In this module, I gained a clearer understanding of what effective communication entails and how much of it is truly necessary. I learned that replying too often to discussion posts may not always add value. Sometimes, it is more effective to stay in the background observing, guiding, and acknowledging students who engage in discussions and respond to their classmates. This approach helps create a more meaningful and collaborative learning environment.

Have clear guidelines for the online students so they can participate proactively.

Set expectations and be consistent.

I plan to integrate these tools into my teaching and administrative tasks to improve communication with students and colleagues.

Teaching online is a different challenge as it requires that we keep the attention of students who are not there! Keeping things simple while maintaining focus is the true challenge

As with anyone, it requires a lot of patience and creativity to keep a person's attention. This is why it is so important to convey the love we have for our topic!

Go in early and show that you are interested in not just the class but in the people as well. 

It was so refreshing to see a professor speak on the value on just being you as an educator and not having to be the smartest in the room. You don't have to be the smartest, it's your job to be the one who imparts knowledge! I was also very inspired to see a video of an educator who was excited to be in the room and excited about their topic!