In the past I've been more of a lurker in terms of blogging or participating in discussion boards, but I hope to more active in the future. I think being more active will hopefully improve my retention of the course material, and develop community with fellow participants. By participating and commenting on others blogs, as well as whatever else is posted, I think is a great way for teachers and students to interact. Nothing is more frustrating when you asked to post but no one comments. It almost makes the exercise feel pointless.
DOs and DONT's for Teaching (Online and otherwise)
- DO
- Have clear instructions and expectations
- Participate in class discussions
- Offer positive and constructive feecback
- Remind students of expectations
- DON'T
- Be a talking head, give students the opportunity to learn a little more about you
- Post assignments and readings willy nilly. Be clear at the beginning where everything will be posted
- Expect all learners to come in with the same background. If it is technology related, poll participants first to get a consensus, and if backgrounds are diverse, split up instruction so that people can pick what best fits their needs
- be rigid. Like teaching F2F, things can change and teachers and students need to be flexible.
Things I've learned this week:
- Videos can be effective when they are engaging, like this week's video.
