Creating videos used to be MUCH more complicated, however, it’s gotten much easier over time. You no longer need fancy lights, green screens, and camcorders to make good quality video.
In fact, you’re already probably familiar with at least some of the following tools. (Zoom and Youtube, anyone?)
As you learned in FET, training plans are a great way to plan and organize your content. Regardless of whether or not your training is on-demand or face-to-face, using a training plan has many benefits.
There are several training plan templates available for online training. In the end, what you use will be based on personal preferences. We will review three different template options – FET Training Plan template, Storyboard template, and Word document template.
This template follows the same general format as the training plan from FET, so you may already be familiar with the format.
The first section is the ECE-TRIS information page. This is all of the information you will be asked to enter when inputting your training into ECE-TRIS.
The second section is the training layout. This is the outline of the order of your course. It might look slightly different depending on the LMS you use. However, this is based on a general assumption that there will be lessons you are covering and then topics under lessons.
The remaining sections are where you put the content. This plan is also divided up into opening, content delivery, and closing. In each section you list the section of the training (which lesson, quiz, etc.), the content you will be covering, and the time you think it will take for a learner to complete. What you put in this section is up to you. However, it is recommended that you be as detailed as possible. The more information you provide here the easier it is to upload the content into your course.
This will be the format that you will use for your application activity in Part 2 of this training. If you are more visual, you might want to start with the mindmap format. Feel free to make a copy for yourself.
A word document template is basic training plan where all content, images, and other information is typed in. Headings and the navigation pane can be used to move through the different sections of content more easily.
The first section is the ECE-TRIS information page. This is all of the information you will be asked to enter when your training into ECE-TRIS.
The second section is the training layout. This is the outline of the order of your course. It might look slightly different depending on the LMS you use. However, this is based on a general assumption that there will be lessons you are covering and then topics under lessons.
The remaining sections are where you put the content. Headings are used as placeholders for opening, content delivery, and closing, and content is typed in underneath. What you put in these sections is up to you. However, it is recommended that you be as detailed as possible. The more information you provide here the easier it is to upload the content into your course.
Storyboards have a foundation in movie productions – especially in animations. It was used to visualize all the content and sequences. In training creation, it is a way of mapping out the elements of training and providing specific details for each “page” in the LMS or content.
Many times storyboarding are also used in teams – one person comes up with the content the other uploads the content. This is also why many times, storyboard templates will include specific information as to fonts, sizes, or other decorative features to be used. Often, storyboard templates will also be in a PowerPoint format to provide a better visual of the training organization.
The first section is the ECE-TRIS information page. This is all of the information you will be asked to enter when your training into ECE-TRIS.
The second section is the training layout. This is the outline of the order of your course. It might look slightly different depending on the LMS you use. However, this is based on a general assumption that there will be lessons you are covering and then topics under lessons.
The remaining sections are where you put the content. The first part of it displays the components of a training plan (opening, content delivery, and closing). The next parts are different boxes to represent different part of the storyboard. Each box is for a different “page” in the storyboard. You would need to copy boxes as needed to complete the plan.
The boxes are intended for you to list the section of the training (which lesson, quiz, etc.), and the content you will be covering. What you put in this section is up to you. However, it is recommended that you be as detailed as possible. The more information you provide here the easier it is to upload the content into your course.
Boxes would be copied and placed in the appropriate section of the training plan.
Do you use training plans? Why or why not? Record your response in your handout.
Converting training from a face-to-face format to an online format is not as simple as “copy and paste.” What works well for in-person or even webinar training will not work as well for on-demand training.
Let’s go over 7 things to keep in mind when starting the process of converting your face-to-face trainings.
Putting yourself out there to be judged by others is a scary thing! Learners need to feel safe and secure to react, have an open mind for learning, and answer honestly. Utilize video, audio, and images of yourself to create a link between you and the learner.
What flowed well in face to face training may not in on demand. Use course outlines to determine the layout of the old training and see if content should be moved around to better fit an online format.
*Tip – PowerPoint allows you to view all slides in a presentation and move them around and if using headings in Word you can view the navigation pane and move content around.
While this goes along with training organization it is important to remember that your on demand training needs to have clear learning objectives. This will help with the flow of the course and make creating a plan much easier.
Don’t simply upload existing PowerPoint for the learner to flip through or convert directly to online format. Time needs to be taken to review the content and transform it to an engaging online training. Not taking the time can cause your trainings to look unprofessional.
Do not plan to convert all of your trainings at once, or pick the hardest one first. Start short and simple until you feel comfortable with converting a training. Then move into longer and more complex trainings. Save the 6 hour training for later!
All Learning Management Systems are different with different capabilities, functions, and layout of content. As you go through creating a plan, know the platform you are using and options that are available for presentation and interactivity.
You are not alone! There are many resources available to assist you. Reach out to friends, co-workers, fellow trainers, or your Training Coach for help. Your Learning Management System may also have communities that you can join online to ask questions.
For this training, you will be completing a training plan for an on-demand training. Feel free to use a training plan for a training you have already done in another format for this course assignment. Start thinking about what training you would like to create a plan for.
References:
Poe, M. & Stassen, M. (n.d.). Teaching and Learning Online: Communication, Community, and Assessment. A Handbook for UMass Faculty. University of Massachusetts – Amherst. https://www.umass.edu/oapa/sites/default/files/pdf/handbooks/teaching_and_learning_online_handbook.pdf
Menden, D. (2020, April 6). 5 Tips for Converting Face-to-face Training to Virtual Training. Training Industry. https://trainingindustry.com/articles/remote-learning/5-tips-for-converting-face-to-face-training-to-virtual-training-cptm/
Brooks, M. (n.y. April 17) How to Convert In-Person Training to Online Training. Easy Generator. https://www.easygenerator.com/en/blog/e-learning/convert-in-person-training-to-online-training/
If you are selling online courses, then you will need a way to accept online payments.
Before you start accepting payments, you need to make sure the page you are accepting payments from is SECURE.
Your url should read https:// at the start. This has become standard for most webpages.
If your website starts with http:// you will need to investigate getting an SSL Certificate for your website.
We’ll talk about this more in Part 2 of this course.
If you are building a WordPress course website, most LMS plugins include course registration and payment that will help you easily integrate with one or both of these services. You might also use an e-commerce plugin like WooCommerce if you plan to sell physical or digital products or services in addition to your online courses. These plugins add shopping cart functionality to your website.
If you are building courses in Canvas or google classroom, then you would need:
You may want to consider a free account with Square, Cognito forms or Zoho Forms, or any of a number of other options listed in How To Accept Payments from an Online Form.
Keep in mind each of the different form and payment services has their own fee schedule. Most of the time they keep a percentage of the item/course cost, plus a small fee per transaction, if you use their service.
Make sure you know what fees are, and what types of transactions are possible, before you choose any particular payment service.
Before beginning the process of converting trainings, it is recommended to decide how you want your courses to look and feel. How they look can be as important as what the content is. If a learner cannot get past bad color combinations or inconsistent font, they will not even begin paying attention to the content.
“Branding is the process of creating a strong, positive perception of a company, its products, or services in the customer’s mind by combining such elements as logo, design, mission statement, and a consistent theme throughout all marketing communications. Effective branding helps companies differentiate themselves from their competitors and build a loyal customer base.” (Oberlo)
Product is what you sell – in this case, Early Childhood Training. Branding is the image or identity of your training business and the strategy to create that image.
Look at these two logos below. Are you able to identify what each represents, what each business offers, and what feelings you have associated with the logo?
Your response is a direct reflection of the branding that the companies worked hard to create. Your brand can have a significant impact on the number of people taking your trainings. If people feel they “know” you through branding there is a higher likelihood they will choose your trainings, as they know what to expect.
If your logo has color in it, you will also want to also develop a single color logo, making sure the logo looks good in black or white. Many times, it’s less expensive to print single color t-shirts and marketing materials. Also, when creating marketing, your color logo might clash as an overlay to pictures or video, while a black or white logo will work for just about any application.
Style Guides help to give you a professional look and make the design proccess easier. It also helps with brand recognition.
A style guide is a way of saying what logos, colors, fonts, and font sizes you will be using. Using consistent colors and fonts:
Your courses should have no more than 2-3 main colors, with other accent colors used minimally and consistently. A couple of bold colors are fine, but other colors should be pastel/light/subtle, so that they do not compete with the text and graphics that are the focus of your course. You can use a color generator to help you find a combination you like.
You also want to limit your fonts. You will want one main font for headers, and a font for body text. This should be a basic serif, sans-serif, or slab serif font. You might also want to choose an accent font (decorative or handwritten, but still easy to read) for key items you want to stand out. Keep in mind that you want to use universally available fonts, OR use Google fonts, which are served from your website. All users do not have the same sets of fonts installed on their personal computers and mobile devices.
Here is an example style guide, made with Canva. The colors were grabbed from the moodboard photos.
We’ll talk about this in detail more in Part 2 of this training.
(Some trainings or agencies may already have a style guide that you should use for those specific trainings. If creating for an outside agency, check to see if there is a style guide and expectations to use it.)
References:
Albrecht, David. (2015, Feb 24) The Know Like Trust Principle. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/know-like-trust-principle-david-albrecht
Oberlo (n.d.) Branding. Oberlo. https://www.oberlo.com/ecommerce-wiki/branding
Marion. (2023, May 24). What is Branding? The Branding Journal. https://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2015/10/what-is-branding-definition/
Symonds, Cat. (2023, Feb 24). The rule of 7: The power of social media. https://factorialhr.com/blog/the-rule-of-7/
Logos from: Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/
There are many different ways that you may choose to publish your courses. When you are looking at different platforms for course hosting, your main considerations may be boiled down to Cost, Content, and Control.
How much time will it take to maintain your course platform? On the other hand, what time saving features are built into the platform that will save you administrative time – such as autograding, autosending reminders, or assignment completion tracking?
How much does it cost for your platform? What additional paid helpers may be needed to collect registration and collect payments? What are the one-time costs? What are the monthly and annual costs?
What types of content do you plan to use within your course? What features do you need for quizzing and assignment submissions? Accepting payments? What other content do you want to publish alongside your courses?
If you use an online platform, do you own your content? Do you control course pricing? (It’s in the fine print of many cloud based solutions that if you publish content on a platform, they own it, and may discount course pricing on your behalf!)
Can you control the look and feel of your course? The colors and course page layout? Can you use a custom domain name?
Authentic assessment is tied to children’s daily activities, supported by professional development, and is inclusive of families; it should be purposefully used to make sound decisions about teaching and learning, identify significant concerns that may require focused intervention for individual children, and help programs improve their educational and developmental interventions.
Involving families in early childhood programs is important to support positive development. Watch this short video about the importance of involving families in your child care program. Video must be watched entirely to progress through the course.
As you can see from the objectives, in this assessment training we will focus on obtaining and sharing information with parents.
Families should be involved in the assessment cycle, before, during, and after children attend a program.
Gathering information from families will allow teachers to learn more about a child’s strength’s and needs as well as what might work best for the family and child to help them succeed. Families who feel comfortable interacting with teachers are more likely to share when they have concerns and be more receptive to a teacher’s concerns.
References:
Colorado Department of Education. (2022, February 7). Results Matter video Library. Retrieved March 18, 2023 from https://www.cde.state.co.us/resultsmatter/rmvideoseries
We have talked about the process of assessment over the last two modules of this course. The process of authentic assessment is: observe, analyze(reflect), plan, implement, reflect, and so on. You are constantly observing. Then you must reflect/analyze what you see, plan to meet the needs of each child, implement your plans, reflect on what you see then, and do this process over and over again.
You may think all these steps would make it difficult, but you are probably doing most of them already and weren’t thinking about it in this way.
Many of us may work with children who have difficulty transitioning from free play to group time. Watch as Draco transitions and answer the questions as you continue through the content.
Video must be watched entirely in order to progress through the course. You do not need to watch any related videos at the end.
What did this teacher do that worked well to help Draco transition?
What could she have done differently?
If Draco was a child in your class, how would you help with this transition?
Are there children in your class who have difficulties transitioning, how can you help them? Write a short list of things you could do.
Implement some of the transition plans you listed above. Give these ideas a chance to work before you discard them. Encourage parents or other caregivers to try some of these ideas at home or in other settings if they see the same difficulties.
Did any of your transition ideas work well? What else can I try if they didn’t?
This course is the second in a series of courses on assessment. Take a moment to gather your notes and assignment from Authentic Assessment for Early Childhood: An Introduction and Authentic Assessment for Early Childhood: Planning Learning Experiences. You will use the application activities from both courses to complete your application activity.
“Observation…the process of observing, recording, and otherwise documenting the work children do and how they do it, as a basis for a variety of educational decisions that affect the child, including planning for groups and individual children and communication with parents…requires teachers to observe and analyze regularly what the children are doing in light of the content goals and the learning processes.” NAEYC (1992)
In the previous module, we asked you to create a lesson plan that focused on the needs of a child you work with.
Please take a few moments to reflect on how that lesson plan worked for you and the students identified in the lesson plan.
Add your responses to your handout.
Reference:
Bredekamp, S. & Rosegrant, T. (Eds.). (1992) Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment for Young Children, Volume 1. NAEYC.
You have made it through the course requirements. A few additional items before you access your certificate.
If you have additional questions or comments about the content, please use the “contact us” button at the bottom of the page.
Please complete the form below. If you select No, credit for completion of this course WILL NOT be added to your ECE-TRIS professional development record.
Your individual training record in ECE-TRIS will be updated within 10 days with the course credit. ECE-TRIS is a training registry for early care and education providers and gives you 24/7 access to your professional learning record: https://tris.eku.edu/ece
You have made it through the course requirements. A few additional items before you access your certificate.
If you have additional questions or comments about the content, please use the “contact us” button at the bottom of the page.
Please complete the form below. If you mark “no” credit for completion of this course WILL NOT be added to your ECE-TRIS professional development record.
Your individual training record in ECE-TRIS will be updated within 10 days with the course credit. ECE-TRIS is a training registry for early care and education providers and gives you 24/7 access to your professional learning record: https://tris.eku.edu/ece
