Tom Gianakopoulos

Texting tools (like Remind) speak to the students' familiarity with technology and enhance their empowerment by being able to reach their instructor if they are not at their computer.  It's another tool that helps with the communication process, but is better for short bursts of information.

The 4 R's are a helpful reminder of the steps involved with learning, and to always find angles and approaches where the  learning can be applied to a student's and/or teacher's immediate reality is an excellent reminder to ask (and answer) "WHY doe what we are learning matter, and for WHOM?" 

Also, the opening of dialogue and sharing amongst the cohort has generated the most positive reactions, a democratization of the learning process which helps the students to feel empowered and also flips the classroom by allowing them to participate in the teaching process.

The ability of students to be proactive instead of reactive is not a given, but one that needs to be taught through reminders and repetition. The introduction of a hybrid model where mandatory synchronous attendance is required (in addition to asynchronous interaction with the instructor and their peers) may or may not help with our Quiet or Procrastinating students -- time will tell.

I was surprised at how responsive students were to open questions and how willing they were to share insights into their challenges, victories, and lives in general.

While not wishing to intimidate them with my professional credentials, I see that having "authority" within the class is probably more important than being overly modest.  Hey, their confidence will grow as the course and the comments progress, at least that is the hope.

Mr. G.

Knowing that there is "someone behind the wheel" and able to answer their questions provides a confidence and calm in the student body. Also, being secure that all questions are welcome--we don't know what we don't know, until we do--will help to alleviate student stress and anxiety.