Online Class 3 @One!

Intro to using Blackboard 

Lesson 1: Introduction to Blackboard

     Even though I have used Blackboard for a couple of years, this week I had the opportunity to learn  basic information about blackboard. I also explored new/more advanced tools that I had not used before, for example, Blackboard Collaborate. I can't wait to use this tool in my classroom and to share ideas with other instructors on how to use it in the ESL Classroom. 

More in week 3... 

Online Class 2 @One!

Building Online Community
with Social Media

Unit 1: Getting Started
in Building Online Community 

This week, I learned the importance of humanizing our online classes. I had to create a 100 word intro with a “selfie” and post to the Discussion Board as an introduction to my classmates. I had never taken and selfie –and that was the last of it… I prefer when someone takes a picture of me, so the blended/online classes I will teach, I will ask a family member or a friend to take my pic! : )

Another activity that I enjoyed was the online game: “two truths and a lie” where you have to reveal the lie at the end of the week –after two or three students have commented on what they think is true or false about you.

This class is using the Learning Management System (LMS) Moodle, so it has been a challenge just learning how to navigate this LMS. I can clearly understand the CA Online Education Initiative which is trying to migrate all the classes to just one LMS across CA --Hello CANVAS! Let's see what MiraCosta College decides this semester. If they select CANVAS as our next LMS, I will have to transfer all the content I am creating.  

Software Review

This week, I started to review software for the lab classes. Even though I constantly review software in the computer lab for our students, I really haven’t had the chance to practice with new software --as a student-- since I took classes in Costa Mesa in 2001 when I was an ESL student. Back in 2001, I learned English with Rosetta Stone and my first grammar book was Fundamentals of English by Betty Azar.

During my sabbatical, I plan to review the following software and book materials for the lab:

• Betty Azar
• Project Success
• Rosetta Stone
• Side by Side
• Top Notch

I also plan to adapt one of these books for my hybrid Level 5 class.