(5)+Instructional+Unit+in+a+Virtual+Classroom+Environment

Analysis: ** The use of online class instruction is a growing technology in today’s society. The forum that I used to create my online classroom was “Black Board”. This forum takes a little getting used to in order to navigate through the available tools and resources that are available, however, with a little time and practice, Black Board can become easier to use. I found that using the “help” feature available through Black Board was extremely valuable as I found myself referring to the available topics regularly. Once I was comfortable with navigating through Black Board, structuring the assignments in a weekly format was increasingly easier as I gained more confidence with Black Board. Following a syllabus that I made, I divided the content into “Week One” through “Week Three” and simply uploaded the assignments into the proper folders. Once I organized the content, I made a “Pre” and “Post” test and simply uploaded them into Black Board. Reflection **: Figuring out the basics of setting up was the most challenging aspect of navigation through Black Board. I relied on the “Help” menu quite a bit. At first I was very frustrated with my lack of proficiency in using Black Board. It seemed that the assignment to create a virtual classroom was a ton of work and I was never going to get finished. Once I figured out what I was doing, and a lot of practice, navigating the Virtual Classroom was easier. Setting up the classroom was an experience that took a great deal of time to complete. I would love to be able to use this technology in my current classroom, however, at the High School level, Black Board is not used. If Black Board were used, I would be excited to create more virtual classrooms for the classes that I teach. I think that it would be much easier the second time around knowing now what I didn’t know then.
 * Description: ** Developing a Virtual classroom is a forum in which the instructor must plan and prepare for an entire course to be available online. From readings to assessments, all of the assignments need to be planned out and made available for the student who is enrolled I the class. This method of instruction is gaining popularity in today’s society as the demand for higher education meets the hectic schedule of everyday life. By utilizing online courses, students can manage their course around their schedule. Online education also allows a greater student base to access the various schools that are becoming available online. Students can attend specific Universities all across the globe without leaving their homes. This type of format may begin to make its way into “main stream” educational facilities as the issue of budgets and class sizes continue to grow, putting more emphasis on classroom management and infrastructure to support the increasing demand.
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