After reviewing the (iNACOL) National Standards for Quality Online Teaching, the following is an assessment of my readiness to create quality online teaching:

 

Through the Leading Edge process my readiness to create an effective online instructional program is highly improved (A). Before Leading Edge, I was familar with many effective online instructional tools (B) but have gained so many more in this process and can now plan, design, and incorporate an effective strategy in my lesson planning (C). Over the past 10 years I've created online curriculum for my Work Experience students but did not give students the opportunity to interact through a website blog or discussion board (D).

 

Through experiencing the Leading Edge process, I've learned the importance of students interactibility in an online course and will be implementing this component in future courses. Legal and ethical online behavior has always been a topic covered in my technology related courses and Rehabilitation Act Section 508 more recently (E/F). This is not to say these topics do not need to be covered more thoroughly, and through my knowledge gained in Leading Edge, accessibility features and guidelines will be covered and required in assignments related to video production and web design. Online assessments have been a part of my curriculum for some time but used more for the end of a topic or unit instead of for a "checking for understanding" tool (G).
 

I've learned through Leading Edge, there are a plethora of online assessments that can be implemented continously throughout a course, especially in a classroom full of computers! The online projects and assignments I've admistered and assessed in the past have effectively met standards-based learning goals and have measured student learning goals well (H). More in-depth ways of administering and assessing online projects has been covered in the Leading Edge training and will now be added to my lesson planning. Data from assessments I've administered in the past has been used to modify content and student learning in some respects but with the addition of more assessments, my plan is to cover this standard more thoroughly in the future (I). There has been no problem with interacting in a professional and effective manner with colleagues, parents, and community members in the past and hopefully will only improve with more interaction features available on my future class websites (J). File folders on drives, dropboxes, Gmail, Google Docs, pdf file saving, links on PowerPoints, and websites are a few of the ways media has been transfered between students and myself in the past.

 

Our district will be implementing a new learning management system which will hopefully improve and increase effectiveness with media transfer in an online environment(K). With my increased knowledge of so many new online tools and assessments and with the implementation of the LMS for OUHSD, I expect to continually learn online teaching skills and perfect the tools and processes most effective for the course and students I'm teaching.

 

STRENGTHS: Standards A, B, E, F, J, K.

AREAS FOR GROWTH: Standards C, D, G, H, I

 

NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR QUALITY ONLINE TEACHING (iNACOL) pdf version of standards
Standard A The online teacher knows the primary concepts and structures of effective online instruction and is able to create learning experiences to enable student success.
Standard B The online teacher understands and is able to use a range of technologies, both existing and emerging, that effectively support student learning and engagement in the online environment.
Standard C The online teacher plans, designs, and incorporates strategies to encourage active learning, application, interaction, participation, and collaboration in the online environment.
Standard D The online teacher promotes student success through clear expectations, prompt responses, and regular feedback.
Standard E The online teacher models, guides, and encourages legal, ethical, and safe behavior related to technology use.
Standard F The online teacher is cognizant of the diversity of student academic needs and incorporates accommodations into the online environment.
Standard G The online teacher demonstrates competencies in creating and implementing assessments in online learning environments in ways that ensure validity and reliability of the instruments and procedures.
Standard H The online teacher develops and delivers assessments, projects, and assignments that meet standards-based learning goals and assesses learning progress by measuring student achievement of the learning goals.
Standard I The online teacher demonstrates competency in using data from assessments and other data sources to modify content and to guide student learning.
Standard J The online teacher interacts in a professional, effective manner with colleagues, parents, and other members of the community to support students’ success.
Instructional Design/Standard K The online teacher arranges media and content to help students and teachers transfer knowledge most effectively in the online environment.