Week 2 Post: Reflections
My beginner’s questionnaire score was 13, which I think is on target for me. As a student or participant in a class or workshop I always respond better when an instructor use a number of approaches to convey information. I like a balanced approach in face-to-face classes, designed to address students learning type; visual, auditory and/or kinesthetic.
My goal for this course is to develop an understanding of how to transform a face-to-face class into an online course, I do need a good bit of help and agree with the reading that developing an online course can enhance your pedagogy with face-to-face environments.
I liked Ty Nevith’s comment that he provides a potluck of content delivery methods: group discussions, debates, presentations, expert commentary video or text passages, lecturing to pull it altogether.
I have Ideas; I like the fact that we have access to masses amount of critical information and content virtually at our fingertips and teaching in a purely digital environment can give a professor so much flexibility when responding to the need of their students.
I’m one of those techies; yes I know we don’t make the best instructors online nor on the ground, but I do believe mastery of tools that help you manage information and access to information, and being able to use tools to deliver content concise, coherent and some times on the fly as an extension of your mental knowledge base can enhance the classroom experience online or face-to-face.
Everyone in POT appear to agree with “Ko and Rossen” that the technology is secondary just a tool, I like to think a skilled tools-man can transform and the tool becomes an extension of their thoughts, emotions and teaching methods. I know most universities don’t have the means to train faculty, but with the availability of open source opportunity like this one you can get plug-in and turned-on.
Where the Hell Do I Start? … This class is the right start for me; the chart is a great road-map. Teaching Online: A Practical Guide; I found chapter 1 reading very insightful, useful and a very helpful overview.
Beginnings 
True! The technology is not more than the human behind them. Have you had any online classes?
This is my first online academic class experience, I have done a number industry related online class. This experience is twofold for me; where I need the online academic class experience and the professional development for online teaching.
I was also a “13” when I took the Questionnaire. For my own classroom, there’s a balance between lecturing and practice/student-based instruction. My students need information to be able to use it. I teach French and with languages, it can be tricky to know how much lecture to give students–who clearly need lots and lots of practice. Some of my students learn more from my lesson (lecture/PPT/projector…) and others learn more from practicing the information with students.
I’m so intrigued with our Potcert class, are you teaching a face to face class? Your week 2 post was very insightful.
I find the “potluck” metaphor interesting because, of course, at a pot luck the guests bring the food! That’s a good way to move toward a more student-centered model…
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I think knowledge of technology is an important component of figuring out how to design and do a course. Some of your comment makes me think of the tpack model, in which an instructor’s knolwedge of cotent, pedagogy, and technology are interrelated and give rise to a new form of knowledge. Guess I’m saying being a techie could really come in handy; I know I’ve had several good partnerships with tech folks when designing and teaching an online course (which I think may mean I outsourced that part of the model, but I guess at least it was represented!).
I’m not sure I would say that the tools are secondary. That would be like saying a chalk or white board is secondary to a lecture. The tools are how we convey the information. I agree 100% though with Ty Nevith’s idea that we must provide a variety of ways for the students to reach their learning goals. One path does not fit everyone, so we need to provide multiple paths. This is one of the hardest things for an instructor to do, as it means giving up control. It is also hard for students who are use to a ‘one path fits all’ pedagogy that they have been subjected to for most of their lives. They don’t initially like the idea that one person can get points/grades in a way different than others (we’ve been taught it is not fair).
Also, don’t cut yourself short. I’ve known techies who are great instructors, and people who are instructors who are really bad. Like anything, it is a skill that you can use.
As for face-to-face, I enjoy my hybrid online/F2F courses. There is something about personal interaction that really enhances the learning experience.
“The tools are how we convey the information” Yes I agree, everything man has devised is a tool, like chalkboards; lecturing is a tool and some of us are more skilled at it. I beginning to think that all face-face courses should be hybrid online, and you hybrid online/F2F experience is supporting my thinking.
Thanks,
Felton
The tools are how we convey the information” Yes I agree, everything man has devised is a tool, like chalkboards; lecturing is a tool and some of us are more skilled at it. I beginning to think that all face-face courses should be hybrid online, and you hybrid online/F2F experience is supporting my thinking.
Thanks,
Felton