Katie Penwell-Purdin

I like the idea mentioned of keeping a history of what was changed to the previous classes and also keeping older versions of all classes so if there is something that went well from a previous class it can quickly be adjusted to suit the needs of the current class.  I will be sure to remember this when I teach an online class. 

I like the idea of providing weekly, private updates on each student in regards to grades.  The guideline that a student shouldn't go 7 days without this information makes sense.  I will use this guideline to be sure my class understands exactly where they are and what they can improve on.  

I love the idea of establishing "office hours" as mentioned in this reading.  Telling students when I will/will not be answering emails and sticking to that time frame will help to keep a balance of work/home life.  The key is to say what you mean, and mean what you say, then stick to it.  

I liked the suggestion of asking online instructors who have already taught a similar class for ideas/guidance so as not to waste time with trial/error situations that could be avoided entirely.  I also liked the idea of the automatic responses emails to help cut down on typing out the same message over and over, such as to let students know you have received their assignment.  I will use these suggestions to help manage my time if I teach an online course in the future.    

Throughout this course it has mentioned time management.  I personally like the idea of having a weekly reminder of what is due next week or what is coming up soon (tests/projects) to ensure there are no surprises and everyone can manage their time to get it all completed.  

There were several different examples of online tools to use to help show tutorials of how the equipment works, such as Blackboard Collaborate, Captivate, Adobe Connect, etc.  It would be nice to have a student who is knowledgeable about these tools show the class how they work, maybe a previous student who already took the class.  Sometimes students can explain things better to students than the teachers can, and I believe this can only benefit student understanding.  As long as students understand how the tools work before the class begins, that works for me.  

I agreed with the course when it stated that effective communication should be clear, professional, and appropriate.  People want to be spoken to respectfully and know that their opinion is valued.  With this in mind, I will be sure to model the kind of language I want to be shared in my courses by being sure to speak/write at all times in a clear, professional, appropriate manner.  When appropriate speech/behavior is consistently modeled, it will be returned.  

I liked this quote from the reading: "A student may come to class with a certain degree of motivation, but the instructor's behavior, teaching style, structure of the course, nature of the assignments, and informal interactions with students all have effect on student motivation."  I agree with this and will implement this throughout any online courses I teach.  

I found it interesting that this module mentioned "Be willing to contact students dominating" the online discussion.  It makes perfect sense to contact those students not participating, but it also makes sense to contact students who are posting so much that others probably feel they don't have to post.  I found this interesting and will keep this in mind in an online discussion board.  

I found it helpful when told to suggest discussion boards (questions about course content, assignments, and projects) and when to suggest private email (questions about grades or personal issues).  I will stick to this when teaching an online class.