Communicate 3.1.2 News

As I have stated several times, good communication is extremely important to having a successful online educational experience.  This means communication on the part of the student and the teacher.  If the teacher isn't effectively communicating upcoming assignments, dates, and expectations then the students will be lost.   Below is an example of what a news page could look like.  The news page is not only a tool for communicating, but also a way to show a little of your personality.  Since your students do not see you face to face every day, it is nice for them to get an idea of what you are like as a person.  This is a very simple example, but there are many more things that could be done with this.  

Communicate 3.1.1 Homepages

Here is a sample homepage of basic information that could be posted about how to contact me, the teacher.  This also gives information about how to find other useful course information.

Communicate 2.1.3 Ongoing Communication

As has been discussed in this section, communication is the key to having a successful online program.  As an online instructor there are many things that you have to keep  in mind, such as the rules that accompany FERPA.  So, while you may have the best intentions for communication, just remember not to violate the FERPA rules.  Obviously, if a student is struggling, then the teacher would need to contact home.  I always begin with an email to just check in, but if I do not get a response, I then make a phone call home.  But I do not give out personal information in the email or the phone call.  I always remind the parent that the grades can be checked in the family portal.  Also, if I am emailing a student about something, I always copy the parent on the email, so they are aware of what is going on.

There are many ways to stay in constant communcation with your students and parents.  One way that I just discovered is Smore.com.  This is a great site that allows you to create fun, easy to read flyers as reminders for your students.  You can easily add in texts and pictures.  Also, as I have stated previously, Remind101 is a great source for easy communication.  Below is the link to a flyer I created for my Analytic Geometry class.

FLYER

Communicate 2.1.2 Communication Guidelines

When working or participating in an online program, communication is absolutely imperative.  Without the appropriate amount of communication students fall behind and parents are left in the dark.  There are a few guidelines that are generally followed when communicating to your students in an online program.

• Welcome Email - In a welcome email it is important to introduce yourself and the online instructor.  Be enthusiastic about the semester, share tips for getting started and more.  Some instructors like to send out a welcome newsletter that gives more specifics about the instructor and the class.  Also, give some information about when you will be calling home to check in and see if they have any questions.

• Personal Notes versus Mass Communication - Everyone wants to be treated as an individual.  My desire is to always send personal notes, but this can become very time consuming when serving a large number of students.  I do try to send out personal notes when a student seems to be struggling in class and needs some tips on things to do to improve.  I also try to send personal notes when a student does something well, like score a high grade on a test.  I use mass communication when I am sending out general class reminders, tips, or general information.  

• School Policies - Some teachers really like to stick to the policy that all email communication be done through the GAVS secure email accounts.  Another important policy to is to always log any type of communication, whether it is personal notes or mass communication.  

• Tools Available for Effective Communication - One popular tool that is used for communication is Smore.  This makes the information more interesting and easier to read.  I also like to use Remin101 in my classes.  This is an instant reminder for the students that they receive on their phone like any other text message.  

Sometimes it is hard to find the right balance in communication.  And it also differs from student to student.  Some students/parents don't want an email unless the student is failing.  While others want an email every other day just to check in on things and how the class is progressing.  

Communicate 2.1.1 Identifying Stakeholders

I do agree with the definitions of the stakeholders involved in an online program.  I think the description of the student was very good in saying that he must be "proactive."  For a student to be successful in an online program he has to have a good bit of self-discipline and drive.  And overall, communication is the key to having a successful online experience.

I think in an ideal situation, each "home school" for students would have a teacher that would keep track of how the students are doing in the online setting and be there to assist, if needed.  But the bottom line is that teachers are already stretched thin as it is.  We can't expect teachers to keep up with students who are taking online classes that are not in their classroom setting.  That is why it is extremely important for students who do get involved in an online program be very proactive and self-driven to complete the tasks at hand.

In addition to the stakeholders mentioned, I would also add the local school board and the state board of education.  These groups deal with the funding for these programs and ensure that they continue to operate as they are supposed to.

Communicate 1.1.2 Laws of Communication

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act was created to protect students from having their personal information put out there for just anyone to know.  As a teacher, we have a lot of rules and guidelines to follow, but this is an extremely important one to adhere to.  I believe that all of our email communication that we use now is great, but we have to be extremely careful as to what we are saying in those emails.  We do not have control over who is actually reading the emails that we are sending to, what we assume to be, the parent's email address.  We never should send an email with any personal information, such as address, phone number, or grades.  These are things that should be discussed over the phone or in a conference with other people present.

As far as copyright laws, you always have to make sure to give credit where credit is due.  If you did not create something, then you cannot take credit for it.  A good place to find free resources are with open sources.  These have less restrictions than copyrighted sources.  More and more open sources are being added everyday, especially for educational purposes.  

Communicate 1.1.1 Definitions of Communication

After watching Sherry Turkle's video about technology and communication, it made me think about communication in a different way.  I have gotten so used to texting and emailing that I haven't thought about how it has changed my ways of communicating.  My first year teaching (10 years ago) a lot of parents had email, but did not check it all of the time.  The best way to contact parents was by calling home.  Well, now that has changed drastically.  Just like all of us, parents of our students check their email on their phones and tablets all of the time.  Personally, I think this is a great thing for teachers.  One reason is because we can thoughtfully put an email together and make sure it makes sense and says everything we want it to say.  Also, if we can a harsh email from a parent we can take out time to put write an appropriate response, instead of making a smart comment right back to them.  Also, with email, we have documentation of what we have said to the parent in case they try to say they didn't know something.

As far as how this has impacted communication with my classroom, I would have to say nothing but positive things.  I receive more student emails each year.  Students will email me when they are absent to get their work or ask questions.  Another one of my favorite new ways of communication is Remind 101.  This is free service where you can create a class and have all of your students register by texting a code to a specific number.  No one receives an actual phone number of anyone.  But once my kids register for my class, I can send reminder messages to them and they receive them as a text message on their phone.  It is a great way to remind students of tests, assignments, or even to bring their textbook to class!  It is very convenient.

Navigate 4.1.1 Trend Impact

We have seen such huge advancements in technology over the last 15 years.  Our kids today cannot imagine walking around without their cell phone at their side (and honestly, I can't either now!).  Most kids will never talk on a land line phone in their home and most will never know what it is like to not have instant access to the internet.  It is amazing at the things that have been done with cell phones and computers in the last decade.  I cannot imagine what will be next.  But I know there will continue to be new developments and trends in technology.  

With all of these new advances, it has opened up so many doors in the education world.  Some students love the online class format, while others still learn best sitting in a classroom with a teacher right there with them.  I think that as we move into the future that we will have more of a mix of these things.  I actually had a student last year who had a severe bone disease and had to miss school 90% of the time.  So I the days that I was teaching a new lesson, they would bring in a laptop and skype with the student so that she could see the instruction.  It was so cool!

I feel like the biggest trend in the coming years will be cell phones.  I think they will have the advantage over tablets because you can use them to make phone calls and text, along with everything else!  We have embraced cell phones and tablets in our school system.  We send our student remind101 text messages to let them know when to bring their textbook to class or to study for a test or any other announcement.  It is a great thing.  The cell phones are so useful and they are fit right in your pocket or bag very easily.  I really do feel like the cell phone is going to have the biggest impact on online education in the near future.  

Navigate 3.2.1 Tools for Deciding on an LMS

When an institution is trying to decide on an LMS to use, one of the first priorities has to be the cost of it.  They have to consider the initial cost of the system and the cost to maintain and run the system.  Another thing to consider is the functionality of the LMS.  Is it easily navigated?  Are things organized in a logical manner?  Can students easily find their assignments and announcements?  I would think these would all be extremely important when deciding on an LMS.

I know that GAVS currently uses D2L.  From everything I have read and heard about D2L, it is a great program and has many positive aspects to offer.  I hope to learn more about it in the coming months.  There are so many LMS options out there.  The list that was attached to the open training page is quite extensive!  While I was completing my master's degree online, I used Blackboard.  I felt like it was pretty easy to use overall.  That has been almost 6 years though, so I am sure there have been many improvements to that system.

Navigate 3.1.4 LMS Reporting

There are four level in which analytic grade reporting assists teachers and administrators.

The first in the student level.  This shows information relating to how many times a student logs in and how long they are spending online working on their assignments.  This is very helpful when the teacher is dealing with a struggling student to see a reason why the student might be having such a hard time.

The next level is the teacher level.  The teacher analytics help compare teacher to teacher and class to class.  If one teachers class is performing better than another in the same class, then the teacher level analytics might help identify an area where the teacher may need some improvement.

The third level is the course level.  This helps identify strength and weaknesses within every course.  Certain weaknesses can be identified and then changed to better fit student needs.  This can be very helpful, especially if you are dealing with a newly added course.

The fourth level is the program level.  This is more for administrators as they can use the program level to access all of the above information and make decisions about what classes should be updated and what teachers should be assigned to which class.

Navigate 3.1.3 Tools within the LMS

The LMS has various tools available for teacher use and student use.  These tools are useful in driving instruction by communication and assessment.  All of these tools play a role in content delivery, but some tools are more useful than others.  And part of that depends on the user.  Some users find different tools to be more useful than others.  Getting to know the software and how to apply it to you class will determine its value to you.

LMS Common Tools:

Email: Asynchronous (non real-time) used as a main source of communication.

Notification System: Alerts about course grade, discussions, reply, drop box feedback, and news announcements.

Discussions:  Initial posts; notification of responses

Instant Messaging:  Pager alerts - communication between the student and the instructor in real-time

Blogs:  Blog tools are provided on some LMS

Calendar:  Calendar tools are used to communicate and remind users.

Assessing Learning:

Drop Box:  Upload Assignments

Discussions:  Interaction between instructor and student; student among each other to further dissect the content's topic

Quizzing/Testing:  Used as a "check point" to measure knowledge acquired

Self-Assessments/Surveys:  Both types may be used to check for understanding; a prelude to the actual evaluation

Integrated Rubrics:  Allows the student to know beforehand what to focus on while working on assignments

Grade Book:  Reflects the student's progress and feedback in the course

Navigate 3.1.2 Creation and Investigation Into Courses

Since I am not currently teaching GAVS and do not have access to Desire 2 Learn, I used the program Haiku Learning to create a CCGPS Analytic Geometry class.  This particular program seemed very user-friendly.  I was able to easily create an account through my Google account.  Once you have created an account it has a nice tutorial that walks you through the steps and shows you the important things you need to be aware of.  It helps you create a class and shows you how to add content.  This was a very easy process, I thought.  You could type in your own content, add links to the web, upload different types of files very easily.  I have taken a snapshot of the course shell that I created in Haiku Learning.  I didn't add very much content yet, but the process doesn't seem like it would be too difficult.  However, I do know that adding content for an entire course would take a good bit of time, especially for a course like the CCGPS Analytic Geometry because there is such a huge amount of material that has to be taught in that course.  Again, this is something that I knew pretty much nothing about, but learned a good bit while working on it.

Navigate 3.1.1 LMS Tool Categories

After reading more about the LMS, I would imagine that the tools that would be most useful to me in math education would be those that helps with communicating to the students.  Email is a great way to communicate.  I currently teach math in a traditional high school classroom and I use email consistently with parents and students.  I know it would also be very useful in teaching GAVS.  I also think the synchronous sessions would be extremely useful in teaching math.  Being able to gets instant feedback from the teacher about how to do problems or use formulas, etc. would be very beneficial.  I also think the news announcements would be helpful to remind students about assignments/quizzes/tests.  I imagine I would also use the feedback in quizzes/tests feature to be able to help point out errors to the student.  It you don't know why you missed a question, it is hard to know what to do to fix it!

Overall, I think consistent communication with the student is essential to the student's success!

Navigate 2.1.2 Recorded Session

Since I am not currently working for GAVS, I have had a lot to learn about recorded sessions.  Fortunately, I have a couple of friends who do work for GAVS and they have allowed me to "sit in" on a couple of their recorded sessions so that I could see what they are like.  From what I could tell, it seems like remembering to push the "record" button is extremely important, since all sessions are supposed to be recorded.  And if you forget to hit record, that could be pretty frustrating because you will have to do it over again.  I really like the idea that students can go back and see the recorded sessions once they have been saved.  This is extremely beneficial for students.  I wish I had something like this is my traditional classroom for when students are absent!  This helps students stay caught up, even if they are not able to be synchronously online when the session is going on.  Also, it is a great benefit for students who are able to attend the synchronous session as it is going on because they get instant feedback from the teacher.  Honestly, I do not see that there are any cons to using one of these systems, such as adobe connect.  And it seems like it is fairly easy to use and learn.

Navigate 2.1.4 Lecture Capture

After watching some of the videos about the possible options for lecture capture, I am very impressed with all of the things that can be done for the online classroom.  I know in some traditional classrooms, teachers use the "flipped classroom" model where they record their voice and writings from the smart board. Then they post a link on their website to the video.  And the students watch that as their homework and then they do the practice/work in class so that they are able to receive assistance from the teacher.  But being able to capture yourself doing the actual lesson is such a great thing.  To me, this makes the online classroom an even more useful component of education.  This would be especially useful in a math classroom because the student could see the teacher work out problems and could even play them back if they needed to see them again.  I hope to be able to incorporate this tool in my classroom in the future.

Navigate 2.1.3 Commercial versus Open Virtual Classrooms

From what I have read about commercial sources and open sources, it seems like there are advantages and disadvantages to both.  Personally, I would probably prefer a commercial source.  I know there is a cost associated with it, but they tend to have more support and have an IT person that is overseeing things to make sure they are running smoothly.  Also, they seem to be a bit more user friendly.  An open source would probably be useful in some situations but I just don't know that I would trust an open source as much as I would trust a commercial source.  Also, open sources don't seem to support a large group of students at one time as easily as a commercial source does.  Commercial sources also tend to have more options to share things, as in a traditional classroom.  But it all depends on the budget and cost limitations of the program.  Open sources can be very useful and some people think free is more worth the cost of a commercial source.  Open sources can be very useful also because everyone has access to them outside of the classroom.  It is all about preference!

Navigate 2.1.1 Delivery Methods and the Synchronous Vendor Market

There are many synchronized platforms that are available on today's market for online education.  Among those are Adobe Connect, Blackboard Collaborate, Google+ Hangouts, Cisco WebEx, and Big Blue Button.  I am familiar with most of these but have not used them all.  I am aware that GA Virtual School uses Adobe Connect and from what I have seen, it is a great tool.  It seems like it is dependable and pretty user friendly.  I used Blackboard when I was doing my master's degree online.  I am sure it has improved significantly in the last few years, but when I was using it, at the time, it was pretty easy as well.  When looking at the different options, you also need to be aware of the possible costs.  Some are free with stipulations (Cisco WebEx) and some come with a fee that is paid by the educational institution (Adobe Connect).  There are also some that you can get a 30 day free trial (Blackboard Collaborate) and others are free but tend to be a bit slower (Google+ Hangouts).  There are many options for various Synchronous delivery methods.  Here is a link to many of those vendors: Web Conferencing

Navigate 1.3.1 Discussing the LMS and the CMS

While reading Justin Ferriman's article on the difference between a CMS and LMS, I learned a lot similarities and differences between a Course Management System (CMS) and a Learning Management System (LMS).  Both of these things are quite similar but according to Mr. Ferriman, a CMS is a more narrow scope.  It focuses  on the management and distribution of eLearning and instructor led courses.  He said that a CMS is often the main function of an LMS.  An LMS encompasses course management but is more "robust" because it often "implies a subset of learning standards for reporting purposes and lately has started to include learning that takes place outside of a computing environment."

Here are some features of each:

LMS:

• Registration
• Track Participation (classroom attendance, sign-ons, and sign-offs of online course)
• Track Completions (including final scores or grades)
• Testing
• Follow-Up Discussions with Participants
• Aggregated Reports, such as the number of people registered for particular courses
• Course Catalog
• Skilles Management

CMS: 

• Place course materials online. Most CMSs provide pre-programmed buttons for the course syllabus, course schedule and course materials linked to specific lessons, such as copies of readings and PowerPoint slides from lectures.
• Track student progress through assessment features, which enable instructors to give quizzes and tests online, and an online grade book, where instructors can post student grades.
• Discussion board, where instructors and students can discuss readings and continue class discussions between formal class sessions.
• Other communications tools, which let instructors send announcements to classes and communicate individually with students.
• Course statistics, which provide information on the use of the course site, including who used the course site and when.

http://www.learnport.org/AboutUs/Features/LMSCMS/tabid/324/Default.aspx

Navigate 1.2.1 Describe Roles and Functions in Online Learning Environments

In order for any establishment to tun smoothly, it is important that roles and responsibilities be clearly defined.  An online virtual learning community is no different.

Teacher - The role of the teacher is to welcome the student and help with transitioning to a new learning environment.  Also to provide feedback to the student as he/she progresses through the course.  The teacher is also responsible for making the the content is accessible and communicating with students and parents.  And obviously, the teacher has to grade assessments.

Facilitator - The facilitator is a person at the student's school is approves that the student can take the course.  The facilitator also provides local support and retrieves the student's final grade so that it can go on their transcript.

Parent - The role of the parent is to check student progress though the parent account.  The parent also may have to provide accountability, if necessary.  The parent will also need to communicate with the instructor, if necessary.

Administrator - The role of the administrator is to monitor the learning environment, make decisions regarding extenuating circumstances, communicate with facilitators, and provide professional development.

Student - The student is responsible for registering for the course and learning the system and online expectations.  The student must also follow the course schedule and complete assignments.  As well as communicate with the instructor on a regular basis.

Navigate 1.1.1 Delineating Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Content

When it comes to the different types of delivery methods for teaching, I, personally, I used to a traditional classroom of synchronous learning.  I currently teach high school math in a public high school.  But I am hoping to have the opportunity to begin teaching some math classes through the virtual school program.  I was unfamiliar with the synchronous and asynchronous learning until reading through some of the provided resources.  I think that some students would be better suited for a more asynchronous type environment, especially if the student likes to work along and is very self-driven.  But there are some instances where synchronous virtual learning would be very beneficial.  It is always helpful to hear what others have to say and get others' opinions on the topics.  As a math teacher, I would think I would have a lot of students that would probably show up for my synchronous sessions because it always helps student to see someone else work out problems or show a different way to work a problem out.  I believe that we will always need some level of synchronous learning, but I think that a lot of students would still benefit from having more asynchronous learning.  I feel like with asynchronous learning, it puts most of the responsibility on the student to learn and complete what needs to be done.  We need more students that are self-sufficient and self-driven.

I found the picture below that I feel gives a good description of synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Participate 4.1.3 Digital Health

Our lives are constantly filled with rings, dings, alarms, reminders, etc.  We have so much stimuli and constant access to social media, news, Internet, and the world in general that we need to make sure we block out specific times to unplug from all of those things.  I teach high school math all day.  When I am not up teaching in front of the room or helping students, I am working on checking emails, developing lessons, and entering grades.  I feel like I spend so much time in front of my computer!  But between all of my time as a teacher and having a 2 year old at home, I have to make a special effort to schedule in some time for me to take care of myself and also time to make sure we are having as a family.  I have inserted my outlook calendar here.  It shows my gym time on Saturday mornings and basketball games every other week.  We also try to dedicate Sunday to being family day!  Those days are especially fun when we have pretty weather and are able to enjoy the outdoors!

It is extremely important that we teach our students and children of our own how to take a break from technology and to be ok without it!  I have high school students that think they are completely lost if they don't have their phone for one class period!  All of our technology if great and allows us to do a lot of wonderful things, but we have to make sure we use it in moderation.

Participate 4.1.2 Digital Safety and Security

With all of the advances that we have in technology these days, you would think all of our personal information would be safer than ever because you have so many ways to monitor them.  But, in fact, it is quite the opposite.  With so many advanced in technology and everything continuing to grow and develop, we are at a greater risk all of the time for being taken advantage of.  As an adult, it is hard enough to keep up with everything I do online and keep all of my information safe and private.  But it is just as important for us to teach our students the importance of internet safety and security.  Our students need to know that everything they do digitally leaves a "footprint."  Most students are not aware of what this is or how this is true.  The attached video is a nice 2 minute explanation that students would really get a lot from.

In addition to making our students aware of the importance of digital safety and security, we also need to do what we can to help parents be aware of these things as well.  This is a great article for parents to read about helping their children stay digitally safe.  Help Your Kids Stay Safe and Secure in a 24/7 Digital Age

Participate 4.1.1 - Supporting Digital Rights & Responsibilities

As students become involved in a digital learning community, it is imperative that they learn the right and wrong ways to handle themselves.  Each DLC needs its own Acceptable Use Policy that has been reviewed by a lawyer and will be will be enforced by the community.  The AUP needs to be read thoroughly and signed by the students involved in the DLC and by the parents of students under the age of 18.  A good example of an acceptable use policy is what Cherokee county has in place for their students.  A copy of it is linked here.  The main thing that has to be kept in mind is that what some people assume to be ok and acceptable is not that way with everyone. We think that everyone understands how to handle themselves and appropriately use the Internet and its resources, but that is not the case.  The rules need to be clearly laid out for the staff, students, and parents.

Participate 3.1.2 Digital Resources and Netiquette

When working on a digital learning community or any social network site in general it is important to keep in mind the following list of dos and don'ts about Netiquette.

DOS: 

• ·         Be respectful when communicating with others.
• ·         Use correct grammar and check spelling.
• ·         Write clearly and concisely.
• ·         Respect other people's opinions, beliefs, and ideologies.
• ·         Proofread before you send or post on the internet.
• ·         Be on time to meetings.
• ·         Always adhere to using the "Golden rule".
• ·         Research information before posting.
• ·         Be Open Minded

DON'TS: 

• ·         Write in all CAPITALS!
• ·         Never say anything that you wouldn't say to someone directly..
• ·         Use sarcasm.
• ·         Copy information directly off the internet without providing a citation and reference.
• ·         Use other people's work or projects and claim them as your own.
• ·         Curse or use inappropriate language.

 I also thought the picture below was full of friendly reminders when working online in any situation.

Participate 3.1.1 Access to the Digital Community

When considering different levels of access that people have to digital resources, it is hard to imagine anything other than what i am familiar with.  I would think that almost everyone has access to wireless internet all of the time, a couple of computers at their disposal, a smart phone, and possibly even a tablet.  I am very wrong in thinking this way, but it hard to imagine something that you are not exposed to.  In the school system where I work I see evidence of how wrong my thinking is daily.  We have a "bring your learning device (BYLD)" system set up in our school system.  You would think that every kid would have a smart phone or a tablet, but they don't.  While I do see a lot of them in the classrooms and halls, I see a lot of students with no phone or an older style phone.  I also receive notes quite often from parents stating that their student doesn't have access to the internet and they will need to use a computer at school to complete assignments.

I feel like one of the biggest barriers that we must overcome to help everyone access digital resources is financial burden.  From having out of date computers to not being able to afford the fastest internet or even afford internet at all.  To me, this is the biggest hurdle that must be overcome for most that are interested in access digital resources.

In order to overcome this barrier we have to work together in the state and local school districts to help students have the tools and access to the resources that they need.  I know some schools will check out laptops to students so that they can work on assignments out of school.  If they don't have internet access they can go to a local coffee shop of business where free wi-fi is available.  Also, libraries are a good place to be able to access computers and the internet.

Participate 2.1.1 Collecting Reputable Digital Resources

As an educator it is very important that we keep up with the latest trends in technology and help our students learn to use and take advantage of these tools.  But there are so many resources that are out there, it can be hard to know what is best and what can be trusted.  In reading and working on my web walkabout, I found that sites with suffixes such as .gov, .org, and .edu would be the most likely to be trustworthy and helpful.

The first site that I found to be useful is Symbaloo.  This is a bookmarking site that allows you to bookmark anything from educational resources to social media to news websites.  It is visually appealing and is organized very nicely.  As a teacher, I have so many different sites that I need to have quick access to that I feel like this would be a great way to organize all of them.

The second site that I found to be very useful is Illuminations.  As a math teacher, I find that I have students and parents that are always wanting to know of places where they can find additional help.  This site is very well-organized and topics can easily be searched to find what you are looking for.  It has a lot of lessons and nice interactive tools.  I have actually used this site in my classroom to show how to make constructions using a compass.  It gives my students a great picture of how a compass should be used and even lists the steps for making the constructions!

The third site that I found is Braingenie.  I have never had any experience with Braingenie but from what i found on the site it seems to be very helpful in the areas of math and science.  This site has the math content organized very nicely.  It allows you to quiz yourself on almost any math topic.  These types of sites are great when it comes to studying and preparing for standardized tests and even the SAT or ACT.  I plan on linking this site to my website that is open to my students.

It is important that as we are using these resources and many others, and encouraging out students to do so, that we also teach them how to be aware of harmful sites and non-trustworthy sites.  Using the site Stop Badware is a great place to go and check sites to make sure they are safe.  I had never heard of this site either, but after learning about it and reading through it I found it to be very helpful!  Also, most education websites allow free membership, whereas sites that could be harmful want to try and charge money and fool you into giving out personal information.  These are a couple of things to be on the lookout for when searching for good, trustworthy education sites.