1. Stephanie Parlee, MAT, MSCE

2.  Introduction: Child Driven Education
 Reading
 Chapter 1: BuildingVirtualTeams
 Chapter 2: Leadership
 Discussion
 MITWorld
 Assignment
 Webquest & Evaluation

3. Sugata Mitra
Sugata Mitra:The child-driven education
Sugata Mitra looks at “places
on Earth… where, for various
reasons, good schools cannot
be built and good teachers
cannot or do not want to go…”
Do we take for granted the
instructional and learning
opportunities presented to use
here in the United States? How
could we empower our learners
to be more self directed?
Would there be a benefit to
this?

4. Not stated but
equally
important –
getting to
know one
another.
Evaluate
online sites
that promote
collaboration
and social
media.
Explore the
development
and design of
virtual study
groups.
Collaborate
with peers in
socially
constructed
learning
environments.
Evaluate
learning and
teaching in
online
environments.

5. Introduction –
Child-Driven
Education
Getting to know one
another.
Collaborate with
peers in socially
constructed learning
environments.
Evaluate online sites
that promote
collaboration and
social media.
Discussion – MIT
World
Evaluate online sites
that promote
collaboration and
social media.
Explore the
development and
design of virtual
study groups.
Evaluate learning
and teaching in
online
environments.
Webquest &
Evaluation
Evaluate online sites
that promote
collaboration and
social media.
Evaluate learning
and teaching in
online
environments.

6. We have two discussion threads this week. The first is an Introduction
Thread. Unlike most of our DiscussionThreads, this post is due on Day 1 and
requires 2 posts to your classmates' bios by Day 7. Please note the
collaborative aim of this introduction. As a learner in the classroom, how did
the lack of instruction make you feel about the assignment? How do you feel
when you explore materials outside of class without specific instruction?
The remaining thread requires one initial post by Day 3 and two response
posts by Day 7 for a total of 6 posts this week.
The more that you interact with your peers and me in the discussion, the
better you will understand the materials for the week. Work to move beyond
the basics to explore the material in a meaningful way. I will participate in
the discussion posing questions and insight to help in this endeavor.

7. This is our first week in the classroom. I know that it can
take some time to get used to my policies and
requirements. Be sure to review the Faculty
Expectations tab prior to posting to ensure that you earn
credit for your posts this week. I place a heavy emphasis
on in depth discussions in our classroom. Initial posts
should address each element of the discussion
thread. Asking yourself "how" and "why" can help build
college level details into your responses.
If you have any questions about posting in the classroom
or building a substantive post, please let me know. I am
happy to help.

8. I am a firm believer in setting clear
expectations and then upholding those
expectations in providing feedback. In our
course, I will use the college provided rubric
to assess the scores in our discussions. The
criteria required for each element are
detailed in our classroom. Here is a copy for
our discussion rubric:

10.  Posts are evaluated according to the rubric criteria. I begin by looking at the
Distinguished category to assess whether your post meets that level of
performance in that category. Then I move to Proficient, etc. until I have reached
that level that you meet or exceed all stated requirements.
 Looking at Participation, to meet the Distinguished level the following criteria must be met:
Student responds with thorough and constructive analysis to the required number of peers,
relating the response to relevant course concepts. Student may pose pertinent follow-up
thoughts or questions about the topic, and demonstrates respect for the diverse opinions of
fellow learners.
 Also looking at Participation, if you respond to fewer than the required number of posts, it is
automatically Below Expectations for this element, regardless of the strength of the post
made.
 The exact score earned is calculated by the rubric based on the performance
level demonstrated. This generally leads to numbers that are not round or even
(e.g. 2.72).
 The wording of the rubric is standardized. Not every comment made in the
rubric feedback may apply to your post, but your post did not satisfy the
requirements for the next level up. For this reason, you may find it more helpful
to refer back to the rubric and examine the next level of performance. This can
help you to pinpoint where and how you can improve future work.
 I will include a personal note with your discussion feedback to highlight the
positive areas of your work, as well as to discuss areas for improvement.

11. Webquest &
Evaluation
It is important to note the future
relevance of thisWeek 1
Assignment.
“InWeek Five of this course, you
will select one of these sites to
host your final project. It is
strongly recommended that you
include at least two of the
following sites: Ning, PBWorks,
and/or Googlesites…” in your
research and evaluation this
week.
Here is an example of a rubric that
you could use to examine the 10
sites you select out of the 20
alternatives listed. What factors
are most important to you as you
plan and design your online
collaborative learning
environment?

12. As you work through the collaborative learning and social media
websites this week, you may be examining some familiar territory in a
new light.
This article by Martha Snyder connects much of this week’s material
directly to online learning communities for adults. Snyder examines
design theories with this particular learner group in mind.
As you read her research, think about your own intended audience as
an instructional designer. Does your intended audience affect which
websites you would use for online collaboration? Does your intended
audience affect how you would approach online study groups? Why or
why not?
Instructional Design and AdultOnline Learning Communities

13. No matter what websites you choose to explore
this week, first and foremost, let’s focus on creative
a collaborative working environment for the next 5
weeks. I am excited to work with you as we explore
this material. I am here to support you and your
peers in this journey. Please do not hesitate to ask
questions or express concerns. I am happy to help!
Warm regards,
Stephanie