Wide Wide World of Wisdom:

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    The Internet is vast, it is expansive and it is growing exponentially everyday. Since its inception in the late 1970’s, the Internet has housed an opportunity for communication, and collaboration that is unparalleled in the history of history of the world. In our current utilization of technology, and ever expanding mobility of that technology, through the use of tools such as Web 2.0 in conjunction with tablets and smart phones, distance education is gaining more traction than ever before. With environments such as 2^nd life and online collaborative tools such as blogs, wikis and social media outlets such as twitter and Facebook, the every expanding tools used to reach each other is continually changing and becoming more integrated into our everyday lives more than ever. The importance of knowing these tools it tantamount to the success of any educator using or starting to use electronic means to reach out and educate the masses. In our particular scenario here at Walden, the need to know these tools is crucial as we are going to be the facilitators or creators of such content and environments that are utilized for disseminating information to minds raging from elementary and high school, to the university level utilizing synchronous and asynchronous environments. Knowing how these tools are used by the students is important as well so that we as facilitators and instructors understand how to reach out to students make their experiences interactive, educational and challenging all at the same time.  As the reading states “social presence, that is, getting to know each other as three-dimensional people, is the foundation of building trust and presence for teaching” (Boettcher, Conrad, 2010).  Having this presence is what allows for lower anxiety from most first time users of online education, and better utilization of tools for the programs being taught.

         
       It is also imperative that communication channels are open and available so that the learner to learner (L-L) and instructor to learner (I-L) channels are open and receptive through out the course or program the student is enrolled in. Having set schedules, goals and outcomes as well as getting feedback from the students is vital to get buy-in and investment from the students. This investment of time and cooperation, allows the students and teachers to enhance the knowledge that is gained, make relevant the content and also ingrain new knowledge with what is already learned by the students. This is an important factor so that the students see the value of the education they are involved in and to maintain that curiosity that is within all students. After all they are there to learn, as are we, and that is what drives us all.

           
     While all of this is important, using the tools for collaborative communication and education is vital to the success of any course. Putting relevant information into the content systems, having the content systems accessible and easily navigate able adds another layer of acceptance from the students to the class and also lowers the anxiety level for many students that have never taken part in a distance education environment. Though most online students are familiar with social media sites like Myspace or Facebook, the environment of a CMS or LMS may be very intimidating. Using icebreakers and getting to know you areas in the CMS allows for a user to familiarize themselves with the operations and functions of the systems. As well having postings that are not graded but more of a scavenger hunt style for content on the web, gets the user used to posting into discussion forums and how the discussion forums in the CMS work so that they can follow strings of conversations and reply and add to the learning environment, which over all is the point of the educational environment presented, to enhance learning and bring a community together for the sharing of knowledge and interaction.

Conrad, R. M., & Donnaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.