Introduction
In ancient times, a power shift resulted with the discovery of how to make iron. Those nations that possessed the secret of how to make iron subjugated those which still relied on bronze age technology. To survive, technologically backward nations fought to obtain the Iron of the Culture.
The iron of our culture is Online Learning Technology. Large bureaucratic institutions control access to this technology, while groups of education entrepreneurs are arising, seeking to Master the Iron of the Culture. If we want to succeed in The Changing World of Online Instruction, we must master the use of technologies that make such instruction possible.
Let’s put this in context. In 2005, less than 1.5 billion people used the internet. That was less than 20% of the world’s population. By 2019, about 4.3 billion, or 53.6% of the world’s population, was online. According to ITU World Telecommunication, in the year 2019, more than 100 million people had taken an online course planet wide.
As online education literally explodes, the issue facing the education system is that teaching online is not the same as teaching face to face. If you’re a teacher, be it home school, public school, Bible study teacher, or someone who teaches a special skill or subject, you know this.
If you are an online marketer, you know that video communication is key. For both the teacher and the entrepreneurial marketer, the question is simply this: How do I do an effective job of connecting and communicating with others using technology online?
That’s the question this course is designed to answer. In How to Teach with Technology Online, University of Phoenix Advanced Certified Online Instructor and online marketer David Lantz walks you through the teaching strategies being used with multiple technology tools online.
Lesson Materials
A total of 28 video lessons divided between 7 course modules constitute the core of the learning materials. Additionally, a Course Syllabus and additional text handouts are provided in PDF format. Each module is introduced with a module overview video by the course creator, David Lantz.
An eighth module, Next Steps, concludes the course, and offers several other resources the student may wish to take advantage of.
Depending on the pace of the online learner, one should plan to spend about five hours going through the materials.
Course Organization
The first module, The Changing World of Online Instruction, is designed to help you understand the evolution in Online Learning Technology, and what this means for you. This module is subdivided into three lessons:
Mastering the Iron of the Culture
The Four Keys to Teaching Through Story Telling
The Interconnected Global Classroom
In the second module, Using Power Point to Create a Story and Communicate Your Message, we’ll show you how to think through the process of crafting a story you wish to tell in order to teach a lesson or communicate an idea. We’re not only using words: We’re also using pictures, colors, motion, sounds and video clips. Power Point allows us to bring all these communication techniques together. This module is subdivided into four lessons:
What Do We Want to Communicate?
Developing a Script
Anatomy of a Slide
Recording and Creating Your Video
In the third module, InVideo: Refining Content in the Era of Digital Videos, we’ll walk through the process of using a video creation tool called InVideo to create professional style videos for use in many diverse applications. Communicating information via video is rapidly replacing the use of written text by itself as a way of transmitting ideas. After taking this module, you will have learned how to use InVideo to create videos for use in: Marketing, infomercials, lesson illustrations, inspirational messages and more. This module is subdivided into five lessons:
Introduction to InVideo
Working with InVideo’s Premade Templates
Using InVideo to Tell a Story
Using Advanced InVideo Features in Blank Templates
Using Loom with InVideo
In the fourth module, Creating and Managing Your Youtube Channel, we understand that regardless of how you create a video, you’ll likely want to share your creation on the Internet. In this course, I have been showing you how to create videos using Power Point, InVideo, Loom and in this module, I’ll add Zoom. When it comes to uploading your video to Youtube, how you create your video really doesn’t matter. In this module, we’ll provide you an overview of how to create and edit your Youtube channel, upload videos, and add enhancements to increase viewership. When you have finished with this module, you can apply these techniques to not only create your own Youtube channel, but also quickly learn how to do the same thing with dozens of other video sharing platforms. This module is subdivided into four lessons:
Create a Playlist
Managing Your Youtube Channel
Basic Youtube Channel and Video Edits
Making Editing Enhancements to Your Videos
The fifth module, Mastering Synchronous Video Instruction Using Zoom, showcases a versatile video conferencing platform that is ideally suited for group discussions, including marketing webinars, employee trainings, and synchronous online course instruction. You’ll learn how to share power point presentations, demonstrate use of software tools like Microsoft Excel, Youtube videos and free hand drawings. In addition, you can also use Zoom to record yourself creating a lecture or presentation that can then be downloaded as either a MPR video, a MP3 audio, or a rich text file transcript. When you have completed this module, you will have learned practical methods of engaging others to learn through the use of Zoom. This module is subdivided into five lessons:
Setting Up Your Zoom Account
Accessing Key Features in Zoom
Teaching & Meeting Facilitation Tips
Managing, Presenting, and Recording Zoom Classroom Lectures
Creating A Podcast with Zoom
The sixth module, Canvas: Organizing your Course Content, Grades and Lessons, shows you how to use this popular learning management system, or LMS. An LMS is a software system that allows you to organize and store resources in an accessible way when teaching a class. Teachers, administrators, students and even parents can access the platform to download lessons in video, audio or written format, enter and observe grades, create calendaring systems for when assignments are due, and provide a means for group interaction through video conferencing tools like Zoom. When you have finished this module, you will have a general overview of the capabilities of Canvas and what an LMS can do. This module is subdivided into three lessons:
An Overview of Canvas
Creating a Student Group Assignment
Linking Flipgrid to Your Canvas Course
The seventh module, Module 7: Building Online Video Discussion Communities with Flipgrid, will show you how you to teach engaging, rigorous lessons that allows students to access content and then respond to prompts by creating short videos. Once a student creates a video, the rest of the class is able to view and respond to that video. In the previous module using Canvas, we demonstrated how you can add the Flipgrid app to your Canvas course. When you have completed this module, you will have a better understanding of how you can use and apply this powerful tool to create social interaction in your online classroom. This module is subdivided into three lessons:
Creating and Editing A “FlipGrid” Assignment
Adding a Flipgrid Assignment to Your Canvas Course
Creating and Using Your Flipgrid Account
The eighth and final module is Next Steps. In this module, we’ll wrap up the course with a few concluding comments by the instructor, David Lantz, and advise you of other courses he has created that you might find of interest.