DeAnn Messenger

I feel using active learning is important to the students and the instructors. To improve my teaching skills I definitely need to gain more competence in active learning techniques.

With online learning emails, posts, and other written communication is the best way to assess students levels of understanding and engagement.

The biggest take away for me is the things recommended to motivate participation. Personalizing the environment, encouraging introductions, giving timely feedback, modeling correct writing style with grammar, spelling, and etc., be visible online, and establish clear guidelines. Developing my skills to improve these elements is a good goal.

There are a lot of different ways to communicate online picking the best one for your course that will be functional and allow for consistency is important.

Communication is an important part of any endeavor. A good communication tool is essential for a class.

I can feel myself having those common new instructor fears that they were talking about and I hope to use their advice to get comfortable sooner rather than later.

Managing disruptive students will be an ongoing learning experience for most instructors it seems.  

I like how the material gave not only defined the problem students but gave ways to handle them as to not mess up the class for other students

I have never been an official instructor before so I have learned a lot in these computer classes that intend to use. I intend to get overly prepared including an icebreaker game and a class calendar so everyone knows their class mates and the expectations of the class. 

Keeping good records of communications with students is important as well as knowing where to send them for technical help.