This Week's
Hot Topic

Distance learning is often defined as taking place when the instructor and student are separated by physical distance. I like to add the twist that student and instructor are separated by TIME and/or physical distance. Distance learning is very flexible! In some cases, such as this program, you have the opportunity to log on and participate in classes at times that are most convenient to you. You may have 30 minutes during lunch or you may choose to participate early in the morning or late in the evening.

Distance learning on the web is becoming a logical way to learn. In this program, we are trying to make the "distance" experience as beneficial as possible. It is my hope that we will get to know one another and support one another in much the same fashion as we would in a traditional course.  In my experience, it seems like I will end up knowing my students BETTER in an online course because I spend more one-on-one time with each student. 

If you begin to feel isolated, let me know and I will try to pull you in!  It is critical that we each become contributors to this learning community. Otherwise, the true benefits of collaboration and learning will not be available to us!

One of the best ways for you to "get comfortable" in any online learning community is to be an explorer.  This means that you don't just go to the few links I send you to in these few pages.  It means go to the firehouse home page and click on all the different links to find out what's there (or what's not).  Some pages you will find are somewhat sparse because it is just the first week.  Others are full of information for you to explore.

Drill

• Email me if you have any questions/concerns related to the course

Because we do not have the opportunity to see each other face-to-face it is even more important to get to know each other right away. To facilitate this I would like for everyone to participate in an "icebreaker" threaded discussion.

In this discussion, I would like for you to share with us the "fires"  you are asked to "put out" on a regular basis. These fires may be at home, at work, or in other areas of your life.  (As an example, my most recent fires include dealing with the elearning system, problems with the server due to a power surge, getting my children back into a school routine after the holidays, and advising students at the last minute before the semester begins) Include in your sharing the "fires" you are most likely to encounter related to the field of instructional technology. These may include ones you wish you could put out but do not yet have the skills or ones that you know how to put out but they keep coming back:-)  (My example here is creating my first DVD to send my husband videos of kid events from the last 6 months while he was in Iraq - A Mac is a wonderful thing for this) This sharing will give me an idea about some of the hot topics and skills I need to add to our drill schedule this semester and will also be a fun way to share with everyone a little bit about yourself. If you need assistance completing the threaded discussion, check out the using threaded discussions page.

Drill

• Participate in the Icebreaker Threaded Discussion by logging into eLearning
• Read others' posts and reply to those with similar and different fires

First, if you have not ordered your text you should do that NOW!. 

Your text is:

Gralla, P. (2005). How the internet works (7th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Que.

Order the Textbook, (from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble or the UWF Bookstore at 800-605-2259)

Once you receive your text, peruse the chapters and see what things you do and don't already know. 

With regards to distance learning, research indicates there are six characteristics of successful distance learners including:

• Highly Motivated
• Independent
• Active Learners
• Good Organizational and Time Management Skills
• Discipline to Study Without External Reminders
• Can Adapt to New Learning Environments.

Does this list describe you? In which of the areas above do you excel? In which areas do you think you may need some work? 

Drill
Participate in a threaded discussion (within eLearning) and share with us which of the six characteristics describe you and which ones do NOT describe you (we all have weaknesses). Suggest possible solutions for compensating for or strengthening your weaknesses.
 

• Check the FAQ Page to see if your question has already been answered.
• Email Chief Curda.
• Email EMT Kelly.
• Email the firehouse crew and see if another firefighter knows the answer.

Now let's take a look at the Chief's
Inspection List for this week!