I love how the online courses open a lot of possibilities to access education. My coworkers and I are always overwhelmed with the lack of time to teach everything we have, especially Social Studies. I think this would be a great opportunity to really give it the time it deserves. I might try it this year if I can find the time to implement it. I will have to consider the students and their needs. It will be important for me to be sure that the iPads that are assigned to them are working properly, and that they have access to the internet at home. I will have to communicate and explain to parents how this class is going to work. Furthermore, I will have to be sure that my class is providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression so I am addressing the three networks of learning.
I really can’t think of a second one. At first, I thought that Science was a good candidate too but it needs a lot of hands-on activities so I don’t think it would be beneficial for the students to have it online.
As the availability of content continues to grow, I believe teachers will need to move more to a mentor role. They will have to guide the students to the correct use of technology and resources. They will have to find a way to find misconceptions and to be available when questions arise. Furthermore, they will be useful at modeling correct netiquette and mediating discussions. Finally, they will need to encourage collaboration so students have the experience to work in groups even when learning online.  Â
References:Â
Meyer, A., Rose, D.H., Gordon, D. (2014) Universal Design for Learning – Theory and Practice. Retrieved from http://udltheorypractice.cast.org/login
