Building a website is a new concept. I have used Blackboard before, but that was simple stuff. I actually had to add students to my course. Some of the students I had to go to IT to have them "enroll" them.
My next adventure was in building tests and adding them to Blackboard. The last time I built a test in Blackboard (about 11 years ago), I actually built the test within the Blackboard program. This time I am using TestGen, which is a program provided by the publisher. After much reading and experimentation I discovered that the test could not be uploaded directly. Rather the test must go into a "pool" and then I have to build the test using the "pool" questions. I currently have ten pages of questions. It is getting a bit tedious.
After the questions transferred from the "pool" to the test I then tried to deploy the test. I managed to deploy one test, but then could not figure out how I did it. I tried and tried, but alas no luck. Finally I admitted defeat and called IT. After a few hours it was determined that I could not deploy the tests in Google Chrome (but I did deploy one). I have to use FireFox to deploy the tests.
One of the other things that I am placing on the site are Powerpoint Slides from the publisher. I save the Powerpoints as PDF files. This works best because many math symbols will display on other people's computers. I then discovered that the PDF files do not display in FireFox. I must use Google Chrome to get them to display properly. This is interesting because I have students tell me that their Powerpoints were not displaying, I never thought to ask what browser they were using.
I had the opportunity to watch the video regarding MOOCs delivered by Verena Roberts. She is a very vibrate speaker. I wish I could have been there for the "open learning" exercise. The picture(s) that the class was drawing did not appear on the video. I can see the difficulties in implementing on-line learning for K-12 students. I am not certain what a "wall garden" is, but I assume that that it is a way to monitor everything that the students encounter or write. Verena had lots of great ideas. Having students work in groups helps the control remain with the teacher. Verena was able to have the one student's blog removed without the student's help. That is an important thing to remember. There needs to be a constant check-and-balance system, or it could be our jobs.
My webpage, tLC Math Tutor, is found in the UAA system. The url is http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/classes/. You will need your username and password from the UAS system. You may have to go to the ME site, https://me.uaa.alaska.edu/, to synchronize your password with the UAS system.
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