Karen Mitchell

I was reminded to review my course content and teaching based upon my students grades and performance at the end of the year to see if I  can deliver content better. I know now that to review my courses I can look at more than student performance and getting a peer's objective opinion is a good idea. I do coninually add new material to assignments to provide explaination and example. I am going to make more video content to help flip the classroom and aid students who need to review material at home or after an absense. 

I learned more information about formative and summative assessements and how better to use the formative assessments in my classes.

I intend to use formative evlauations more often and with greater diversity than I have been up to now. 

I have used rubrics in the past but not nearly often enough. Giving clear criteria and guidelines of objectives enables the student to judge for himself the work he is about to turn in and make adjustments prior. I like the peer to peer critiques in an anonymus way or developing personal relationship skills for evaluating other's work. 

I have learned the difference between a syllibus and a dynamic one. I like the questions: what should we stop doing, start doing, and continue doing in my courses. Good student feedback can strengthen my courses and keep them fresh. I also like that for an online learning community to function best students themselves have to establish a sense of belonging, intentionally enter in, and identify a reason or purpose to belong. This development and support of mutual relationships makes the learning community richer and more meaningful. 

I learned to keep consistent throughout my course framework, and to have a common area to save my learning objects for easy retrieval for many different courses as they fit. My organization going into building lessons will help my framework stay consistent and easier for students to navigate. Setting up common visual clues will help students get comfortable with the process, and to stay with what I know best, not to throw in new technology just because I can, before I have tested it's userability and value.  

There was a lot covered in this section. Setting up a good filing system to find the infomation you want when you want it is key. Great information on supporting students, counseling them, prodding them; there is much to being an online instructor. I had not known of the disruptors and intimidators. There is much to keep up with!

I was interested to see the learning style catagories of Bergquist and Phillips. Had not heard of the Avoidant, the Competetive, and the Dependent, but I have seen them everyday. I appreciate the information concerning synchronous and asynchronous dialogues. I would not  have known to keep synchronous chats to few people at a time, but it makes sense. I appreciate the information concerning student support and how to encourage them to be engaged. I also appreciate the knowledge to keep core content by video etc and not by synchronous meeting. Very good to know. Use that for support, answers, and… >>>

I am excited to learn that sharing short biographies is a very effective way to quickly build community. That those students in close proximity are encouraged to meet and discuss the class material. That there are two forums to chat in, one being class material related, the other more general. Very useful in in buidling raport and keeping the sifting of information easier for class management. 

I like the idea of a short biography to use in my face to face teaching.  

This is to introduce myself to what is involved in becoming an online instructor. As I am learning this material during Covid-19 some of it does not apply directly as yet. I see now that much is involved in this type of instruction. I expect to gain many tools to use now and insight to be better prepared for  next year in the classroom and online.