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September 15, 2001
Online Professional Development (cont'd)
Connected University
Classroom Connect's Connected University offers comprehensive online courses for teachers and administrators, from curriculum-based workshops like "Reading and Language Arts Online" to leadership topics, such as "Leading with Technology."
Course Title:
My First Web Page
At the time of my enrollment, CU's most popular instructor-led course, "My First Web Page" was a six-week-long program for the Web-building novice that culminated with participants building their own Web pages. CU has since revised pacing options, and now offers the same course in two four-week-long segments. Clearly organized weekly activities included an icebreaker, topic overviews, expectations, reflections, and assignments for the week.
I chose to audit the class, which began with "What Are Web Pages?" and gradually progressed into "Basic Design Elements." Throughout, the instructor asked students to compare Web-authoring methods, create pages using both HTML and Netscape, and explore the elements of good page design (Web-building with HTML is now a separate self-guided course). Accompanying Web sites and course readings provided a helpful companion to the task, and the Forum let students post their working Web page drafts for exchange and commentary.
The final project asked participants to build and publish a Web page using a studied method of choice, e.g, Netscape or HTML. Each participant in the course posted the URL of his or her site to the course Forum, evaluated his or her own site as well as three other participants' sites, and then wrote about which method of Web-page creation he or she liked best and why, a process that offered effective self- and group assessment, not to mention helpful feedback. Lively discussion also marked the course, with participants posting at least 3-5 times to the Forum. The course guide greeted each student upon initial posting and maintained a visible presence most days of the week.
A simple grading rubric-unsatisfactory, satisfactory, or exemplary-is used to evaluate students, with substantive participation serving as a key marker of exemplary performance. Students who attend the course regularly, join forum discussions, and genuinely interact with others should do well.
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