Adding Value to eLos and Your Professional Growth

Economy or Coach Class

We will all complete the following actions from the list below. These actions will bring immediate value for the
students in your course and across the entire program.

Establish our teacher presence during the first week of the course by creating and posting a
welcoming video inside Canvas. The video should contain the following minimum elements but not
exceed four minutes in length. Please display the video on your course landing page.
Display of physical appearance
o Consider wearing something that describes you as a person. If you record the
video in your house, describe and show the room.
Sell-introduction
o Name, title, and school
o Teaching background and degrees
o Minimum of two personal items
Major learning outcomes
o What may students expect to learn by the end of the course?
Keep the information broad and do not go into project or assignment
specifics. You may address that later in the course.
Expectations and pressing policies
o Although present in your syllabus, please emphasize here again.
Contact information and contact options
Unique and positive closing statement
Establish our student social presence during the first week of the course by developing an
inviting opening course activity inside Canvas. The opening activity should contain the following
minimum elements:
Relevant- make it worth the students time. Find a way to connect the activity to the
course but while allowing the students to get to know one another. Refrain from calling
the activity an ice-breakerthis term has developed a negative persona over the years.
Relaxing- we want a low-stress activity that solicits 100% participation. The activity
should allow students to become familiar with one another but not require students to
offer sensitive personal information. The activity should be rich in peer-to-peer and
teacher-to-peer interaction.
Review- instructor should end the activity by highlighting its purpose, summarizing what
was learned, and using the activity to set the stage for the duration of the course.
Consider printing the student responses for quick access later in the courseyou might
use the responses to motivate a struggling student or simply show students you care by
referencing their remarks later on in the semester.
Establish a general discussion forum for your students to seek out when they have a question or a
place for them to share opinions or topics unrelated to the course. Your forum should contain the
following minimum elements:
Titled, Student Lounge
You should encourage students to post general questions they have for you or perhaps other
students inside the lounge. By implementing and drawing student attention to the forum, you can
address a question one time rather than responding to multiple emails. In addition, a student might
look for advice from another student about a project or assignment. You should encourage them
to author a post inviting feedback from their peers.
eLo, Revised July 2015

Business Class
Please complete one action from the list below. The actions provide room for varying skill and comfort levels along
with investments of time. Select an action that is practical for you while posing as an authentic challenge. By
accomplishing the action you will generate added value for the students in your course.

1
2
3

Assign students to serve as discussion board facilitators and clearly outline their responsibilities.

Create collaboration between your eLo and face-to-face students, your eLo and a colleagues eLo
students, or your eLo and any set of students around the world.
Create a video or podcast introducing students to each module OR a video/podcast summarizing
the end of each module.
Create and deliver a competency-based project allowing students to revise their work as many
times needed until they master the intended learning outcomes.
Create three pre-recorded check-in videos and disburse to the students throughout the course.
Each video should contain unique personal touches about yourself.
Deliver an optional synchronous lecture awarding students extra credit for attendance on any topic
of your choicecolleges, current events, the extension of course content, financial aid,
scholarships, or something related to your passion.
Deliver major pieces of constructive criticism using live video, recorded video or audio, instant
chats, or phone calls but not through static text.
Email the parents a monthly course summary including what the students accomplished, a
preview of the month ahead, tips, and important reminders.
Have each student create a course blog. Have students post reflections, showcase work, and
collaborate with peers on their blog. Create a teacher blog that houses links to each students blog
and make the blogs publicly viewable.
Have students engage in a virtual field trip or online scavenger hunt related to course content.

5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23

Make one contact attempt per student via phone within the first two weeks of the course.
Create a jigsaw activity.

Have students contribute resources throughout the course using a class digital library.
Host a minimum of two synchronous video chats with a student(s)you set the purpose whether
office hours, lecture, exam prep, demonstration, 1:1 meeting, etc.
Invite a colleague or content expert to prepare a guest lecture, activity, or facilitate a discussion.
Prepare a project that provides students different pathways to demonstrate mastery. Students
choose their preferred pathway.
Prepare a unique assessment/project leveraging technology, collaboration, and critical thought.
Provide students flexibility throughout the course whether a student needs time because of
technical issues or other personal/academic obligations.
Require students to subscribe to an RSS feed and incorporate the feeds throughout the semester.
Select an assignment providing student feedback using a screencasting or audio tool.
Send a message to the parents inviting them to attend a virtual open house, either chat or videobased, to occur in October or March.
Survey your students and provide them the power/opportunity to have ownership toward
something in the course.
Use Remind 101 or similar tool to send assignment alerts and other important messages.
eLo, Revised July 2015

First Class
We encourage you to complete one action from the list below. The actions provide room for varying skill and comfort
levels along with investments of time. Select an action that is practical for you while posing as an authentic challenge.
By accomplishing the action you will generate added value for your professional growth.

Apply Canvas in various aspects of your face to face course.

Attend a technology or online learning-related conference.

Author two guest posts inside the eLo blog.

Create recurring monthly phone or virtual chats with your eLo content team to review the course
and share best practices.
Host an eLo lunch and learn at your school educating colleagues about online learning, the eLo
program, or your general eLo experiences.
Join LinkedIn and participate in a few educational technology groups.

5
6
7

Join a professional organization related to educational technology.

Join Twitter and begin showing an active presence.

Lead your eLo colleagues and others in a synchronous or asynchronous discussion using a tech
tool such as Twitter, Google Hangout, Google Docs, etc.
Meet for an hour with eLos technical support specialist to brainstorm the incorporation of
technology inside your course.
Meet for an hour with eLos director to brainstorm the instructional design inside your course or
review the list of eLo teacher dispositions including strengths and weaknesses.
Start a personal blog and generate two posts.

10
11
12
13
14
15

Subscribe to an educational technology blog, email listserv, journal, paper, RSS feed, or other
similar means.
Take ownership of eLos Twitter account for two weeks.
Talk with the director about participating in a professional development class to enhance the
quality of your course.

eLo, Revised July 2015

Selection(s)
Type of Class

Item #

Item Description

Business Class (Required)

First Class (Optional)

Outline for Your Business Class Action

Major Ideas in Noun Form or Questions
Specific Details or Answers

Signature:

eLo, Revised July 2015