Monthly Archives: December 2011

Free Range Students and Online Learning

December 28th, 2011 • Leave a comment

By Melissa Venable I recently discovered an article entitled, "Grazing the Net: Raising a Generation of Free Range Students.” Written by Jamie McKenzie in 1998, it describes the then new generation of students with web access, exploring and learning on their own via the Internet. McKenzie addressed the rush to bring the Internet into K-12 schools. [...]

Reflecting on 2011 and Looking Ahead to 2012

December 27th, 2011 • Leave a comment

With 28 posts in 2011, this blog is quickly becoming a content-rich source of information for online learners. My first post began with a "toolkit" for online learners and I am excited about continuing to share, create, teach, and engage with everyone. Here is my recap of some of my favorite posts for the year: [...]

Who is the Instructor? Developing Social Presence in an Online Course

December 27th, 2011 • Leave a comment

By Melissa Venable Who is the instructor? What is he/she like? These are typical questions among students getting ready to start a new course. In a course that is delivered completely online it is unlikely you will get the opportunity to meet your students in person. How would your online students describe you?  Social presence in [...]

5 Items for The Journey

December 26th, 2011 • Leave a comment

With the start of a new year coming soon, an inventory of sorts seems apropos. For the online learner, having certain items (and a particular service), while not necessarily mandatory, can optimize several aspects of their web-based experience. Here are 5 things that I would highly recommend investing in for 2012. The caveat being of [...]

Where Are Online Students? Voices Needed / Encouraged.

December 26th, 2011 • Leave a comment

Writing a blog for online learners represents an exciting task. Having worked in higher education for more than 10 years, most of my experience is in working with students on a physical campus. However, there are multitudes of similarities and differences that provide ample material for this site. One of my goals for 2012 is [...]

An Interview with Scott B. Johnson, Program Coordinator for the Illinois Online Network

December 22nd, 2011 • Leave a comment

By Melissa Venable This year's Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) Annual Conference on Online Learning provided great opportunities not only to learn from practicing instructional designers and online faculty members, but also to network with a number of support service providers. The Illinois Online Network (ION), led by program coordinator Scott B. Johnson, was one of the service [...]

Are you ready to be an Independent Worker?

December 21st, 2011 • Leave a comment

By Melissa Venable Working as an independent professional is becoming a more popular option to consider when planning your next career move. An article posted on GigaOM.com earlier this month predicts that "by 2020, independent workers will be the majority." Gene Zaino, CEO and President of MBO Partners, who made the prediction, further stated that "this [...]

12 College Town Breweries Crafting Seriously Good Beer

December 20th, 2011 • 1 Comment

Enlightened college beer drinkers would be lucky to find themselves studying near one of these great breweries.

10 Leaders Who Are Fighting for Student Loan Reform

December 19th, 2011 • Leave a comment

Policymakers, activists, students, and families now demand serious reform.

New Social Networking Options for Academics

December 19th, 2011 • Leave a comment

By Melissa Venable As an online instructor you may already be involved in some social networking efforts though sites such as LinkedIn. There is value in building your own personal learning network as you advance in your professional work and continue to make new connections. Now there are more options than ever, including several sites created specifically [...]