Student's and Instructor Bio
Providing an opportunity for students to place a small bio, an e-learning community could begin to be established. I also believe in providing a well organized instructor bio, this will allow the student to see that you are a normal persona and may even have a few things in common.
Jamiel, I totally agree with this concept. Getting to know the instructor can bring a calming element to the student and allow this to focus on learning. I think it is important for the student to respect the instructor while understanding that we are people too and have travelled the same path in many cases. It certainly serves as an ice breaker, opening the door to communication and class interaction.
I agree. I always ask my students to provide a short bio. I have my bio posted as an example for the class to follow.
I try to keep my hobbies and personal interests to a minimum in the bio. I focus primarily on my educational and professional backgrounds. This way the students know that I'm qualified to teach the course, and that I have something to teach them.
It's also important to maintain a leadership role in the classroom. If it's your first time teaching a course, don't tell the students that. Prepare well and have it seem like you've been doing the course for years.
The instructor bio is a great way for students to identify with the instructor. Thanks for yoru comments.
I definitely agree with everyone that an instructor bio is a great way to establish a presence and confirm expertise for online instructors. In the online environment, it can be difficult to create the student-instructor relationship that helps facilitate learning. I provide not only my career and education credentials in my bio, I also discuss my family and hobbies. I feel that this allows my students to get to know me and feel more comfortable reaching out to me when they need help.
Yes this is a great tool. However, don't forget to update it as needed. I've been teaching for over five years and I still review my bio before the start of every class.
You are right, telling students that you have never taught this class before can be the kiss of death--regardless of the modality! Thanks for your comments James.
I agree that it is nice to include some personal information so that students can see you more as a person and not just a teacher.
I review mine every quarter as well and make some changes. It is important to stay fresh with your bio. Thanks for the tip!
Hello Everyone,
I also use both methods I feel writing a bio and requesting that learners post a bio lets everyone know we are all in similar situations and makes us all seem a bit more human. This is a method of establishing a learning community and connecting learners with classmates they may run into in future online courses.
You provided some great reasons to use the student and instructor biography. Thanks for your comments Michelle.
I agree it is important to post a biography. I post my bio along with a power point slide show of my family and my credentials with a voice over so my students are able to hear me as well as see me. I feel this is important to connect with your students so they do not feel isolated, that they know there is a real person behind the course. I review my bio and change my power point each quarter, in order to be current, and because I have repeat students who take more than one of my courses!
Very nice Linnie! Thanks for sharing it with the group!
I make sure I update my bio each term. I find the student introductions to be very helpful as well. Many students find that there are other students they know in their online class.
I think it is very important for students to see their instructor as a real person, not just as text on a screen.
I agree with you Jo Ann. Certainly sharing some personal information about yourself as the teacher can help students find similarities, which many times makes them feel more comfortable with you.
I agree that student and instructor bio's are a great way to get to know eachother. Although I do feel that since we have a blended learning course and that the students only take some of their classes on line, that we need to keep instructor bios to professional credentials and work experience in order to maintain a professional student/instructor relationship. Due to the nature of this type of career schooling it may be very easy to cross the student/instructor line if too much instructor personal information is given. Some of our students are even the same ages as the instructor so we need to be carefule. We have to maintain a professional relationship with the students.
I would agree with the "too much information" however, I would disagree with sharing of some personal information--in either the residential or blended or online modality. For example, I always share with my students that I am a mother of 13 year old triplets, that I have two dogs named Ely and Kiwi and that we enjoy spending time as a family at the cabin. This lets the students learn a little about me as a person and maybe I will seem a little more approachable to my students.
I have a bio that includes recent pictures of my adventures (white water rafting, ziplining, kayaking), a description of my educational/personal path which often shows them that despite their struggles, it is possible to work, have a family (even a single parent one), and go to school. Mine focuses on my professional experiences and growth but does so in a way that also illustrates the struggles that it took to get there and those that still remain as I juggle 3 careers.
My students often comment "if you can do all this while having .... going on, I can make it too." I don't have difficulty with the issue of respect despite letting them see the human side of me.
I agree, I have also found that starting the class with an introductory bio discussion forum, helps me to pair students with similar interests into study groups and with similar schedules in groups for projects.
