Post 2

Question 1

I found the ELA case study interesting. I think the teacher utilizes many useful strategies. The use of the comment feature is invaluable when a teacher is grading papers on the computer. The use of quick writes are also a great tool to gauge a student’s understanding. A negative I see in teaching writing on line that a lot is lost when you can’t sit down with the student and talk to them about writing. I have edited and held “conversations” with students on the computer, but it is generally more effective when I am sitting with them in the classroom.

Question 2:

The face to face contact that lacks in an online environment is a major issue for virtual learning environments. Connecting with the students (addressed in the social studies review) and the feedback (addressed in the ELA study) are two areas that are critical for student success. I think that that the social studies teacher does a good job of making up for the lack of connections being made by uploading pictures of his family and using other images. This lets the students know about his personality and also keeps things fresh for students. The teacher in the ELA study really was thoughtful in how she was providing feedback to her students and their use of writing. It was clear she took the students’ needs into consideration when she was planning.