Week 2 of 550

• Identify at least two synchronous and two asynchronous online learning tools that would be appropriate for your targeted online learners.

Two synchronous activities:
1. Web conference with my students about how class is going, how I feel they are doing, and to make a goal for them self. We do MAP testing, so this would also be a great way for me to discuss and show them things to make a goal for the next MAP.
2. Host a discussion (chat room or eluminate) about what went on in class today. I could also use it as a place to host for questions and help for one another.

Two asynchronous activities:
1. E-mail communication with my students and parents. Use this for sending important dates and notes home to parents and student.
2. Host a blog or wiki where the students have to work together and discuss math things. Could be about class, a problem to solve, or an activity to do.

• List four different types of activities that you might use with your targeted online learners and identify an appropriate online tool to use in implementing that activity.

Four different types of activities that I could use:
1. Create story problems for the students to solve and blog about how they solved it and what their final answer is. I could use a blog, wiki, or google docs to collect the student responses.
2. Create an online quiz that allows my students to get feedback and study for a in class quiz. The quiz could be retaken multiple times and help the students to continue to study.
3. Send out emails to help keep contact with my students outside of the classroom too. These emails could be announcements, important quiz and test dates coming up, or a way for my students to contact me outside of the classroom for homework help.
4. Create a website where my students can comment, host discussions, and use it for information to assist them with their work.

• Is my initial contact warm and inviting? Are there things I did particularly well or could do better in the future?

I believe that my initial contact is a warm and inviting letter to the parents. One thing that was suggested to me was to include a website where they can get more questions answered or find other information they may still be wondering about. This website would also be a place for them to directly contact me without having to email me.

• Is my initial contact clear and concise and yet user friendly? What are some strategies that help to format your contacts to make them as clear and concise as possible?

Yes I believe it is. However, I think it would be easier to collect my results if I distributed it out in a survey format. I could make an online survey and send it out to my students. The parents could answer it and have their answer be confidential from their child. I think this would allow the parents to feel more able to share things with me. I just worry that not all parents would take an online survey serious for me or I would not get 100% results. In the last few years I have gotten 100% because I have reminded the students to remind their parents. Going online worries me about my feedback.