Time Management

Advice from Forbes.com

The secret to mastering your time is to systematically focus on importance and suppress urgency. Humans are pre-wired to focus on things which demand an immediate response, like alerts on their phones – and to postpone things which are most important, like going to the gym. You need to reverse that, which goes against your brain and most of human society.

Look at what you spend your day doing. Most of it, I’ll warrant, is not anything you chose – it’s what is being asked of you. Here’s how we fix that, young padawan:

• Say no. Most of us follow an implicit social contract: when someone asks you to do something you almost always say yes. It may feel very noble, but don’t forget there’s a dying princess you need to save, and you just agreed to slow yourself down because you were asked nicely. You may need to sacrifice some social comfort to save a life (as a bonus, people tend to instinctively respect those who can say no).

I have no problem saying "No," but this is something that comes and grows with age and experience.  In the online world, you may have to say no when it comes to late work, late submissions or even no with extensions.  The beauty of online is that you can actually put a block on specific assignments, and by doing this, you are indirectly saying, "No."  For instance, when my AP students blog, I cut off the submission at a specific time.  When this happens, students are blocked from being able to submit anything.  

• Unplug the TV. I haven’t had a TV signal for 7 years, which has given me about 12,376 hours more than the average American who indulges in 34 hours a week. I do watch some shows – usually one hour a day whilst eating dinner – but only ones I’ve chosen and bought. You can do a lot with 12,000 hours and still keep up with Mad Men.

I am not a big TV watcher, so this part is not difficult for me.  And, TV now has it where you can record shows on your DVR, making TV watching more accessible when you need to do it.  TV is actually a convenience for doing online classes because I can access coursework from any part of the house, even in front of  a TV.  This suggestion just takes discipline.

• Kill notifications. Modern technology has evolved to exploit our urgency addiction: email, Facebook, Twitter, Quora, and more will fight to distract you constantly. Fortunately, this is easily fixed: turn off all your notifications. Choose to check these things when you have time to be distracted – say, during a lunch break – and work through them together, saving time.

Notifications are extremely wonderful for online classes.  And, I can actually set a time of which notifications I want to delay when working with online coursework.  Notifications keep me up-to-speed with issues and concerns in the online forum.

• Schedule your priorities. Humans are such funny critters. If you have a friend to meet, you’ll arrange to see them at a set time. But if you have something that matters to you more than anything – say writing a book, or going to the gym – you won’t schedule it. You’ll just ‘get round to it’. Treat your highest priorities like flights you have to catch: give them a set time in advance and say no to anything that would stop you from making your flight.

I have decided that when I teach my online classes, I will schedule dates when I want to release information.  And, there are going to be some things I want made available from the start.  Scheduling resources helps keep consistency and helps keep me focused on the matter at hand.  And, it will help put students on a timed schedule.  Students have a large problem staying on top of their assignments, but this is because they don't plan and prioritize.  

• Less volume, more time. There’s always millions of things you could be doing. The trick is to pick no more than 1 – 3 a day and relentlessly pursue those. Your brain won’t like this limit. Other people won’t like this limit. Do it anyway. Focusing your all on one task at a time is infinitely more efficient than multi-tasking and gives you time to excel at your work.

Less is more.  Instead of attempting to cover a whole host of material, I only need to cover selected pieces.  This is easy when a teacher carries a repertoire of resources.  This also applies to the online classroom.  My intent is to use specific pieces that are representative for specific content and skills.  

• Ignore. It’s rude, unprofessional, and often utterly necessary. There are people you won’t find time to reply to. There are requests you will allow yourself to forget. You can be slow to do things like tidy up, pay bills, or open mail. The world won’t fall apart. The payoff is you get done what matters.

Apps and Tools to Integrate for help:

1. RescueTime - This tool runs with your Windows or Mac to watch and record how long you spend on each application or activity as you go. It also generates an analysis of how you're using your time to help you plan more effectively for the next week.

This is actually a great exercise to keep track of where your time goes, or keep track of where you are losing time.  This is especially helpful in the online world because so many things may be happening simultaneously.  I am going to attempt to use this for a billing activity as well.

4. List.ly - While MindMeister is ideal for visual folks, List.ly—as the name suggests—is a great resource for those who prefer lists. But it's not your ordinary to-do list; it's highly engaging and makes it easier to receive crowd-sourced feedback.

This app is great for creating lists and possibly sharing those lists.

8. OneNote - This ultimate note taker, which is part of Microsoft Office 2010, allows you to keep organized virtual folders to file away notes. OneNote is particularly useful when you're collecting a massive amount of research. Its drag and drop function makes it very easy to stay organized.

This is a great note-taking app, but I would much prefer EverNote than this one because EverNote is web-based.  OneNote requires Microsoft only, and you may have to purchase it.

9. Nozbe - This application follows best-selling author David Allen's "Getting Things Done" philosophy, by organizing your tasks according to the location where you'd perform them—whether it's home, office, online, etc. It also has a team-oriented tasks option, like group message boards.

This app seems best for helping one to organize assignments around specific locations and specific times.  

10. StayFocusd - Download this Google Chrome extension to block your biggest time-wasting sites. It works like a timer, and asks you to set the maximum time you want to waste on your customized time-killer sites before they're blocked.

I will share this resource with students and parents because this can help quell the urge to look up Twitter and Facebook when students are in the middle of assignments.

Synchronous Sessions

Reflect upon the importance of utilizing a synchronous session to “create a true classroom culture” online. How does integrating synchronous learning sessions within the online environment assist in developing a learning community for students? Discuss this question at length in your blog.

Hosting synchronous sessions are beneficial because students learn that it is an actual teacher and not a computer giving them feedback.  It can also give the class more personality and authenticity.  We also have to remember that Ga Virtual School is for children, not really adults.  This means that these children still need a live person in much of their learning process.  Many students are not disciplined enough to complete all tasks on their own.  Synchronous sessions help build rapport and allow students to receive even more authentic feedback on assignments and lesson learned.  I like the ideas of synchronous sessions because I can quickly address lots of issues and problems immediately versus being bombarded with questions later.  I can share my screen so students can see what I see, and I can easily demonstrate how to do something while talking through it with students live.  

Definition:

An contrast, synchronous, or real-time, communication takes place like a conversation. If your class uses only writing-based tools to communicate, the only synchronous communication possible is a chat session. Everyone gets online in the same chat room and types questions, comments, and responses in real time. Synchronous activities may include chat sessions, whiteboard drawings, and other group interactive work. If your class involves multimedia tools, synchronous communication might involve audio or video feeds to the computer. Some “online” courses require learners and teachers to get together at least once (or sometimes several times) in person, by conference call, or through closed-circuit television links [5].

One of the advantages of synchronous collaboration is its immediacy. You can send and receive information right away. This more closely resembles a face-to-face or telephone conversation between two or more people, so can present a more natural way of communicating. The sense of immediacy is more like to solicit a timely response from people. Synchronous collaboration, in general, is more interactive than asynchronous. [4]

The downside of synchronous collaboration is that not everyone uses it. Although instant messaging, chat, and other such tools are becoming more common, they're still not as ubiquitous as technology such as email. Another drawback is that synchronous collaboration is not as flexible as asynchronous. All the parties involved must be ready and willing to collaborate at a given moment-or the session doesn't work as well. Also, not everyone does well with this kind of collaboration, particularly people who like to think over what they want to communicate [6].

Taken from University of Wisconsin-Madison

Discussions

In your blog, discuss the following questions:

• What role or purpose do discussion forums serve in the online classroom and are they effective?
• How do discussion forums function as a teaching tool?
• How could they be used effectively and ineffectively? Furthermore, what are some best practices for facilitating forums online?

Compose a blog post that addresses each of the points above. After completing a blog post that meets the requirements of this quest, submit the link to your post in the Submission Form at the bottom of this page.

Discussion forums can be very helpful in the online classroom, and they are especially effective when sharing ideas and resources.  They also help build collegiality because students can discuss key ideas as they engage with the material.  They are also wonderful for showing videos and resources.  I especially love it when students App Smash, an idea where you share some resource that you recommend for specific purposes.  And, discussion forums serve as a way of seeing if other students struggle with similar tasks, and you don't have to asked repeated questions because another student may have done it.

For teaching, the discussion forum can even serve as an essay forum.  In my experience, students had to draft an "essay" and post it on the discussion forum.  When this happens, many students attempt to make sure their work is grammatically correct, they make sure their ideas are cogent because these forums actually document what you do.  They also serve as a way of "checking in" for attendance.  I also like to use forums for introductions.

Forums can be ineffective if a teacher just use it for students to "say something."  In those cases, the assignments just are not authentic or intriguing enough.  I am not one that promotes technology just for the sake of it; instructional technology should have specific purposes, and it should enhance what we are learning in class.  Discussion forums are best when probing, authentic questions are asked.  I also think discussion forums are ineffective if you require too many of them.  One discussion per week is more than enough.  Discussion forums should require students to "bring something to the table."  When we read a post, we should have learned something from the post!

Best Practices:

1.  Remind students that this is an academic discussion, so any comments outside the "scope" of the class will be punished;

2.  Tell students to draft their responses on Word or Google Docs and run spell check and grammar check from those resources.  Only after running spell and grammar tools, they should copy and paste their response.  This ensures that they are cognizant of how it sounds.

3.  Think before hitting submit

4.  Superficial comments like "Good Job" benefit no one, and it begs the bigger question if you really read the material or not.  Give comments that enhance the learning atmosphere!  Be specific in your commentary.

5.  Disrespectful, rude, offensive comments will not be tolerated! 

Digital Feedback

Using the examples above as a point of reference, locate three digital resources that could be utilized when evaluating student work and discuss in your blog how these resources would enhance the level of specific feedback offered to students.

Recording Audio Notes on Evernote

I have used Evernote as a note resource for years, but I just learned that I can record feedback notes for students.  I love Evernote because it syncs with all devices---Android and IOS.  And, it is free!  And, Evernote will keep the resource or note for as long as you want it.  I am thinking that maybe I can upload a student's assignment and begin the voice notes immediately.  And, since Evernote is on all my devices, I can do it anytime and anywhere which is a much needed convenience for me!  Did I mention that it was FREE???!!!

Recording Audio Notes on Google Docs

I use Google Docs for just about everything, and I spend a great deal of time teaching students how to use Google Docs because it automatically saves and syncs across all devices.  And, I love the sharing aspect of Google because I can see student's work in chunks and pieces and provide them timely feedback for specific problems.  I already knew that Google Docs had the option of adding voice notes when used in conjunction with another app, but I have never used it.  Now that I know this resource, I will attempt to use it in the future.

Google Docs is also great for peer feedback.  Currently, I have a Google Group for my AP English Language class, and they are required to give feedback to one student before midnight once every two weeks.  We "blog" about multiple readings from the rhetorical analysis of the AP exams.  The only warning I have for this is that students tend to play it safe when it comes to feedback; they are afraid of hurting each others' feelings, so their responses are typically plastic, superficial.  Students have to be trained in order to give appropriate feedback.  Google Docs also has a sharing component that allows easier feedback via online.  I  use that when I teach the research paper!

All these resources are free and accessible to anyone with online access.  And, what I love about it is that the teacher nor the student needs extra equipment to execute these resources.  I would suggest that the teacher purchases a microphone because speakers on small laptops are not always the best.  I have several Chromebooks, and when I speak without a microphone, it sounds muddled.  I purchased a nice microphone headset on Amazon for about $24.  

I would also let students know up font in class that these are the methods I would incorporate for feedback.

Feedback Quest

The Assignment:

Choose three standards for area of study, create an assignment, and method for assessing students work, utilizing one of the mediums discussed. Ensure the tool demonstrates an instructor’s employment of effective feedback.

Make the assignment and method for assessing student work available in a post in your blog.

The Assignment for AP Language (A Blog)

Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slave, was a farmer, astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, and author.  In 1791 he wrote to Thomas Jefferson, framer of the Declaration of Independence and secretary of state to President George Washington.  Read the following excerpt from the letter, an analyze ONE RHETORICAL STRATEGY used to argue against slavery.

Please respond to one other student in the course.  Provide them with commentary for their post!  Simply saying, "Good Job," is empty and means very little to a writer.  Give them ideas and food that resonate with them so they can improve as a reader and writer.  Thank you.

Due Date:  Sunday, August 31, 2014 by midnight!

I will lock the assignment after this date.

Student A's Submission to Assignment

Feedback on Student A's Submission to Assignment

Rubrics

Sample Blog Rubric:

Evaluation Methods and Communication Practices

Discussion topics:

• How do communication practices in the online environment correlate to effective feedback?
• Why is authentic feedback important for online learners?
• In what ways might an instructor enrich a student’s online experience through feedback

In the online environment, professors must provide very detailed notes and explanations because the student is not actually present in class, in your face to ask questions, or even to see your facial expressions.  And, feedback in the online environment tends to be delayed because teachers and students do not have to be online simultaneously.  Feedback in an online environment must also be very specific so students will know how to self-correct issues.  However, I have learned that feedback that is specific in the traditional classroom still even needs just as much re-do opportunities because students don't like to listen!  Effective feedback is meaningful feedback.  I have had only a few teachers in online coursework that actually gave effective feedback.  Most of the feedback that I have received was very generic that I wonder if the teacher even read the material.

Authentic feedback is tailored to that specific student's work.  I don't think authentic feedback only benefits online learners; it benefits all learners because the feedback is tailored to the student's specific strengths and weaknesses.  The beauty of online feedback is that most people type faster than they write, so in some ways it is faster.  Authentic feedback is quite time consuming, so everything a student does cannot actually receive authentic feedback.  Some feedback must be canned responses to save time.  After all, online teachers have other responsibilities as well.

I hate to say this, but many teachers do not even provide authentic feedback in the traditional setting.  If online teachers/professors provide that kind of feedback, it would personalize the teaching and learning relationship for all stakeholders, especially students and teachers.  It would also add a feeling of "being heard" in one sense.  And, I think it would put online learning in more of a positive light.  Lots of people look down on degrees earned in online schools, but just about every school offers it, including the Ivy Leagues.  It is the way of the future.  I think authentic feedback would rid the idea that online learning is not real learning, it is not real teaching.  It would potentially build respect for this type of learning.

Instructors have a number of resources at their discretion to give feedback.  And, I would use as many as I possibly can.  I annotate work, especially on assignments submitted through Edmodo.  This is beautiful because I can point to specific items in the work and personalize the feedback.  And, it is all done in typing!  Another method that I have not done but would like to do is voice feedback.  When students write essays, I really need voice feedback because essays tend to have so many problems that it is too time consuming to write or type everything.  As a traditional classroom teacher, I also tell students to submit assignments in parts or phases to prevent overloading myself and students.  This helps in the holistic grading because I don't have to spend so much time on re-reading and teaching older parts because students have self-corrected those from the chunking method.  Feedback can also be used through a few canned responses.