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!
The social butterfly label also struck me in reading Bull's article. I find I do this quite naturally in a physical gathering of people, trying to notice who I could draw in to feeling more welcome, or who I could introduce to each other or who I could catch up with for ten to fifteen minutes on a personal level. It is a bit of a new skill to think of doing this with digital media tools, because the immediacy of bodies in a room presents the time boundaries and the specific people involved to help me feel less overwhelmed by the opportunity. I will need to keep the awareness, in an online teaching role, that I also am, in a different way, in a space for a specific time, with a specific group of people and this is a specific and boundaried opportunity to be a connecter, just like a party can be. The positive mindset, as you mention, is key, saying: This is a special opportunity, I am equipped to do this, I enjoy doing it, and I have made choices that allow me the time and skill to do it well."
ReplyDeleteGood for you that you know you are prepared to teach online courses. I have found that so much of the social and interactive elements of a course depend on 2 things - what's built in to the course upfront, and how the instructor responds. In a F2F course you only have so much time, and you base your interactions on what you can observe during that time. Often students can be there, but they may not participate and may not have any role in the course interaction. In an online course, everyone must participate, and if they don't, it's pretty easy to detect and to follow-up.
ReplyDeleteKendra, I appreciate your thoughts on the OL 101 course so far. I agree that this so far has been the most interactive online course I have ever participate in. One fear that I have is that I tend to be more introverted as a person and I will have to push myself out of my comfort zone to engage the students as their cheerleader and social butterfly. I am confident I can do it, however this is not my natural personality so I know it will take concerted effort.
ReplyDeleteSetting the tone as positive and communicative is definitely one that I will have to be contentious of as I embark on my online course. I also have concerns regarding the group work component. I am hoping that I can keep the rest of the class positive as there may be students that don't want to participate as much as they should to make a positive learning environment.
I, too, appreciated the social butterfly reference. I think its a good example of how as faculty practicing self-awareness is really important in order for us to understand who we are, what we bring to the "online table", and how we might need to adjust in order to foster a thriving learning environment. I am an extrovert, and feel like being a cheerleader is something that comes naturally, and can easily translate online. I think it is important to have written presence frequently, but also A/V presence on a regular basis as well. This is why I like the idea of having at the very least an intro. video in each Module for students to see and hear you. I might even use Voicethread for a quarterly course check-in... an informal course evaluation so-to-speak with 1-2 prompts requiring students to respond and engage with one another, and I too would engage. I suppose even just doing something like this as you might in a f2f at mid-semester would also be sufficient depending on what you had mapped out for the course for online engagement- discussion posts, etc.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the "tour guide" label. I made me realize that being the tour guide means you have to know when to step in, point out certain things, direct a group in a certain direction, but then also know when to step back and let things soak . in. It made me think about how I do those things and when I may have missed the boat with my students, both in the high school setting and adult studies.
ReplyDelete