How to Teach in Cyberspace.

How to Teach in Cyberspace. YOUR YEARS OF TEACHER TRAINING PREPARED YOU TO TEACH IN ACLASSROOM--WITH DESKS AND BOOKS AND WALLS. BUT WHAT IF YOUR CLASSROOM ISIN CYBERSPACE Coined by William Gibson in his 1984 novel "Neuromancer," it is a futuristic computer network that people use by plugging their minds into it! The term now refers to the Internet or to the online or digital world in general. See Internet and virtual reality. Contrast with meatspace. AND YOUR STUDENTS ARE NAMES ON A COMPUTER SCREEN? Distance learning is booming as schools continue to keep pace withthe needs of their students. Working parents are taking Web-basedcourses at times convenient to their schedules. Students in rural areasare using e-mail to communicate with instructors they may never meet inperson. A recent Department of Education study of postsecondary schoolsfound that 58 percent of two-year and 62 percent of four-year publiccolleges offer distance education courses. Another 28 percent oftwo-year and 23 percent of four-year public colleges plan to startoffering distance courses within three years. So, who will teach distance students? If you're a new teacheror you plan to be in the teaching profession for the next several years,chances are you're going to get called up to the plate. Look at itas an exciting opportunity to teach in different ways. And realize thatmastering distance instruction can make you a more marketable teacher. Find your custom fit Some institutions, like the University of Phoenix, are usingcustom-made software that automates networking capabilities, making iteasier to link the computers of students, teachers and schools. Allstudents must load the software onto their personal computers to accesstheir courses. When students tap into the school's network, coursematerials, notes and discussions are automatically downloaded and thestudents' assignments and comments are uploaded. Other schools are keeping it simpler and inexpensive. ThomasCollege This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view.Mark blatant advertising for , using . in Waterville, Maine Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine in the United States on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,605 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Colby College and Thomas College. , for instance, uses the World Wide Web topost class information. Students need a current version of NetscapeNavigator An earlier Web browser for Windows, Macintosh and X Windows from Netscape that provided secure transmission over the Internet. Soon after its introduction in 1994, Navigator, or just "Netscape," as it was commonly called, quickly became the leading browser on the Web. or Microsoft Internet Explorer See Internet Explorer. to participate. Many schoolsalso use a password-protected system. But the daunting daunt?tr.v. daunt��ed, daunt��ing, dauntsTo abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay.[Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin part for many instructors is actually teaching thedistance course. It's one thing to learn how to use the technologyand quite another to use it well. In almost all cases, the teacherprovides a "lecture" at least once a week. This could be inthe form of a broadcast e-mail message to all students or it could be adocument posted on the course's Web page. In these formats studentsmay not be able to hear the inflections in your voice or see theexpressions on your face, but you can include hyperlinks for emphasis.Hyperlinks are words or phrases that when clicked take the readerdirectly to related Web material, like definitions or additionalreadings. Most current versions of Microsoft Word A full-featured word processing program for Windows and the Macintosh from Microsoft. Included in the Microsoft application suite, it is a sophisticated program with rudimentary desktop publishing capabilities that has become the most widely used word processing application on the market. include this feature. But live interaction between teachers and students also is key todistance learning success. Live chat sessions, in which students andfaculty meet at a set time and have discussions by keying in theircomments and questions, can be a lively way to learn. Shy students whotend not to participate in traditional classroom discussions may feelencouraged to type in their two cents. After the chat, which usuallylasts about an hour, a transcript A generic term for any kind of copy, particularly an official or certified representation of the record of what took place in a court during a trial or other legal proceeding.A transcript of record of the discussion can be posted to theclass Web page for students who missed it. It's also a goodreference for teachers to have; they can refer back to it to see whichconcepts generated the most questions or discussion. Many Internet-basedcourses, however, rely less on chat sessions because such sessionsrequire all participants to be available at the same time--an obstaclethat led to this sort of class in the first place. Professor Thomas Easton's technology education students atThomas College use weekly chat sessions to exchange notes and ask eachother questions about upcoming assignments. They also use online messageboards (which unlike live chat sessions always are available) to postquestions about their coursework courseworkNounwork done by a student and assessed as part of an educational courseNoun 1. coursework - work assigned to and done by a student during a course of study; usually it is evaluated as part of the student's and add to comments from the weeklychat session. Amy Sterling Casil, who teaches writing at severalinstitutions, gives her weekly lectures via live chat sessions, workingfrom notes much as she does in the classroom. Make friends with technology Teachers must achieve a high comfort level with technology to teachdistance courses successfully. "Most of the children in myclassroom have a computer at home and are comfortable with thetechnology," says Maryjane Stafford, a veteran classroom teacherwho is studying technology education in Easton's Internet-basedclass. "It's the teachers currently teaching who are caught inthe transition who will have the more difficult time," she adds. Stafford's colleague and classmate Lynda Ogden agrees."Part of the problem stems from the fact that teachers are expectedto learn the technology on their own time." Most schools that offerdistance courses may offer (or require) technology training for faculty.But there are some that leave it up to the teacher to become familiarwith the software or computer network. In these cases, teachers shouldtake the initiative to meet with the technology administrator orcoordinator--whoever is in charge of maintaining the distance learningsystem. Other good resources include the "for dummies"technology manuals that are available at virtually any bookstore. Ifstudents will be filing assignments electronically, teachers should beprepared to translate various file formats, too (such as Microsoft Word,Word Perfect and Corel). Hand in hand with feeling comfortable about distance learningtechnology is feeling comfortable with the written word. "Writtencommunication better become your strength," says Al Stauffer, whoteaches several subjects, including technology education, at theUniversity of Phoenix. "There's no room for ambiguity AmbiguityDelphic oracleultimate authority in ancient Greece; often speaks in ambiguous terms. [Gk. Hist.: Leach, 305]Iseult’s vowpledge to husband has double meaning. [Arth. . Without the benefit of an ironic tone or joking facial expression facial expression,n the use of the facial muscles to communicate or to convey mood. to expose the true meaning of a statement, Stauffer recommends thatteachers be cautious and direct in their comments--and be alert tostudent statements that could be taken the wrong way. But when conflictdoes arise, teachers must not participate or allow themselves to beoffended of��fend?v. of��fend��ed, of��fend��ing, of��fendsv.tr.1. To cause displeasure, anger, resentment, or wounded feelings in.2. under any circumstances, says Paul Levinson Paul Levinson BA, MA, PhD (born 1947) is an American author and professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York City. Levinson's novels, short fiction, and non-fiction works have been translated into twelve languages. , whose company,Connected Education, has been developing Internet-based courses foraccredited accreditedrecognition by an appropriate authority that the performance of a particular institution has satisfied a prestated set of criteria.accredited herdscattle herds which have achieved a low level of reactors to, e.g. institutions since 1985. He advises teachers to comment onthe conflict quickly to neutralize neutralizeto render neutral. any hostility among students thatcould take away from learning. That's not to say that everything you or your students sayonline has to be boring. Stauffer, known for the jokes he tells in histraditional classroom, brings his sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor"sense of humour, humor, humour and livelyconversational style to his online lectures and discussions. He saysmaintaining this approach and applying it to his keyboard helps keep hisstudents interested and involved. Be a quick and persistent communicator A downside DownsideThe dollar amount by which the market or a stock has the potential to fall.Notes:You might hear someone say that the downside on stock XYZ is $10. What that means is that the stock could fall by this amount if things got bad. of distance learning is that you can't see thestudent in the back of the room looking puzzled or bored. Mostsuccessful Internet-based courses require students to participate at acertain level. For example, they must engage in live chats; no silentsitting allowed. This helps teachers know if students are havingtrouble. Levinson trains teachers to coax Same as coaxial cable. coax - coaxial cable comments from students and weavevarious comments together to keep discussion rolling. He also tellsteachers to respond promptly to e-mail messages or other comments orquestions posted during a live chat or on a message board. The longer astudent waits, the more anxiety can build if he is having trouble. Thismeans teachers must check their e-mail messages or check the course Website frequently. On the online message board for his class, Easton frequently addsbrief, encouraging comments or clarifications to the discussion threads See threaded discussion. ,along with additional questions that may have been prompted by othercomments. Stauffer's students are required to log on five days outof every seven, and to do frequent assignments to help him monitorprogress. When a teacher finds a student is having trouble (either throughlackluster lack��lus��ter?adj.Lacking brightness, luster, or vitality; dull. See Synonyms at dull.Adj. 1. lackluster - lacking brilliance or vitality; "a dull lackluster life"; "a lusterless performance" participation or a direct e-mail message), how to help variesaccording to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. the need. Direct e-mail communication with the student isone of the best ways to tackle such a problem. Teachers can go overtroublesome concepts, recommend supplemental study materials and answeradditional questions. Students also may feel more comfortable discussingvia e-mail personal matters affecting their class performance. Many teachers also will talk with students on the phone. Stauffersays that if he hasn't seen a student online for a few days,he'll call to make sure there isn't a problem. He also acceptsclass inquiries over the phone, but makes clear to his students thatphone calls are not for re-teaching the material he has covered online.A student with that level of need probably is ill-suited for onlinecourses, he says. Levinson says most students and teachers welcome the diversity adistance course can bring to the learning experience. As a trainer,he's had students from 40 states in one class. Most students can learn in a distance course, Easton says, adding,"I have not yet found any that can't do it." Even as you're reading, technology continues to progress. Theaverage home computer is getting faster, making graphics and videoseasier to download and view. Two-way audio and video systems, whichalready are popular in many postsecondary institutions, are becomingmore affordable and accessible. On the horizon there are even moretechnological possibilities, such as using holographic See holographic storage. images indistance courses. If you've never taught a distance course, do alittle of your own research by looking up some of the Web sites listedin the box on this page. Talk to your colleagues about any experiencesthey've had with distance learning. But most of all, get started. RELATED ARTICLE: 3 Reasons Distance Learning is a Good Idea * Many distance courses don't require that students all be inthe same place at the same time, making them attractive to workingparents and other busy professionals. * Schools can draw students from a larger geographical area, soclasses are more likely to fill. And the increased diversity often is anasset in broadening the students' perspective on the coursesubject. * Faculty can teach at various campuses or institutions without thehassle Hassle () is a location in N?rke, Sweden, where a Celtic treasure was found in 1936.It comprises a large bronze cauldron which contained two Bronze Age swords of the Hallstatt type, a pommel of bronze, two bronze buckets with of travel. --P.H. RELATED ARTICLE: Where to Learn More About Distance Teaching Many of these Web sites feature examples of how variousinstitutions are teaching distance courses. Others include links tosites about distance learning technologies. * Distance Education Clearinghouse www.uwex.edu/disted/home. html * Going the Distance www.pbs.org/ adultlearning/als/gtd * Educause www.educause.edu * Yahoo! Distance Learning Directory http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/Distance_Learning * How to Offer a Course Over the Internet www.edgorg.com/course.htm * United States United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. Distance Learning Association www.usdla.org Before she became a freelance writer, Pamela Hodgson Pamela Hodgson was the first Registered Massage Therapist in the Canadian province of Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador), where she founded a practice in 1979. A founding member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Massage Therapists' Association (NLMTA) and its first (Ithaca, N.Y.)was director of the Ithaca Center for Postgraduate postgraduateafter first degree graduation, the registerable degree in veterinary science.postgraduate degreemay be a research degree, e.g. PhD, or a course-work masterate with a vocational bias, or any combination of these. Medical Education. Reprints of the "Tips for New Teachers" series areavailable from the Association for Career and Technical Education.Topics include classroom management, interviewing techniques, copyrightlaws and many others. To order, call (800) 826-9972.