Worthwhile Activities; Preparing for Class

Here's my first weekly post to record what I'm doing to prepare for the blended course I'm offering next fall (2010). I have completed two weeks of exercises using the Pearson product MathXL, as well as a few other things. I'm trying to keep in mind that I shouldn't be duplicating my on-campus class, but taking advantage of the students' online access to offer something different. There are two things in particular I'm trying to accomplish:

1. I want the students' message board postings to be worthwhile in terms of mathematics and/or learning, and I want it to contribute to a sense of community. This is especially important because we meet only once a week. I just taught a winter session class and since we met every day for over two hours we really got to know one another. The same thing happens over the summer when I teach classes that meet every day for extended periods--for a few weeks we are a little club with most everyone working very hard.

To address this first issue I've divided the week into two parts, with assignments due during each part. Message board discussions that pertain to assignments can begin AFTER the first assignment is due. That way everyone should have something to say, because they will have (hopefully) completed the assignment. I also plan to begin discussions that aren't so technical so that those who may be struggling with the math can still contribute. For instance, I have written a question for students to address after reading a news article.

2. I want students to prepare for class discussions and test their knowledge before being assessed. When I was in school we were told to read the text before coming to class. Most students never did this, of course, but we all knew that we should. I don't think anyone even tells students to read ahead of time anymore, probably because we know they won't.

To address this second issue I have compiled MathXL exercises that are due before class; these questions address material that is prerequisite to the lesson. I have also written practice quizzes that are to be completed after the week's exercises are turned in.