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After completing the first two modules, my personal belief about online learning or teaching has certainly changed for the better.  I used to be very weary (and somewhat against) online learning because I worried it would only further hinder students’ social skills, and it would lack guidance in student learning.  While I still do worry about students’ social skills (because I see many lacking them due to some of our current technology), thanks to these first two modules, I have come to realize that blended learning in particular stands out to me as a way to create the ideal learning path for each student to truly personalize their learning, fostering more motivation, which will lead to greater success.  Utilizing online learning opens up so many opportunities our students would not have otherwise (such as experiencing additional courses and learning from other people), and it allows teachers to be more efficient in the classroom and spend more time on things we really want to that will be the difference-makers (the engaging activities and projects).  I also realize that online learning does not necessarily eliminate face-to-face learning (even in a full-time online program).  Plus, for students who can’t be in a “brick-and-mortar school” for their schooling, online learning makes their education possible.  I must admit – I am very impressed by how much these first two modules have changed my personal belief (for the better)!

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At first I through blended learning was just having students with devices adding multimedia to lessons and using computers in the classroom. Now I have learned that there is so much more. I am very interested in the different models from the first iNACOL article that we read. I would really like to implement the rotation model with more validity and on a more consistent basis. In Module 2 I was blown away by the amount of virtual schools that there are out there. I am intrigued by this as a next career option. Either working as a teacher of a course, or consultant to the school to help design courses for students.

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After completing the first two modules, I realized how structured online learning/teaching is than I thought. The two videos we watched in Module 2 showed me that online teachers have specific schedules and routine they follow to be organized and successful. Also, the iNACOL article corrected two misconceptions I had about online learning. They were, "Online students spend all of their time in front of a computer." and "Online students are isolated from their peers and shortchanged on important socialization skills."

However, I don't believe virtual/cyber schools are right for ALL students. I still believe some students would benefit from face-to-face instruction WITH online learning (blended learning) instead of full on virtual school. While others may thrive in virtual schools. After learning about online learning, I think it's another resource or an educational option to meet the diverse needs of diverse students in our nation.

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At first, I thought blended and online learning was something that would only be realistic in middle school, high school, and college. After these first two modules I see it as a possibility in elementary classrooms.  The rotation model for blended learning is something that really struck me as something that can be implemented in the intermediate grades.

Before, I thought of online learning as something only for students who are very advanced in academic areas. I now understand that everyone can benefit from online learning. I think one of the best uses for online learning is for students to make up credits in order to graduate on time, or to help dropouts earn their diplomas. These two groups are made up of people for whom it is probably very difficult to learn in a traditional face-to-face setting. Online learning provides an opportunity for these students to earn credits and get a degree to improve their lives.

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My views of online learning have changed a lot. The articles in iNACOL have presented a lot of useful information that has adjusted my perspective. I hadn’t had a lot of experience except for a few blended sessions and the research I did about Flipped Classroom instruction for a previous course at Loyola. I didn’t really understand all the communication that went into the set-up and communication, essentially allowing myself to fall for the myth that online students lacked social skills.

I was also pretty focused on the virtual school model where most if not all of the learning took place online. I like that idea of blended learning where there is still some face-to-face time.

I also failed to think about how the online learning could help students who needed a non-traditional schedule to manage outside requirements. I really put that together on a post today when I thought about how blended and virtual learning could help students at Long Reach. I am still curious about how things like science labs or the physical skills (playing an instrument/painting/PE) would happen in a virtual school. I like the flexibility that blended learning gives to students and look forward to finding ways to increase the asynchronous learning I can have in my own classroom.

Finally, the different theories in teaching though an online setting were interesting as well and I look forward to seeing how they are applied. I didn’t realize there were so many models of online learning or theories on how to teach online learning.

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I thought online and blended learning really only existed at scale in higher education. I had no idea how prevalent and successful blended and online education had become in public schools.

I still find it difficult to imagine a successful online school with students at the elementary level, but see blended learning (especially the rotational hybrid model) as something that can be done easily enough to prepare young students for more online education moving forward.

One thing that was reinforced was the idea that "students with special needs" are getting the educational opportunities everyone should be getting. When I initially learned about the IEP process and Alt. Ed., I thought, "Why aren't we creating individualized education plans for ALL of our students?" The answer, of course, is that it's highly labor intensive and teachers don't have the hours in the day to do that.

This is where blended learning is frustrating to me, or at least how it is implemented locally. It seems we only have it available to students trying to catch up on credits, or that are struggling severely academically. This is a shame to me because unlike the IEP process, blended learning is much easier to scale up to the general population. In many ways, it can ease the administrative teaching burden while providing for more individualized instruction.

I find myself more frustrated at the lack of equitable access to educational resources for the majority of our students. Much like Sir. Robinson, I feel like Alt. Ed shouldn't be the alternative. It should just be education. I feel the same for blended and online educational opportunities.

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Honestly, I did not truly believe that online learning could be a very successful program because I am such a supporter in the notion of the personal relationship between students and teachers is key to a students learning successfully. After these first two modules that has changed 100%. I discussed in previous posts that Homewood already has two blended learning programs offered for students to catch up on credits with the support of a teacher or "mentor/coach" in the room for guidance. I thought that in the room teacher would be needed for a successful program. Through the many examples discussed in the readings and videos, I can see the many benefits of online learning for not only my students, but all students. In almost every single example listed, the author discusses the importance of the relationship between the teacher and students. Even though they may not share a physical space, the relationship piece is still there and present. Students and teachers are still continuously collaborating and communicating with one another. I almost believe that the relationship is more important and invested than the traditional face to face classroom teacher.

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After completing the first two modules, I no longer feel like I am completely ruining the online learning for student in summer school. I feel a little more validated in the fact that what HCPSS calls "blended learning" is not the whole story. HCPSS attempts to offer supplemental online programs, but with standard f2f teaching practices. Throughout the school year, while prepping for this summer, I kept trying to make suggestions as to how to improve our "blended model" of teaching and was essentially shot down. It is nice to now have the correct info to back up my original ideas and help to shift the mindset about what we currently consider blended learning. In addition, HCPSS offers online classes through APEX, a system that has a curriculum already built into it and fosters almost zero interaction between the students and the teacher. there are much better ways to conduct online classes. One of the biggest myths from the article talked about how "online learning is teacherless" and "students are isolated." I really appreciated that section because that is the exact stigma that we have to get over to make online learning successful in HCPSS

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My ideas of online learning has definitely changed since completing the first two modules. I used to think that online learning was only possible for students in higher education or high school, but can now see that it is possible for elementary and middle school students. An added bonus- I have actually been doing some blended learning with my students without even realizing it :). I also believed that online learning was very rigid and that it could not be able to meet the needs of each individual learner. It is actually the opposite, which could be very beneficial for students who don't learn the "traditional" way.

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Interestingly, I actually took online courses for a month in high school. Fun fact: I got mono so bad that I had hives covering my entire body, so I could not attend traditional school. Since I was taking both Latin and Spanish, they could not find a teacher who could teach me both of those foreign languages, so they had me learn online. I LOVED it. Of course, when I had to take my first online course for my ESOL degree, I hated it. I felt disconnected from other learners, and the teacher was unclear and unhelpful. Admittedly, I felt a bit worried about online learning in this program. I think what has helped is the fact that we have all met face to face first, so I feel more invested in the community when we then meet online. I had no idea there were so many kinds of online learning models. I guess my preference (as a learner) is blended and not fully online.

As far as teaching goes, I thought online learning made the teacher feel disconnected from the students, but I see that it really has so much to do with personalizing learning and establishing rapport and a common vision/purpose, just like in a brick-and-mortar classroom. I actually want to look for online teaching jobs now or revamp the Home & Hospital program to incorporate blended/online learning opportunities because there are far more options than I realized.

I am interested to learn even more about how online learning works with at-risk populations because a lot of those students are on Home & Hospital, and those are the students who often fall through the cracks of traditional school.

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My perception of online learning has greatly changed after learning more about it over these last two days. One perception that has changed was that online learning happens exclusively online. I did not anticipate the different models of online and blended learning that were out there. I also did not realize that I had done something similar to it in my classroom or wanted to as a first year teacher. There are so many ways that blended learning can occur and I think that is what can make it so successful for students. Another perception I had was that it could not work for the early elementary grades. As a first grade teacher, I know that it is imperative to hear students read and interact with them in the moment so that we can problem solve decoding strategies and work on comprehension skills. With online learning, I still think this is possible through the use of web conferencing software such as Adobe Connect where a student can read and a teacher can listen while taking anecdotal notes and then create a lesson based around the data that was gathered. I think that would definitely revolutionize the teaching profession especially because parents are such an integral need in the primary grades to ensure that reading skills are happening at home. Another perception I had was that not many teachers would be needed if online learning became more of the norm. However that is not the case. I think even more teachers are needed to serve students from all around the world as well as to assist teachers in making content accessible for students with disabilities as mentioned in the iNACOL article. I think there are so many possibilities out there for online learning and government officials should definitely review them so that our students can feel successful and get the wonderful education that they deserve.

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My views of online and blended learning have changed a great deal in the last two days. First of all, I am embarrassed to say, but I was one of those people who believed in the myth that people who do a lot of online learning lack social skills and have difficulty engaging in other mediums of learning. I also thought that most of the work was done online via the computer. Having taken these hybrid courses at Loyola in ed tech, I know that there have been rich discussions via Moodle and some people actually communicate and collaborate better online. I also thought that being a classroom teacher and an online teacher were not that different, but now I can see all of the components that would make one require a who other skill set . With so many different models and mediums at your disposal, an online teacher has the challenge of determining the best delivery method for specific content and what model best suits the learner and learning environment.

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After completing the first two modules, my belief about online learning and teaching has changed and been improved. One pre-existing notion I had about online learning was that the course was "easier" for the teacher and student. However, I am now aware of this misconception and understand how challenging it can be to be an online teacher (but with proper professional development and training it is very achievable). After watching the two videos about the day in the lives of an online teacher and blended learning instructor, I was truly able to interpret the responsibilities that these teachers have. These teachers were working late into the evening where as I know some teachers in the traditional classroom setting does not take work home and end their working day when the students leave. Also, with regards to it being "easier" for the students, that is not the case. Online learning still provides the necessary content information and allows students to work at their own pace.

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My perception has definitely changed, especially after reading the articles from iNACOL. I had previously thought that online learning was basically information presented and completed online without much communication. I was unaware of the give and take that can occur between students and teachers. I also thought that it online learning was more of a one-size fits all approach but I could not have been more wrong. With the amount of models and programs out there, online learning can be for anyone and everyone. I was completely unaware of the ability to personalize online learning to meet the needs of students. In my mind, online learning was always something that I perceived to be unattainable in my classroom but is now something that I will be trying to implement in some capacity for the upcoming school year.

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I think initially I was confused about how blended learning can take place within an elementary and middle school classroom, but have come to realize that there are a variety of structures teachers can use in order to develop a classroom that encompasses blended learning. I took one online class in college that completely lacked the personal communication and connection with both the teacher and my fellow students. After reading the articles and watching the videos in the past two modules, I've come to learn how extremely important the classroom culture is even in a blended learning setting as well as strong communication with students and among students. I think that blended learning would be a much different way to teach, and would encompass its own obstacles. Having students working towards individual goals and being engaged in their learning is definitely something that I want to see happen for all students within my classroom!

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My perceptions of online teaching are entirely different after completing the first 2 modules. Honestly, I had no idea about the different models included in blended or hybrid learning as well as supplemental online programs. Although I assumed there were schools out there that did more online course work, I really had no idea how large this trend of education has gotten, and it makes me excited! Throughout this program, I've learned about technology integration and instruction; however, as I said, this concept of blended and online learning is very new to me. I'm so glad that this class is a part of our program. I can foresee myself pursuing this type of teaching in the future.

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My views and original thoughts on online learning have changed significantly in these first few days. I took one fully online class in my undergrad and personally it was a disaster. I would forget the class even existed because everything else was in person (though it had some online components). The iNACOL articles, and the videos of a day in the life of an online teacher have shown how important the communication factor is. Looking back, I had zero communication with that professor. I was given a grade on whatever assignment, no comments, no feedback, and never any emails. The online teachers now are claiming they know their students even better than face-to-face because they are constantly interacting with them. I also have to admit that I believed the myth that virtual schooling was just a student sitting behind a computer all day. I didn't realize that there were lab and field trip components, which makes the learning so much more worthwhile.

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For starters, I didn't realize how many models there were! My original thoughts were when I took some certification courses at the grad level through Canter. They were so bad and I'm pretty sure no one read my work. I really got a true picture of what it's like to be a teacher for these online schools and I wish this was an option in MD. I didn't realize teachers still went in to an office and collaborated in person. I really liked that second video that showed how students could still come in for labs or certain classes. I do still think that especially in elementary school social interaction in person is important, but I would have loved to have done online learning as a high schooler.

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Yes, it has changed. My original perceptions of online learning came from my first years of undergrad when I signed up for an accounting class online... yes, it was terrible. The teacher was an older guy who like wearing cuff links and failing students, and there was really no actual "resource" other than reading the textbook. Luckily, my college offered tutoring sessions and I had to go to EVERY single session and get lots of help in order to get my C... But I enjoyed not going to class, so I signed up for several more online classes after that and found that they were essentially straight from the textbook, ie REALLY easy. I got As in the rest of them.

Fast forward to this program, where I believe a pretty decent portion of this degree has already been done with blended learning... and I've actually learned. The videos, readings, activities, and discussions have been varied, informative and much more engaging than my 2003-era accounting class.

So my views went from "this is ridiculous nonsense" to "this really is the future of learning."