Star Date 00.00

This is the first blogging post. I'm beginning to analyze how I could incorporate some online and asynchronous topics to help in my chemistry class. I've got be be very careful because the classes must transfer to other institutions (4 year universities) so for now I will examine how I can use these as aids and additions to my classes and not as subsitutions. For now I'm looking at

• A Discussion board that lists the relevant assignments, lecture notes, schedules and syllabus--probably all separated out
• A regular chat hour. I've got to be very careful about this. A lot of students need face-to-face help with the laboratory and, as I strongly believe my physical presence at the college is important I don't want to go too overboard with everthing being virtual.
• A topic in the discussion board for recitation--where students ask specific questions about homework or lab problems. I don't know if the technology is there for drawing complex organic structures or for solving complex acid-base titration problems (in fact I suspect doing this online will take about 5.6 times longer than the old fashioned chalkboard way.

That's it for now. I think I'll read some more, cogitate on this and revisit.