Steven Novell

With online learning there will be a plethera of communication and information going back and forth between myself and my students.  A major key to my helping students succeed and stay engaged in their courses is to keep information well organized. This will assist in making prompt and appropriate responses as well as being aware of any ongoing issues. While there are different types of learners in a an online course, it is important to be mindful of the varying needs of the students and as a faculty member utilize the instutional guidelines to administer policies and resolutions.

Unexpectantly, I have learned that using emoticons and other cutesy things such as "lol" are a good way to engage the students. I agree that using proper syntax and proofreading are important in conveying competence to the students.

I should post a bio with my credentials so as to inspire confidence in the students. For the first assignment, I will also have the students post a bio as well. By all of us posting bios, a level of trust may better develop.

It is important to understand the tasks within my role as an instructor within the online role to inspire confidence from the students. By having them interact with the lessons there is a better chance for success and a higher rate of student retention.

There are a lot of styles of presenting information. There isn't one set way to successfully reach all of the students. Be prepared to produce information in a myriad of ways in order to optimize the students' success. Be prepared before you give lectures or do demonstrations. As a Clininical instructor and working in the lab, I will make sure that I have done a run through of what I am going to teach instead of just going off the cuff.

Many of the students will have already made connections with each other and I will be the stranger in the group. It is important on the first day of the class that I break the ice in a professional yet caring manner that lets the students know that I am invested in their success. In addition, with each first day, the students will be nervous and putting things like the class number on the board and doing roll call will help to get the day started on the right foot.

Staying organized will not only help make sure the students recieve all the information they need, but, it will also give me a structure to maintain confidence in presenting the material. It is important to be prepared and not do lesson plans on the fly, but rather, know my material and have clear objectives in getting that material accross to the target audience.

Having a teaching style that is effective is helpful but it takes competencies along with style to be able to truly benefit your students. utilizing the "five Cs" and being a model, manager, and motivator will help me in the role I am undertaking.