Ashley Hungerford

4/8/2013

COMMUNICATION PLAN Online Education

This document will serve as a plan to address communication issues in an online course. It will include routine administrative tasks that must be completed for a successful online course, strategies to address discussion forums, discussion forum rubrics, a contingency plan should one run into management issues, and finally parent-teacher communication forms.

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COMMUNICATION PLAN Online Education

ROUTINE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS

Daily Tasks • Check student help section • Check discussion boards • Check email, IM and any other direct method of communication • Grade at least 1/5th of the work

completed • Manage any discipline issues

that have arisen during the day

Weekly Tasks • Post all grades for the week

prior • Make sure that all students

have been provided with feedback throughout the week

• Communicate with students missing work or not participating

Quarterly/Semester Tasks • Post an introduction with a biography and photo • Hold live video chats at least once per quarter for those students that like a

more face to face approach • Post rubrics and standards/expectations for students to review • Post grade averages with comments • Call students/Parents at the beginning of each semester for introductions and

to check-in

It is important to establish a clear set of instructions, provide regular feedback, and set up reasonable due dates.

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COMMUNICATION PLAN Online Education

DISCUSSION FORUM STRATEGIES

• Personal Introduction • Ice Breakers • Guidelines for Online Course Netiquette • Critical Thinking Prompts • Approaches to Discussion Posts

Strategy 1-Introduction/Ice Breaker Dear students,

Welcome to Earth Science! We will embark upon some great experiments and fun adventures in Earth Science this year. Our study will take us from the ocean to the moon, exploring along the way the geological structures that make Earth so unique. We will make connections to ancient events that caused Earth to take on the vast forms that it now possesses. Prepare to journey through earth’s sciences in a very hands-on way.

This is my first year teaching online and I am looking forward to getting to know each of you better. In order to get to know one another better we will be creating individual collages that tell the rest of the class a little bit about you. To create a collage online you can use any program you would like; I would recommend PowerPoint as it is a pre-requisite for this course and you already know how to use the program. In your collage you should include a picture or avatar of yourself, and images of things that represent your hobbies or interests. In addition to the collage you should include a paragraph that describes the images you chose to include and why. Upon turning in your collage you will be required to comment on posts from three of your classmates. Your response to your fellow classmates should follow all classroom netiquette rules which can be found here, and it should include at least one thing that you have in common with the person whose post you are commenting on.

I have included a sample collage below that will help you get to know me a little better.

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This image is a collection of my favorite things. On the top row you will see my avatar and an actual image of me; the remaining pictures are hobbies and interests. I love to try new things and the picture on the top right is a picture of my first time hang gliding, it was really amazing! I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, (the picture in the middle left is my family and myself at Cowboy Stadium) I actually wait all year for football season it is the highlight of my year! The parasailing picture represents my love of the water and trying any water sport or activity possible. The Gaylord Ice House, Harry Potter at Universal Studios and the Statue of Liberty represent some of my travels this year, my ultimate goal in life is to travel to every continent and as many countries as possible. The Strawberry festival picture (on the bottom middle) represents my love of food and food related festivals!

Strategy 2- Ice Breakers Continued

I AM FUNNY

I AM PINTERESTING

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Strategy 3- Guidelines for Online Course Management

It is essential that students understand that the online classroom has rules and procedures just like the brick and mortar classroom. In order to keep students safe and secure, and to provide an open forum for students to express their thoughts and ideas, the guidelines for appropriate behavior should be clearly outlined and all students should be provided with these guidelines from the first day of class.

Students,

Please be aware that as you progress through this online course you will be participating in discussions, group activities, and direct communication with your instructor. The following list of guidelines will help you determine the tone and appropriateness of your post. Please consider that the posts you are responding to belong to a real person with real feelings and keep your comments constructive and considerate. All posts, responses, and discussion forum comments will be read by the instructor and you will be required to follow the following guidelines online.

1. Be polite and respectful, no matter how much you disagree with a post do not make personal attacks.

2. Remember that it is not always easy to detect emotion in an online response, so if you are offended by a comment clarify the intent of the content before getting upset, and never respond to a comment when you are upset. A good rule of thumb is to wait 24 hours before responding to an upsetting email, and have someone else read your response to make sure it is not inflammatory.

3. Make sure that you are posting to the correct forum. Any comment that is not relevant to a specific discussion post should be directed to an individual person via email, or to the social “water cooler” forum.

4. Know the rules of netiquette for the forum you are posting in. a. Teacher email- should be proofread for spelling and grammar, limited emoticons, no

abbreviations, appropriate language, and brief. b. Student email-commonly known abbreviations only and nothing offensive or

inappropriate. c. Student social discussion board- limited emoticons, limited and commonly known

abbreviations only, appropriate language and nothing offensive. d. Teacher graded discussion forums- Proofread for grammar and spelling, properly

cited no emoticons, no abbreviations with explanation, nothing offensive or inappropriate.

If you are unsure if something is inappropriate it is best to err on side of safety and do not include it.

5. Do not write your posts or emails in all caps as it suggests that you are yelling or upset. 6. Consider the time of others. Do not expect an immediate response to an email; usually the

instructor will answer within 24 hours. Remember that your lack of planning does not

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constitute as someone else’s emergency. When possible, do not wait until the last possible moment to post to a forum that requires others to respond.

Strategy 4- Critical Thinking Prompts

1. Use what you know about ocean water movement and plate tectonics to answer the question about changes in global ocean temperatures within the last 60 million years.

The temperature of the deep ocean generally hovers around freezing (2°C to 3°C). However, scientists have discovered that about 60 million years ago, the temperature of the deep sea was 20°C. That’s just a little cooler than average room temperature (24°C)! What could be responsible for the change in ocean temperature described here? What evidence could you look for to support your hypothesis? Where would you most likely find that evidence? (http://go.hrw.com)

2. Use what you know about mineral resources and mining practices to examine questions about energy resources.

Offshore drilling for oil can cause water pollution from oil spills. The oil spills kill off many organisms in the rich and varied ecosystems along the shores. Given the increasing shortages of oil, do you think offshore drilling is worthwhile? Why or why not? Use a current event resource to back up your answer.

3. Use what you know about mineral resources and mining practices to examine questions about energy resources.

Given where you live, which alternative source or sources of energy do you think would be best for your area? Why? Use resources to back up your ideas and then write down your proposal in letter form addressed to your local government.

4. Use what you know about coral reefs to answer the following question.

According to the Global Reefs at Risk analysis of 1998 more than 60 percent of the Caribbean coral reefs were under threat from human activities; briefly describe the damage that is

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happening to many coral reefs worldwide. Suggest some possible solutions for reducing this destruction. (http://wps.prenhall.com)

Strategy 5- Approaches to Discussion Posts

1. Facilitator led discussion- The instructor posts a prompt, like one of the ones from the critical thinking section and the students are required to respond to the prompt using resources and proper citations. Then after all students have had an opportunity to respond students are required to read and critique their classmates posting based on criteria provided by the instructor.

2. Student led discussion- This approach can take on several forms outlined below a. Students are given the opportunity to choose a category to formulate inquiry

based questions, which they will use to lead a whole class discussion. In this approach to discussion students continue to facilitate the discussion to keep responses on topic and encouraging further discussion. An example of this type of approach is the assignment from Dr. Letourneau which is as follows:

“Collaborative Inquiry Project Instructions

Your options for this project are designated by your course section. It was necessary for me to divide activities between sections so that you wouldn't be stepping on each other's toes. By section, your options are as follows:

Section 4172

Option 1: K12 Principles of Effective Online Instruction

Your mission - should you choose to accept it - will be to synthesize the discussion board posts made by your classmates and come up with a final set of guiding principles for effective online instruction.

Please take into account grade level considerations within your major focus. For example, for a K12 emphasis, there may still be significant differences between the needs of early childhood educators vs. high school teachers. The same is true for content areas. Will mathematics instructors require a different set of principles from science teachers or general elementary teachers? Sign up for this activity in the Project Sign Up area under the Collaborative Resources label in the Moodle course site.”

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b. Student led discussion small groups- In this approach to student led discussions a small group of 4-6 students take turns leading a discussion within their small group. Each student poses a question, preferably critical thinking and the other students in the group respond to the question, while the question asker continues to facilitate the discussion.

3. Guest facilitator discussions- In this approach to discussion an expert in the field being discussed is invited to facilitate a discussion. This type of discussion can take many forms, which will be described below.

a. Q and A- In this type of guest discussion board the guest facilitator will “speak” about the subject matter and open up the discussion board to a question and answer format.

b. Critical Thinking- In this type of guest discussion board the guest expert will post a reading or “speak” about a subject matter and then post a related critical thinking question for students to respond to.

c. Student led- In this type of guest discussion board the students research the subject matter and write questions for the expert to answer. This provides a live resource and adds authenticity to the information being researched.

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DISCUSSION FORUM ASSESSMENTS

Discussion Board Expectation Rubric

Teacher Name: Ms. Hungerford

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Focus on Topic (Content)

There is one clear, well-focused topic. Main idea stands out and is supported by detailed information. Outside sources are used.

Main idea is clear but the supporting information is general. Outside sources are used.

Main idea is somewhat clear but there is a need for more supporting information. Outside source is used.

The main idea is not clear. There is a seemingly random collection of information. No outside sources visible.

Sources (Content) All sources used for quotes and facts are credible and cited correctly.

All sources used for quotes and facts are credible and most are cited correctly.

Most sources used for quotes and facts are credible and cited correctly.

Many sources used for quotes and facts are less than credible (suspect) and/or are not cited correctly.

Grammar & Spelling (Conventions)

Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes more than 4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

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Adding Personality (Voice)

The writer seems to be writing from knowledge or experience. The author has taken the ideas and made them \"his own.\"

The writer seems to be drawing on knowledge or experience, but there is some lack of ownership of the topic.

The writer relates some of his own knowledge or experience, but it adds nothing to the discussion of the topic.

The writer has not tried to transform the information in a personal way. The ideas and the way they are expressed seem to belong to someone else.

Timeliness and Frequency of Posts

Writer posted responses to all questions by deadline. Writer contributed two or more meaningful responses to postings of classmates per week.

Writer responded to all questions thoughtfully by deadline. Writer did not respond to classmates in a relevant or meaningful way.

Writers own response was not submitted on time AND was not a thoughtful, complete response OR did not include adequate peer response.

Writer did not post their own response in a timely fashion. Writer did not comment on the postings of peers at all.

Netiquette Writer follows all classroom netiquette rules.

Writer neglects to follow one netiquette rule.

Writer neglects to follow more than one netiquette rule, but is not offensive or hurtful.

Writer neglects to follow one or more netiquette rules and is hurtful or offensive.

Date Created: Apr 01, 2013 05:02 pm (CDT)

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MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND STRATEGIES

1. Student Personalities- Every student has a different way of approaching discussion boards, just as they do approaching face-to-face discussions. a. Introverted or Shy Students- It is the responsibility of the facilitator to encourage the

student and to boost their confidence in their ability to participate in the discussions. The instructor can help shy students by easing them into the discussion process and providing several ice breakers or opportunities to get more familiar with classmates and the “classroom”. Palloff and Pratt recommend frequent contact with the student to reassure them, the contact can be a phone call, an email, and should definitely include positive constructive comments on their posts (77). Students are likely to feel more confident if they know that they are meeting the teacher’s expectations.

b. Extroverted or dominant students- It is important for the facilitator to recognize when students are taking over the discussion thread by over-commenting on the topic. If the instructor finds that a student is making it difficult for others to participate they should reach out and contact that student privately to compliment them on their knowledge and willingness to participate but ask them to please allow other students to participate in the discussion from this point forward. It is important to let that student know that you appreciate their input so that they aren’t hesitant to participate in future discussions, but also make them aware that they need to allow others an equal opportunity. In some cases those students might be encouraged to serve as an encourager to the more introverted students, to reach out to them and validate their opinions.

2. Inappropriate Discussion posts- This particular management issue is very broad and can include a number of guideline or netiquette violations. It is essential that the instructor post discussion rubrics to let students know what the expectations are for a post, as well as discussion guidelines or rules of netiquette to make students aware of behavioral expectations. a. Off topic posts- This is a relatively common and easily fixed issue. The instructor first

needs to reach out to the student or students that created the post and remind them that the discussion board is not the place for the comment or question they posted. If the post was appropriate in nature but not on topic the instructor should encourage students to repost in the appropriate forum. If the post was not appropriate it should be immediately deleted. The teacher should either delete the off topic posts or create a new post requesting students stay on topic in the discussion forum.

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b. Posts do not meet rubric requirements- This issue occurs when students are

attempting to participate in the discussion but they are unfocused, or disorganized.

This issue often occurs as a result of poor time management or disorganization.

Palloff and Pratt recommend the following plan when a student feels overwhelmed by

the number of posts:

• Log on just to read what is newly posted. Print out messages you want to respond to or read later at your leisure.

• Log off to spend time reflecting on what you have read and compose your own comments. • Compose your comments in a word processor. Log back on only to post your response.

c. Offensive or inflammatory posts- The offending student or students should be reprimanded privately and consequences dealt out according to what the rules dictate. The post should be documented and immediately deleted from the public forum. The issue should be addressed with the whole class not mentioning specifics but reminding them of the rules of netiquette.

3. Participation- On occasion an instructor will be faced with an individual or group of individuals that are not properly participating in online discussion forums. a. Procrastinators- Every student goes through a period of time where they are very

busy and working under time constraints and deadlines that making turning in an assignment earlier in the week difficult, but some students do not use their time wisely and as a result of their procrastination they turn in work at the very last minute or even late. The instructor needs to communicate with these students, find out why the assignments are being turned in so late and create a plan of action to ensure that the student is able to meet deadlines in a timely manner. It is important that the students realize that others are waiting for their posts to continue discussions or for required response posts.

b. Individual inactivity- There are many reasons why a student might be inactive in a discussion board, and it is the job of the instructor to reach out to that student to better understand the problem. If the student is having difficulty understanding the material that needs to be addressed and assistance provided, if the student is having difficulty managing time that can also be addressed, if the student is unmotivated the instructor needs to find a motivator to encourage the students participation. Inactivity in an online class is no different than inactivity in a brick and mortar classroom; it is the instructor’s responsibility to address the issue.

c. Group or whole class inactivity- If you have a group of students or a whole class that is not properly participating in discussion forums it could be the format or content of the discussion. It is the responsibility of the instructor to reach out to the class and determine the cause of the inactivity. Sometimes the problem is the wording of the discussion post, and sometimes it is the class dynamics. Any teacher can tell you that what works for one group will not necessarily work for the next group and

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adjustments must be made. It is important to be flexible with your lessons and discussions in order to meet the needs of the students. It may be necessary to take a more direct role in the discussions by prompting students to answer specific questions leading to more questions and answers. It may also be beneficial to survey the students to find out what is working or not working, perhaps they have an insight as to why they are having trouble participating.

4. Discipline- Overall, discipline issues should be handled fairly and consistently. The rules should be posted online and parents and students should be required to confirm that they have received and understand the rules and the consequences. The instructor should always contact parents and students when rules have been violated, consequences should be fair and consistent for all students. When students display regular behavioral issues a plan of action should be created to address the issues and handle them appropriately and privately while still protecting the other students in the class.

COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS

When teaching K-12 it is essential that parents are involved in the online learning community in the same way that they would be in a classroom situation. Parents need to be aware of what their children are studying, how they are progressing, academic issues or concerns that arise, and behavioral issues. In order to properly communicate with parents I have set up the following time table for communication

Time Table for Communication

• Monthly o Check-in via survey to assess how parents are feeling about the class. Asking

questions about technology use, academic success, content comprehension, concerns etc...

o Progress Report for students that are struggling (below a 70 average)

• Weekly o Email parent’s the module topic for the following week o Communicate failing grades to parents o Behavioral plan students weekly report

• Daily o Serious behavioral infractions

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Interview Sheet

It is important that parents know that you are available to address their concerns. One way to help establish that initial rapport is to interview parents and students at the beginning of the course to find out more about your students and parents with regards to experience, expectations for the course and concerns they might have. In the 521 course we created interview sheets to help us consider the important questions we would ask, and I have included mine in this communication plan to help remind me of the importance of establishing rapport and gathering information prior to the start of the course.

Course Interview Sheet

Communication Log

As instructors it is essential that we keep accurate records of all parent communications. Should a student need remediation for academic issues, testing for academic or behavioral issues, or to be removed from a course, proof of communication is essential. I have created a log that will allow me to keep track of parent communications.

Student Name/ Parent Name

Date of Contact

Method of Contact

Contact Established? Yes No Message left

Reason for the Contact

EX.) John Doe Doris Doe

4/1/13 Phone Left message try back in two days if no response.

Poor grades

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