Intro to DE

Association of Cedarbrook™ Camps

Introduction to Distance Education

What it is:

Distance education is a flexible way to receive training using e-mail and the Internet. It fits anyone’s schedule. Each module will involve participants from several camps meeting in an on-line learning community. All that is required is e-mail and Internet access. You will be pleased to know that this training will count toward the required hours for ACA.

What to expect:

· You will be learning in a group with people from your camp and other camps.

· Your group will have a facilitator who will help the group keep on the right track. This person is not the “teacher.” Learners will teach each other.

· The learning will be conducted by using a threaded discussion manager, a program very similar to e-mail. This becomes the meeting room.

· You will need to be able to access Internet web pages to reach the meeting room and for some of the module content. The web page addresses will be included with the projects.

· It is important that you go to the meeting room and read all the messages every day. It may be difficult to catch up if you get behind.

· You will be writing a few messages per day. These postings will include your projects and your comments on other members’ projects. Please keep your comments and questions constructive.

· You can expect to receive some personal e-mail directly from the facilitator. If you reply to these e-mail messages, it will only go to the facilitator.

· You will be asked to fill out an evaluation at the end of the module.

How to participate:

· Submit your name, phone number, e-mail address and the name of your camp along with the preferred module(s) to the module administrator, Harvey Burian at hburian@telus.net. (Note: some camps have a person who coordinates the distance education module requests and sends them to the administrator. If this is the case in your camp, please contact that person who will then send the names to the module administrator.)

· Follow the directions in the e-mail you will receive from the administrator.

· Reply immediately, verifying that you do intend to take that module now.

· Log on and complete the orientation module, “Mary Had a…”. It will teach you how to operate the discussion manager.

· When you have finished you will be given instructions for starting your module.

Terminology for distance education:

ACC – Association of Cedarbrook™ Camps

Module Administrator – person handling module sign up and technical problems

Distance education – training using on-line learning communities

Meeting room – the environment for discussion provided by the threaded discussion manager

Module – unit of material being studied

Post(ing) – sending information electronically, like email

Threaded discussion manager – program that organizes and manages the discussion postings