Here we are at the end of the Introduction to Online Teaching course and when I do a personal inventory I see I've learned how to create a blog, navigate around GSU's Web CT, participate in a Wimba classroom on the Internet, create a Wiki web page, and develop a rudimentary e-portfolio. And that's just the technical stuff.
Working with a group on the annotated bibliography was among the most interesting lessons during the second half of the class. Not only did I enjoy researching sites for teaching online in my field but I really liked working with my group. We are all in different fields and seeing their suggested sites and ideas was fun. As a writer I'm not often required to work collaboratively with others and it has been a good experience in this class.
And dare I admit this? I actually enjoyed learning how to use the Wiki Wetpaint although it was frustrating at first.For some reason, I could not write or edit on our page but once I stepped away and approached it with a cooler head the next day all was revealed. Throughout the course I had issues like that and finally learned to take a deep breath and close the computer when the furies raged. Inevitably, when I went back to the computer later I was usually able to solve the problem myself. Our professor, Jan Engle, once replied to a discussion post that problems with technology are common and rarely permanent and I found that to be true.
The less flashy, but perhaps more important, lessons I've learned involve teaching. As an adjunct media communications instructor with a very busy full-time career, I admit to sometimes relying on my tried and true curriculum to teach my courses. My student reviews are excellent (yes, we do read them!) and I know my students are learning a lot about news writing and reporting, but taking this online class has made me think about revamping my traditional classes with more active projects and an online component.
Since this was my first online course as well as my first education class I really appreciated the lessons on learning and teaching styles. Although we all know that teachers teach differently and students don't all learn the same way, seeing it in black-and-white helped me as a teacher and a student. Turns out I have the "expert" persona at the moment but would like to work toward a more facilitator role and incorporate more lessons for active learners.
The one challenge that concerns me is addressing the various learning styles both in the traditional and online classes. The curmudgeon in me wonders why teachers have to do the changing. Why aren't students required to adjust to the teacher's style?Are we coddling students too much these days? After all, in the professional environment you don't ask your boss to change to meet your demands. Or do you? Today's workplaces are not as vertically oriented as they used to be. Employees are empowered to suggest and implement changes that benefit customers and employees. Why shouldn't it be the same in education? It is a challenge to try and address the needs of 20 or more students with different skill levels and learning styles and abilities. But it is what we do as teachers. If they aren't learning and enjoying the course then I have failed at my job as an educator. That means I have to address their needs, not just my own.
In a way, I think the online course puts a greater onus on the student. In a traditional student a teacher can spot a struggling student or reiterate a point immediately. Online, the student has to be diligent about keeping up with the required work and reaching out to professors for assistance when needed. Keeping up with the work is paramount because each lesson is carefully structured to build upon the last. And despite impressions that online courses are easy, the workload is often greater for both teacher and student.
But there are myriad resources out there to help new online teachers develop their classes. Many were included in the course (I especially appreciated the Seven Principles and the 17 elements checklist) and many more were found as I looked for resources on on-line teaching of journalism and political science. Interestingly, there are many sites for online journalism teachers but few to assist those teaching political science online - a need that should be addressed since there are plenty of sites touting online political science degrees.
My own struggles with the intro class involved comfort with technology and time management. It was good for me to struggle with these issues since it gives me an accurate perspective of what it's like to be an online student. Although the Internet has made my business possible and opened up research in a way that still amazes me, I am not at ease with the computer. The least little glitch sends me into a panic. And I experienced several glitches during the course. Glitches that I worked out for myself thus increasing my own comfort level with the technology (constructivism at work!). Time management is an even bigger issue for me. With two jobs - one with no set schedule that has me at the beck and call of editors 24/7 - setting aside time for specific tasks is a challenge. But it must be done if I am to succeed in the certificate program and move on to teaching time-intensive online courses. And that is yet another lesson learned.
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