Fire Drill
Schedule

• Fire Chief's Comments
• Firehouse Tasks
• Hot Topics This Week : Instructional Design Drills
  • 1-Alarm Drill: ID-The Basics
  • 2-Alarm Drill: Technology Planning in Educational Administration
  • 3-Alarm Drill: File Formats
• Chief's Inspection List
• Fire Marshal Badge Skills
• Future Drills

Welcome to your third week of firefighting at Firehouse 6287. My goodness we have had a busy week!

I hope you are becoming accustomed to the format of the course. Feeling overwhelmed in the first few weeks is a natural feeling when coming into an all new environment. I think most of you will find that the environment will become somewhat mundane after a few weeks with everything looking the same. Some of you will find this very comforting. Remember that the info provided on these 3 pages each week (this is page 1, then you click at the bottom to go to page to and so on) is replacing at least 3 hours of instruction in a face to face class. The amount of information is the same as when I teach it on campus but many are not used to taking in information in this format rather than sitting and listening to someone. I am sure you are up to the challenge of learning in a new way

I have updated the classlist with everyone's current AOL IM name so you can connect with one another. It seems some of you have already done so which is good. I am sorry I missed chat and will schedule another chat soon. Chats are always optional. I know it may not be some people's 'thing' to chat and times are not always convenient. It is also sometimes easier to just send an email and wait for a response. Whatever method is best for you is what you should use.

This week we will begin reading our second text, Educational Leadership and Planning for Technology and introduce some of the leadership projects you will engage in this term.

Chats and Instant Messaging:
Past you getting on chat and IM and understanding how to use them I do not require you to attend chats each week. Most of you will use them to chat with your partner(s) and discuss course topics, etc. on your own for various assignments and that is why I introduce these tools to you (besides the fact that your kids/grandkids -for those who have them - will now think you are semi-cool). I will have times that I announce each week that I will be available on chat and I am on IM frequently when I am online and working. These times are simply there for you if you need them. I can answer any questions you may have or just chat about course content, etc. So, past showing up last week or this week to assure you have a username and that you know how to use these tools, please do not feel you must log on and chat every time I am there or feel that I will count you off if you do not show up. To try to fit everyone's schedule would be impossible. If you would like to test it out at a different time than one listed simply email me and we can figure out a time that we can both make. I think you will find these tools invaluable later in the semester for real time troubleshooting when we are working with CMC tools.

Quizzes:
This week will be the first in which you will be required to login to the eLearning system and take graded quizzes. Please be sure to run a system check (you will see the link listed on the main page of the elearning system where you log in) on your computer prior to using the system to minimize any technical glitches you may have when completing quizzes. All quizzes will be timed. The time limit will be set according to the length of the quiz and types of items included. This means that one quiz you may have 60 minutes while another quiz you may have 120 minutes. When each quiz is introduced in a drill I will also indicate the time allotted for the quiz. This first week I am allotting some extra time for quizzes to give you a chance to get oriented and comfortable with the system. Once you log in to a quiz there will be a clock for you to monitor your remaining time. There is also a 5 minute grace period for that last save or click on the submit button. The quizzes will be turned off at 5 PM on the day they are due. No late quizzes will be accepted. Finally, I strongly suggest that you save your quiz/answers as you go - there is a save button at each question. There is also a save entire quiz option at the end of each quiz. To complete and submit your quiz you must click on the submit quiz button at the bottom. If you have technical questions about the quizzes within the elearning system then feel free to email Melissa. There is a help sheet for the quizzes that you should read prior to taking the quiz or asking any questions (they are likely answered there).

Final Reminders:

• Remember that when you send a note to the listserv it goes to EVERYONE. If you are reading a message sent to the listserv and you hit the reply button to answer someone's question then remember that this goes to everyone on the list. If you want to answer specifically to someone then you will need to send them an individual email - do not hit reply - (Another good reason to include your name and email address in all communication)
• When you send a message to the listserv, everyone else will get it but you will not. The listserv assumes you don't need it since you sent it. If you want to save a copy, carbon copy yourself or use your email settings to save it for you. There are also directions you can follow to set your personal settings to receive the mail you send if you choose to do that.

My goals for you during this week's drills are to:

• be able to discuss the basics of Instructional Design
• get involved in an online learning community
• match file formats with their extensions (including audio, video, formatted text, ASCII text, and graphic file extensions)
• identify characteristics of self-extracting and other compressed files
• describe native file formats and platform-independent formats
• distinguish between loss less and lossy compression of images
• distinguish between paint and draw graphics
• describe compressed and decompressed files
• describe file transfer protocol
• download decompression and file transfer protocol programs and install them

Task #1:
The Listserv - If you are disturbed when you post to the listserv and do not receive it.  Currently, when you send a message to the listserv, you will not receive a copy. The server thinks it is smart and that since you sent it you do not need to receive it. If you would like to set your listserv subscription so that it will send you a copy of whatever you send to the listserv then you should follow the instructions below:

Send an e-mail (using the e-mail account you used when subscribing) to:

listserv@mailer.uwf.edu

with the following command in the body of the message:

set distance rep

• 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 see what the hot topic is this week!