|
Dear [member_name_first],
May is a month to honor important people in our lives such as our mothers, teachers, and those who lost their lives serving and protecting our country.
Teacher Appreciation Week begins the first week in May. Hopefully all of you teachers out there are honored for the hard work and significant roles you play in the molding of our youth. For any of you faculty members who would like to show some gratitude, visit this teacher appreciation site for some insight on how to express your feelings.
Another important day is Mother's Day, which is celebrated on the 10th of May this year. Help your students show their appreciation with Mother's Day art projects, writing ideas and other educational activities at teachervision.com.
We must not forget about Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day. Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May. US Memorial Day is a great site to help enhance your students' knowledge of the history of Memorial Day. If you would like to get your students involved in patriotic projects, visit this Memorial Day lesson plans site.
Factors Influencing Faculty Use of
Technology in Online Instruction: A Case Study
 Abstract
Online education has become a staple of higher education institutions. In the latest survey conducted by the Sloan Foundation, it was found that over two-thirds of higher education institutions were offering a variety of online courses and programs. According to Allen and Seaman (2008), over 20% of all students took at least one online course in 2006 and this is projected to continue to increase over time. However, observations at a specific urban university in the mid-west show vast variation in terms of faculty who choose to utilize online instructional technologies and a significant lag in desired online development. With the importance of online instruction, the question asked was “How can an institution encourage their faculty members to move forward with online instruction? This article outlines the answer to that question by determining what factors were found to influence a faculty member’s decision whether or not to integrate online technologies into his or her course. The factors considered centered on areas such as: 1) perceptions of online instruction, 2) past experience with online technologies, and 3) specific experiences at the university. These findings, as well as the initial strategies developed to increase faculty participation in online instruction, are discussed in the article.
Introduction
Technology has changed the way instruction is delivered on the campuses of colleges and universities across the United States, especially in terms of online instruction (Lowerison et al., 2006). According to a recent report funded by the Sloan Foundation, Allen and Seaman (2008) found that almost two-thirds of all higher education institutions in the United States offer online courses and/or programs in order to remain competitive with other institutions of higher learning and to fulfill the diverse needs of today's busy students. Based on this, more and more universities are providing faculty with the tools necessary to incorporate technology into the classroom and move their courses into an online environment; however, the decision to integrate any type of technology into coursework usually rests with the faculty who teach the courses (Ertmer, 2005). Many instructors take advantage of the new techniques and opportunities made available through online technologies and use them regularly, while others tend to rely on the more traditional methods of delivering course content.
For example, Professor Green has taught both online and traditional courses for over three years. He incorporates technology into the majority of his coursework: posts student assignments and documents in the course management system (CMS), uses presentation software and Internet resources, where appropriate, to supplement his lectures, and has moved many of his courses entirely online. He also requires students to contact him through email regarding problems and questions. On the other hand, Professor Anderson uses a more traditional method of instruction. He seldom requires students to use technology, uses paper handouts to supplement the lectures, writes concepts on the chalkboard and requests students to contact him by phone to set up appointments for questions and problems.
Click
here
to read the full text of this article.
Web Resources for Teachers
TeachersContinuingEducationUnits.com - Need CEUs? Check this website out for all the information you need on workshops, conferences, and courses that provide ceu's for teachers.
TeachersProfessionalLearningUnits.com - Need PLUs? Go to this website and find all the latest workshops, conferences, and courses that will help you meet your professional development requirements.
TeacherClockHours.com - Need clock hours? This is the resource where you can find everything you need to know about workshops, conferences, and courses that provide clock hour credit for teachers.
Need graduate or undergraduate credit and want to take your courses in the comfort of your own home? Check out the universities section of our website to see a list of all our partners who offer the kind of credit you need in your state. Just select the university you want to go through and find a list of all the courses offered, type of credit offered, and total cost per course.
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) - Did you know that VESi courses transfer into the MAT program through Morningside College? This is by far the most economical Master's Degree we have found for educators. Learn more about the MAT options available, or see a list of VESi courses offered through Morningside College.
|
