Prepare!

To prepare yourself for using the tools for Authentic Online Learning (AOL), you should setup and familiarize yourself with the following tools and how we will use it for AOL:

  1. Ning (social networking site)
  2. Google Docs (online documents)
  3. Blackboard Collaborate (web conferencing platform)

 

Ning Site     

We will be using a social networking tool, Ning, as our central hub for information and communication to share resources, have discussions, and otherwise engage in AOL.

  1. Register for our AOL Ning site: http://emclcc.ning.com/
  2. Setup your profile by clicking on “My Page” at the top
  3. Browse through the resources
  4. Check it periodically for new updates

 

Google Docs 

Google Docs is an online office suite where you can create online documents, forms, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings.  With a migrated Google@UH account, you now have access to Google Docs.
For AOL we will be concentrating on using Google Documents.  Google documents are useful because they are saved online and accessible from any computer with an Internet connection.  Online documents also allows them to be shared with others for collaboration.  In a shared Google Document you can edit together, leave comments/discussion in the document, and text chat right in the document, making collaboration easy and efficient.
 

How To Use Google Documents

A collection is a set of documents which can be shared with others.  For AOL we have shared a collection with everyone.  Look in the left menu > Collections Shared With Me.  Everyone has a document in there to put his/her project work on and is shared with everyone so that we can give feedback to each other during the process.
In the AOL shared collection, click on your (named) document to open it.  Start typing in it to edit it.  This will be your working document where you will be putting your ideas for your project.  Others will be commenting and giving feedback to you on your document.

 
To view, collaborate, and/or comment on someone else’s document, in your Google Docs Home page in our AOL shared collection, click on someone else’s document.  You can leave comments/threaded discussion directly in the document by highlighting the text you want to comment on, go to Insert > Comment and type your comment in.If the owner is in the document at the same time you are, look at the top-right.  You should see something like “x is also viewing”.  Click on that bar and a text chat window panel will appear.  You can text chat with them right in the document.
Periodically go in and read the feedback and make your revisions to your document.  To see a revision history of what has been done, go to File > See revision history.
 
Blackboard Collaborate (formerly, Elluminate Live!) is a live, web conferencing platform that we will be meeting in weekly to work on projects, get feedback, and ask for guidance.

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