Eduardo Padilla

I would not feel too comfortable using social media platforms for class purposes. I would however use TeacherTube or other media such as Remind101. I feel it is important to keep records of all and any communications with students to avoid any conflicts. 

This may seem obvious to everyone, however I was able to realize that teaching online does not simply mean taking what I do in a face to face classroom and placing it online. There is much more to creating an online learning environment. I learned that I must find ways to engage students with the material, with each other, and with the instructor as well as provide opportunities for reflection. 

If I want to become a facilitator, I need to design my course to be self-directed, realistic, and have applications of the concepts being studied.  Students will need to make their own meanings and discoveries. I will need to encourage participation and provide feedback and support.  

I have learned a lot from the courses on synchronous and asynchronous learning. I find it necessary to provide both types of approaches with my students. I teach high school math courses and have seen some of my students struggle with asynchronous learning because they may have issues with procrastination. Some of my students need the structure synchronous learning provides while others need asynchronous learning due to personal needs. I find there is a need to provide for both.

I learned that I need to reflect on my instruction style. I tend to mostly demonstrate but need to shift this to more of a facilitator. 

Being evaluated can be difficult because we are vulnerable. I learned that this process is essential. We need to be open to evaluations to see areas of strenght and weakness. Students are the consumers and their voices are important in shaping the design of the course. I also liked having peers evaluate your course and provide feedback to improve. 

I think the most important idea I took away from this was the importance of self-evaluation. I need to incorporate more self-evaluation methods in my classes.

Scaffolding is essential. Building on prior experiences and understandings will help students grow as learners and will enable students to dive deeper into what they are studying. 

I learned that consistency in design is essential for students to be able to navigate the course materials. Also, I learned that having a place to store documents, clips, course materials can save time because you can use them for different courses or at different times. 

Classroom management is essential in an online learning environment just as in a traditional classroom setting. You need to have clearly defined rules and grading rubrics. Make reference to these throughout your course work. It is important to handle disruptions as professionally as possible. You should always handle these situations in a manner that protects a student's identity and personal integrity.