Learning About On-Line Teaching

I have spent many days (and long nights) being an on-line learner for my Master's program so I am well aware of what it takes to be an on-line learner; however I have no idea what it is like being on the other end of that learning.  Do I have what it takes to make it in the virtual world as a teacher?  I know that I am willing to give it all that I have!  I am hoping my strengths as a mathematics teacher in the classroom (and the fact that I am a technology junkie) can help me take the leap to the virtual classroom. 

As for what I am hoping to learn--I really would love to learn about the more social features of Google that I have not explored such as Groups (which I tried messing around with but never really went anywhere with)and Hangouts (which I didn't even know existed).  I have been investigating and searching for ways to incorporate a blog into my google sites for my classrooms but have not found a way in which I could post a topic and have my students all reply to that post--so that would be really amazing if I found a way to do that.  I am also really excited to explore Blackboard because this has that "face-to-face" aspect that other on-line course management systems seem to be missing (like Moodle).  I love the idea of blending Blackboard with Google applications which creates the best of both worlds.  What is funny is when I was watching the recorded session of blackboard (since I joined that class late) I was imagining how I would be using it and could really see myself making it work for me).  (Not that I think it would be an easy task to manage a large group of people at one time, but I really can see the value of getting together as a class in "real" time and actually being given the opportunity to talk with each other.)  This is just something that I really struggled with as an on-line learner myself--I just really missed having actual conversations and seeing the person not just their words.  I have to be honest, I have used Moodle and really do not like it from a management stand point.  I found it tedious and quite cumbersome to upload things, organize units, and navigate.  So anything better than that would make me extremely happy.

I am easy to please when it comes to technology and it is usually fairly easy for me to find creative ways to apply it to my subject area or other areas (which is why I think I have become one of the technology "leaders" in my school).    When I first started my Master's program I was just trying to find ways to integrate technology beyond just calculators and a SmartBoard.  The more I learned, the more I realized that this is how I connect with my learners and "think" and "do" as they do.  These communication and collaboration web tools are way I can get my students to start "talking" about the mathematics they are learning in class, but "talking" in a way that makes sense to them and the world they live in.