Week 3 Reflections from the Online Office..

What are online assessments? ... As we continue to be exposed to more information in this online assessment class, I am coming to the conclusion that Assessments are not Episodic, in an online class. I argue that teachers do not fit the traditional roles in an online class. Online Teachers 'set-up' e learning class with a variety of traditional and web-based content and activities and allow students to work independently. During the course of a semester the teacher does not provide direct instruction, but serves as an educational mentor. Traditionally, I felt my roll, as an online instructor was to monitor progress. However, I am beginning to change my view and realize that my role also includes providing a variety of frequent of assessments. These assessment’s can be varied, on traditional, and yet to be defined. Traditionally my classes have been set up with traditional exams and discussion board posts as assessments. However an end of the semester episodic exam or student created project determined the bulk of the student’s grade. This class is making me realize that a well designed class features of variety of frequent assessments with less dependence on a few episodic exams or projects.

I am also becoming more aware of the need (and lack) of communication between traditional education organizations and online programs. In my situation, at IQ Academy of Wisconsin, we have operated on an organizational island. I do not think our district department head’s, administrators, and traditional high school personal understand the operations of our program. In order for online programs to develop and advance we need to work with representatives from across our educational community.

Traditional school and online programs need to work together in the area of assessments. The School District of Waukesha has an emphasis on common assessments. Operating in an online high school, I feel I am being encouraged to develop assessments and conform to the practices of the traditional face-to-face schools. How can an online teacher be encouraged to develop a common assessment with a face-to-face teacher? How can I help a face-to-face teacher develop a comment assessment that would benefit their traditional classroom? The reality is that in order to work together on common assessments, we need to develop a mutual understanding of face-to-face and online pedagogy. The reality of Bonk's perfect e-storm needs to be acknowledged and embraced by representatives across the entire educational community. How can the two forms of education work together? I ask this question? In the next 5 years will traditional learning classrooms look more like online learning? or will online learning look more like traditional face-to-face classrooms?