| > | | | | found it easy enough to manage. |
| Permission is granted to reproduce provided bio line is | | | | 8. Disadvantages are mainly for those students who |
| included. | | | | learn better in a real-time group situation. |
| People are flocking to distance learning in increasing | | | | 9. Here are some resources for you to begin with:a. |
| numbers as a way to grow personally and | | | | "Learning with a Technology Profile Tool," Profiler online |
| professionally. It is widely used in the corporate and | | | | collaboration: Design and learn to teach online at |
| academic worlds. Setting up distance learning courses | | | | Harvard: Learn with other DL teachers: eachers |
| can be a way for you to help people, teach in your | | | | Where education and technology merge.e. "New |
| field of expertise, grow your practice, and generate an | | | | Teacher Online Survival Course" -- (includes new |
| extra source of passive revenue. Half of my income | | | | teacher online hotline)f. Online resources for distance |
| comes from the courses I teach. | | | | learning teachers: Try for online collaboration and |
| Here are some things you need to know to get | | | | technical questionsh. Here's a "graphic organizer"-- |
| started: | | | | 10. What courses to teach? Check out sources like |
| 1. Check out the copyright laws. A basic summary: It's | | | | and see what courses they offer. Also check on for |
| yours the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible | | | | titles. |
| form so that it is perceptible either directly or with the | | | | 11. How to set up your courses? I use a dedicated |
| aid of a machine or device. Go here to read more: | | | | website and give students the URL each week. I have |
| Attach the copyright to your materials, and respect the | | | | also used There are others. Check on the sites listed |
| copyrights of others. | | | | above for more ideas, and also on a search engine. |
| 2. Synchronous means in real time, such as connecting | | | | 12. Additional help--once you're a success, you'll need a |
| with streaming audio or video or a chat room. | | | | Virtual Assistant to manage the logistics. I recommend |
| 3. Asynchronous means your course is prepackaged | | | | Sunny and you can contact her at . She manages my |
| and available to the person at any time to be studied | | | | online courses for me. |
| at their convenience. | | | | 13. Create a certificate for your students at the end of |
| 4. My own version -- the courses are pre-packaged, | | | | their course. Sunny can do this for you. Be sure and |
| but I mail each lesson on Monday morning. It gives a | | | | include your name, website, and phone number on the |
| sense of "school" and keeps the students from | | | | certificate so others can find you! |
| becoming overwhelmed. | | | | 14. Get a distance learning coach. I personally coach |
| 5. There are tremendous advantages to distance | | | | people who are entering this field. |
| learning--flexibility for the student, access to the | | | | 15. I especially recommend coaching to establish the |
| instructor, and a great savings in time and money. | | | | tone and level of your courses. Writing for the internet |
| Learn with the privacy and convenience of your own | | | | is very different. Remember you have a student sitting |
| computer. | | | | in front of a computer, usually alone. How will you |
| 6. Learning advantages--you can focus on ideas and | | | | motivate? How will you involve? |
| enrichment. You can reach diverse individuals and | | | | 17. I recommend that the reading of the lesson and the |
| accommodate different learning styles. Once | | | | homework/fieldwork take no longer than one hour a |
| established, the courses run themselves. It's a win-win | | | | week. Today's adult learners are very busy. |
| situation. | | | | 18. Teaching gives a wonderful sense of satisfaction. |
| 7. Because of the above, I recommend that you make | | | | A serendipity is that it's true--until you've taught |
| the courses interactive. The students reply and interact | | | | something, you don't really know it. You'll take a |
| with yuo by email, which is under your control, but | | | | quantum leap in your own understanding of the |
| gives the involvement that people like nowadays. I've | | | | subjects that you teach. |