The following post is written by guest blogger Leslie Fetzer,  Occupational Course of Study Biology Teacher at North Carolina Virtual Public Schools and the 2012 iNACOL/SREB National Online Teacher of the Year.

I have always been of the mind that giving a textbook to students with the instruction to read is not teaching. This is even truer online. Ebooks have their place, but not as the foundation of a good online course. Online courses should allow students to see, hear, read, and experience content in multiple ways. New Web 2.0 tools are popping up at an exciting pace giving teachers an array of options for presenting content through different media. With so much available, it can sometimes be tempting to search for or buy in to what is already out there, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes what is out there may not be exactly right for the content or for the student. In fact, it can often take longer to search for and preview pre-existing content versus creating your own content personalized for individual students.

Here are just a few tips for developing a good online course:

There is a constant buzz in the Blackboard DC office this time of year – the BbWorld Buzz. It seems like everyone has a hand in planning this year’s conference. Whether coordinating with clients on sessions, brainstorming ideas for focus group topics or creating beautiful designs for the exhibit hall displays, there’s a lot going on here! With so many people working on BbWorld, it’s bound to be one of our best conferences yet.

So why should you attend BbWorld 2012 in New Orleans this summer? There are plenty of reasons to name, but we’ve narrowed it down to a digestible Top Five. Take a look at the brief presentation below, and then decide – “Will I be at BbWorld in July?” I hope the answer is, “Most definitely, yes!”

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) has named four finalists for the 2012 National Superintendent of the Year Award – and they’re all Blackboard clients! The Blackboard K-12 team congratulates:

•    Diane Frost of Asheboro City Schools (NC)
•    Heath Morrison of Washoe County School District (NV)
•    Lorraine Lange of Roanoke County Public Schools (VA)
•    Susan Smith Bunting of Indian River School District (DE)

These four superintendents have been honored for their outstanding leadership and their dedication to providing quality education for all students – with impressive stats to show for it. What a positive way to kick off the new year! To learn more about each of the finalists and their accomplishments, read the full article on AASA’s website. AASA will announce the winner of the 2012 National Superintendent of the Year Award on February 16 at the National Conference on Education in Houston, Texas.

St. Hilda’s School in Australia is embracing the mobile learning trend and saving immense printing and papers costs at the same time.  Their goal is to use 1,000,000 fewer pieces of paper this school year!  The school has just launched the very first Blackboard Mobile™ Central app in K-12.  In addition, St. Hilda’s 750 students are able to access all of their courses on their mobile devices.  Learn more about St. Hilda’s mobile story, and hear first-hand from two students about what they are now able to do on their iPad!

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) hosts one of the largest ed tech conferences in the country. More than 10,000 teachers, librarians, administrators and other education leaders from around the globe are gathering at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, June 26-29 for ISTE 2011 to discover cutting-edge technologies, to exchange best practices with peers, and to determine the best ways to make learning more engaging and accessible for students and educators alike.