Nancy Tosh

The focus on the diversity of ways to learn fits well with the dynamic and diverse tools available in the online classroom. I love the move away from lecture and notetaking. Long lectures were hellish for me as a student and bored me as an instructor. Even when teaching before the advent of online learning, I tried to mix it up -- using lecture, discussion, group work, student presentations, film, and fieldtrips as various ways to approach course content.

Nancy Tosh

My favorite part was the last section on transformative learning and how the wider variety of ways for students to engage with the instructor, with one another, with themselves, and with the material in an online classroom was fascinating. As an instructor, I find online discussions far more interesting and dynamic because, as the unit commented, often the quiet students in the class will be "vocal" online.

Nancy Tosh

There are a variety of tools for evaluating a course and courses need to be continually evaluated, updated, and changed. A stagnate course, even if it started out okay, quickly becomes stale and outdated. Student evaluations are important, but they are only one source of data.

Nancy Tosh

I really liked the idea of self-assessment and the reflective question asking students what they changed after completing their self-assessment. It's standard to suggest that students edit their work and read it carefully for errors before turning it in; however, I think the self-assessment and having them grade their paper according to the rubric would add a great deal of value to a final edit.

Nancy Tosh

The concept of scaffolding was interesting, especially as it was put forth as something students do. Initially, I had connected it to the framework of course design, but I like this view of students building their own house of knowledge.

Nancy Tosh

In this unit I learned that consistency and symmetry is needed in online courses. I know as a teacher, I appreciate this. Courses with heavy and light weeks make grading harder. 

The learning objects repository makes sense and it's something I've done throughout my academic career. 

Nancy Tosh

Learning about the various types of "problem" students was interesting. I just dealt with an intimidator and I was pleased to see that what I did was what was advised here. Of all the types, I think the quiet student is the easiest to deal with because you just need to create an encouraging, warm space for them.

Nancy Tosh

I am glad that emoticons were mentioned. I once worked for a school where they forbade their use for a while. Communicating tone, enthusiasm, and encouragement were extremely difficult without smiling faces and humor went over a lot better with a little winking face. I was glad when the school reconsidered their policy.

Nancy Tosh

I learned that providing your qualifications and professional experience and academic credentials is part of the way that you can connect with students. We tend to think of sharing more personal, non-career oriented details as the way to establish connection and they have their place, but it is important to be professional in the classroom and let the students know that you are qualified to be their instructor.

Nancy Tosh

I found the fact that different schools use different items out of these lists of things you can do in an online course important to learn. It can be frustrating if you are an adjunct and teach at different schools. One thing I liked that this course did is emphasize that different teachers teach the same course in different ways. Canned courses like the freedom and creativity of creating your own course from the ground up – but that creativity is still a part of how you teach.

Nancy Tosh