I have taught online for a community college and now as a secondary teacher. I always include a short video introduction about myself. In the past, I have asked students to complete a presentation about themselves that I put together as one big presentation for the class. Now with the ease of using your computer or phone, I think I will modify that assignment to be a brief video introduction suitable for everyone in the course to view.
I learnt strategies for:
- Projecting and maintaining your presence from a distance.
- Projecting and maintaining your authority from a distance.
- Establishing a relationship with each learner.
It is important to have students know who I am as their teacher. This can be done short brief but effective.
Elgie U. Apacible
In this module regarding projecting your online presence, along with the other strategies are truly essential, especially the introduction of yourself, your education, experiences, achievements to your students and their biographical feedback to you and to their other online classmates, will truly help them feel more comfortable to me as an instructor, as well as to their fellow students and will create an atmosphere of acquaintance, confidence, trust and will create a higher level of online learning. Effective Communication is key and timely feedback mechanism is of essence and will guarantee success in this online endeavor.
An online presence needs to be human as well. When a student knows about you as a person, they view you as more than just a talking head on the screen that can be ignored.
its important to create a sense of community on line by getting to know one another through our experience and interests. its still possible to share bonds with classmates/ instructors even in an on line setting. we are bonded by our shared interests.
II especially like the effective ways of projecting your presence and e-learning environment. In particular the initiation and leading of synchronous discussions and overseeing those discussions. Additionally the overseeing of team projects.
This section reaffirmed the need to project your professionalism and passion even though you are not physically present. Even within the online platform, you must connect with your students on a personal level.
What I found especially useful and helpful is the instructions on posting a short biography. I think it is a good idea to highlight one's interests and background so that students can identify with my goals and training as an educator. Teaching is a human endeavor. It's good to make your process as an instructor accessible.
While I already do some of these strategies in person (non e-learning environments) such as asking students to share a short bio about themselves and their expectations of me, I never considered in an e-learning environment to include a head/shoulder picture of myself or transcripts for audio and/or video clips. I also love the idea of connecting students in close vicinity to one another as an additional support system for themselves.
What are some ways that you have been tracking students with special needs and how have you been serving them to learn the material?
I find maintaining a relationship with each student in a small way will earn you trust and far as credentials. I stand on firm ground on my projecting My past to make them feel confident in me.
The whole idea of creating and maintaining an effective online learing environment where the student has a higher sense of comfort, support and security comes from establishing and maintaining effective communications up front and then maintaining those communications in a consistent, high quality manner that inspires student confidence and trust in the instructor and helps to build effective two-way communications between the student(s) and the instructor.
The module advised of best practice for sharing and getting self profiles, for effective interaction in the educational arena. The information will allow me to interact on a personable basis with my students.
It's just as important as traditional learning and online learning to influence, persuade, inspire and energize your students. Projecting your presence wiht help the students feel more comfortable.
It is important to put your personality/presence into the course and to make sure to allow space for students to do so as well. Since it is harder to do this in an online environment, space will have to be made for it.
Treat the students like they are in a physical classroom with you, one where you meet everyday. Establish a relationship with them. Get to know them and what they are like outside of class. Do not treat them like just an on-line identity. This will establish not only trust, but an enthusiams for the course.
I learned about the importance of using biographies in e-learning environments. I plan to use the teacher biography as described as a model for students to follow. Secondly, I would use the student biographies as a firt day assignment. I also believe that including biographies in the form of videos could be an excellent multimedia approach to including biographies.
I found this helpful in the course start and guiding student expectations and preparation.
There are options for the instructior to engage students for effective learning. Basic to the engagement are resources and relationship building.
