bookmark collection which includes resources to learn more about digital safety and security. https://delicious.com/lmjonesga

Digital Rights and Responsibilities (Participate 4.1.1)

As online users within the world of education, we have a responsibility to make sure we do everything we can to assure a well behaved, productive and innovative digital learning community.  What can we do to make this a reality?  According to many websites and internet authoritieis, it is imperative to have an "Acceptable Use Policy" or AUP in place.  

What is an AUP?  According to Common Sense Media, "An acceptable use policy (AUP) is a policy that outlines, in writing, how a school or district expects its community members to behave with technology. Similar to a Terms of Service document, an AUP should define publicly what is deemed acceptable behavior from users of hardware and information systems such as the Internet and any applicable networks."

How can it help?  It essentially spells out what is acceptable and what is unacceptable within the digitial learning community for which it was established.  The easier it is to understand, of ourse, will make it easier to follow as well as to enforce when needed.  

How to best make an AUP work?  Communicate, communicate, communicate--particularly on the front end.  Make it easy to understand what the rules are, why they are in place, and what will happen if they are not followed.  It only makes sense that an AUP is only as good as its follow through.  If lots of rules are in place, yet none are inforced...it is not effective at all in reality.  

How would I help implement an AUP?

• Communicate expectations, all the time, every time!
• Document, document, document.  Make sure all group sign off on awareness of the rules and their implementation if broken.
• Keep it simple!  Make sure the language is easy to understand for the masses.
• Be willing to update as necessary.  Technology in the digital world changes.  It's pretty likely that your AUP will need to change from time to time as well.
• Ask for feedback.  Someone may have an idea that should be included.  It takes a village--otherwise, why would we be a part of digital learning communities at all??

What is Netiquette, Anyway??? (Participate 3.1.2)

Netiquette is, simply put, manners you need to follow on the "net" or internet!  

Just like in "real life", manners are very important when online.  Please see the chart below of 10 core rules of netiquette as posted on http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html.

I will elaborate on each one to help equip you with the knowledge you need to practice good etiquette.

1.  Remember the human:  In other words, don't forget that everyone you're dealing with is human, just like you.  If you wouldn't say it to their face, you probably shouldn't say it online either!

2.  Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life:  Be thoughtful, kind, polite, and keep your standard of ethics high.

3.  Know where you are in cyberspace:  Just like certain rules are different at school versus home versus in the community, the same holds true online.  Follow the rules "where you are" in cyberspace and you should be just fine!

4.  Respect other people's time and bandwidth:  Unnecessary emails, forwards, and postings take up time and also bandwidth.  Make sure you are respectful of others and don't clog their email or system with unnecessary information.   

5.  Make yourself look good online: Most of the time, the words you write are what represent you online.  Use proper grammar, spelling, and word pairings.  Put your best foot forward all the time, every time!

6.  Share expert knowledge:  Participate (using good netiquette, of course) in online communities.  Chances are, there are people who know stuff you want to learn more about and you know stuff other people want to learn more about.  Share info, learn info--it's a "win-win"!

7.  Help keep flame wars under control:  What is a flame, you say?  A flame is a situation in which someone "tells it like it is" on the internet without much thought or feeling toward how the recipient is going to respond.  Typically a figurative "flame"and then "fire" then ensues.  We should not "add fuel to fire", so to speak.  Don't encourage the flaming behavior and it will likely go out soon enough. 

8.  Respect each other's privacy:  Don't snoop into other people's emails or social media accounts, even if they left them open.  Don't forward information that doesn't belong to you.  Just don't do it! 

9.  Don't abuse your power:  Let's say you become a group administrator on social media or for your company or school.  Don't abuse that responsibility, otherwise it might not be your responsibility for much longer. 

10.  Be forgiving of other people's mistakes:  We mess up.  Others mess up.  It happens!  Fix it, ask for forgiveness and a clean slate going forward.  Accept apologies and grant clean slates when you need to as well.  

Follow these rules and you'll be a great example of what great netiquette should be.  Enjoy the journey!