Week Four Reflection

     Prior to my current role of adjunct teaching with TCC, I worked as an HR Manager for a local manufacturing plant.  One of my favorite responsibilities in that role was facilitating, planning, and conducting training.  I loved the opportunity to get some face time with employees in a more casual setting than on the production floor, and I loved the challenge of finding ways to help employees understand and relate to the information.  I wish I had known then what I know now about teaching strategies, objectives, assessment, and learning activities.  I could have done so much more!

     I am a very interactive teacher.  I sometimes struggle through class sessions where I do a lot of lecture time. I notice that I get tired of hearing my own voice and I start to think that the students are also feeling that way.  So, I strive to build in discussion questions, debate exercises, and other interactive exercises as learning activities.   I feel that the learning activities I have planned help students reach the aligned learning objectives.  I also feel that the assessment tools do actually assess the degree to which students have met the aligned objectives. 

     I still have some work to do over the next day or so to wrap up my course, and I hope to create a course that is a welcoming environment to all students.  There are plenty of unchecked items on the checklist for me, but I know what they are and have a plan to address each item.  I was parenting solo this week as my husband was traveling, and to top off the fun my youngest has contracted something similar to hand-foot-mouth and has only left my hip to sleep.  Thankfully, the other “parental unit” (as we sometimes refer to one another jokingly) has returned home.  Thus, allowing my arms a break to do something other than hold a child.  I should be able to finish up by Wednesday evening. 

     I have greatly enjoyed learning about online tools, strategies for building community and positive online classrooms, and getting to know fellow professors better. 

Week Three Reflection

Module three has been my favorite.  I have immensly enjoyed getting to tinker with all of the tools introduced in this module, and that has been with limited time.  I an very excited about the fun I can have with them later this summer when I have more time. 

I was able to complete all of the multimedia elements except recording a video for my students and linking it to the course in Moodle.  I found that I could complete these tasks fairly easily simply through exploring the tool, but a couple of times had to refer back to the resources provided for additional direction. I haven't uploaded a video because I ran out of time and I spend 95% of my summer make-upless with my hair in a pony tail, and I was hoping to get a shower in today to record (sorry if that's TMI!).  That didn't happen yet, so the recording hasn't either.  :)

I do think that I did enough and explored the tools enough that I could use them again.  I know that I will use Screencast, VoiceThread, and EdPuzzles again.  I am already thinking of ways to include them in my face to face courses.  These tools are excellent and have me wondering what other tools are out there that I don't know of. 

Week Two Reflection

     I love cartoons.  If you took a peak at my online course this week you may have noticed, as I incorporated some into the course.  I came across this cartoon recently, and I found it entertaining.  Of course, it's not correct.  We don't simply download information into our brains in the same way as we install updates into our phones.  Rather, our brains have to put the information to use somehow, whether we discuss, memorize, practice, or work to build on the information.  Online learning isn't as simple as downloading information.  

     I found week two very practical and helpful.  I thought I knew a lot about Moodle and what you could do with the tools.  However, I learned that there is so much more that can be done to help students think through, understand, and absorb information.  It has also been very beneficial for me to see others' Moodle courses and how they are set up.  I found Christy's to be structured in a comforting predictable format.  Cini's is full of resources that I hadn't even thought of providing.  I attempted a quiz in Kyle's course, and I browsed through the concept mapping information in Jessica's course.  In all courses, I gleaned ideas for formatting and use of tools in Moodle.  

     From a personal perspective, it has been a challenge to prioritize time to work on this course this week.  We celebrated friends welcoming twin babies into the world, graduations, birthdays and spent time reconnecting and catching up with family members.  I did most of my work while in the vehicle.  This has me thinking again about the enormous time commitment teaching an online course would require.  

     

Week One Reflection

Week one of OL101 contained a lot of newness for me.  New online tools, new people, and new information.  I have enjoyed learning about teaching an online course and how to use FlilpGrid, VoiceThread, and Blogger.  However, I have also really enjoyed getting to know, and corresponding with, the rest of the class.  To be honest, before this course began, my impression of online courses was that you started with a list of assignments and deadlines, did your work, and maybe reached out to the professor or commented on a discussion once a week.  Yet, this course felt nothing like that.  It was much more social and interactive.  It was, dare I say, fun!

The reading and course work in week one taught me that creating a positive social environment takes constant communication and facilitation on the professor's end, and I also learned that I am ready to teach online (according to the provided assessments).  While reading the "Eight Roles of an Effective Online Teacher" by Bernard Bull, I was surprised to find that he identifies 'tour guide', 'cheerleader', and 'social butterfly' as some of the key roles that an effective online teacher takes on.  It occurred to me that my mindset was more reactive than proactive, meaning that I always try to be very responsive when a student reaches out,but I do not often reach out first.  However, Bull indicates that the professor should be the one starting the conversation and reaching out to the student first.  So, I put this strategy to work with my adult studies students this week.  Although this course is a F2F course, I utilize Moodle for all assignment submissions and am testing out a few online discussion assignments.  This week I contacted each student through Moodle to give them a weekly grade overview.  (Keeping an accurate grade book on Moodle is something that I am hoping to learn how to do better throughout this course.)  I received positive feedback from the students.

The results from my assessments regarding preparedness to teach online were that I am well ready.  I was struck by the idea that it is important for an instructor to have a positive attitude when teaching an online course.  I initially thought, "How does my attitude impact my ability to upload some files and schedule drop boxes?"  Week one sure showed me how.  Week one showed me that my attitude will leak through my communication and impact my ability to be a good tour guide, cheerleader, and social butterfly. I strongly believe in assuming the best of intent of others and I give the benefit of the doubt.  This mindset will benefit me in teaching online as you have to have a very positive mindset.

Week one has been full of new adventures, and I am looking forward to where week two will take me!