Module 5, EDUC251

After looking at the collaborative document of suggested portfolio activities our class is creating, I decided to add a photo gallery to my Course Framework (Biodiversity, Sustainability and the Galapagos Islands).  The uploaded photos are illustrative of the diverse flora and fauna I photographed on a trip to that marvelous outpost of biodiversity.  In so doing, I think they add to the interest and understanding of the outcomes I wish students to glean.

Using a still photo gallery or video gallery with an accompanying Voice Thread, would be an ideal way to showcase student learning in any online course.  It could be a collaborative gallery showing examples of student work or students themselves engaging in the learning tasks of the course.  Perhaps each would be asked to "teach" a concept to others in the online course and using video, stills, and/or voice threads, draw the learning community together through the power of these online tools.

According to Boettcher's Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online, BP 4, 5, and 9 (pg. 37) would be met simply by adding an activity with pictures as suggested above.  While in the Early Middle of a course, learning tips 8, and 10 (pg. 117) would also be satisfied using this strategy.  I'm excited to think ahead about structuring a course using these BP's and tips.  Hopefully, the CMS  I might be using would be a platform which easily supports the use of video and audio in the learning modules.