<reflection>This is my 4th UW-Stout course. I must say the reflections done for this course will have the greatest impact on my success as an online instructor. Thank you Kay and Lisa for the time invested in selecting the prompts which caused me to think deeply and critically about my next steps in eLearning. Strong work!</reflection> Module 8: Management and Resources I do not have to wait until the end of the week to complete the last reflection for Collaborative Communities. What did I learn while taking the course? I learned not to travel while I am taking an online course. Trips to Italy and the USA, even though short in duration, totally disrupted my momentum in the course. Ok, we now return to regularly scheduled program. In Collaborative Communities, I learned to avoid assumptions. In Module 2, I was confronted with the reality of andragogy and the uniqueness of the adult learner. For some time now, I had assumed all learners were the same. In part this is true, but as an online instructor I have to be aware of the unique characteristics of the adult learner. In Module 3, I was embarrassed when I assumed the 'worst first' while analyzing a scenario involving an online student submitting a sub-standard assignment. In the online environment, I must approach each learner as if I have received their best work. If an assignment is "sub-standard" (in my opinion), then I must employ targeted questioning techniques to draw the student out and support the embellishment of their original response. Also in Module 3, upon receiving feedback on my PLE, I realized I had not included individuals. As an online instructor, mentorship and peer collaboration are critical components of a successful experience. I cannot assume an isolated journey into online education will be a productive one. In Module 6, I assumed I would have connectivity and iPad-tivity while traveling. I did not, managing to take my partner and I from a strong position to a weak position on our Tip Sheet. Note to self: As part of the pre-course communication, inform students of the potential hazards of traveling and support their proactivity in planning for alternative success. In "Module 9": Progression Into Online Facilitation, I realized I cannot assume I am ready to be an online instructor. As I interacted with the people in this course, I realized I need to improve the depth of understanding of the tools I plan to use with my online students. Sure, I can use the tools, but can I actually teach others how to use them? Can I help resolve compatibility issues? Can I support multiple users using a wide variety of devices? My reluctance is in part the fear of the "unknown" and in part accommodating the pace at which technology is changing. Specifically, the next step for me is completing the practicum. I would like to complete the practicum in 2014 and begin teaching online soon thereafter. The journey continues... Module 7: Critical Thinking and Facilitation The focus on critical thinking is, in and of itself, the most important event of Module 7. The concept of continually putting learners in a position to think and respond critically should be the purpose of any educational endeavor. Making critically thinking the norm within a course becomes the challenge. If successful, the online instructor creates a learning environment conducive to learning and fun. Fun, of course, is the fuel for the "ments"...movement, engagement, investment, and statement. That is The Simple Teacher speak for, the students will be active learners engaged and invested in the course who say and do things that are interesting and fun to grade. In my role as a facilitator this week, I found myself using a new tool, Blackboard Collaborate. I posted our agenda (including a warm-up question) on the whiteboard within Blackboard Collaborate. The purpose of the warm-up question was to activate prior knowledge and act as a buffer should anyone "arrive" late to the chat. Since the agenda (and warm-up question) had been sent via email ahead of time, participants knew what was going to happen before it happened. I started and ended the session on time as well as followed the framework of the agenda. We were not able to cover all of the agenda items, so unfinished items were moved to our debrief session. The final ten minutes of the chat allowed participants to summarize their experience, thus creating their own pathway to the debrief session. In the debrief session, I provided significant attention to each post in an effort to continue the "conversation feel" initiated during the chat. I attempted to create a virtual environment where each person felt they had my ear. In my replies to participants, I focused on a relevant point presented and encouraged them to go deeper in their thoughts. Their response directly determined my next question. Thus, I feel my first attempt at leading a Synchronous Chat was a success. I also understand there is room for improvement, especially in the area of orchestration. (Un)fortunately, I just get too excited when a colleague triggers an educational thought. Facilitator Questions for Synchronous Chat: Critical Thinking Synchronous Chat Transcript: Critical Thinking Module 6: Time Management Time management is a dilemma for all educators. Kay Lehmann, in her article, Time Management Strategies for Online Instructors, identifies two strategies which will make my life as an online instructor better: handle it once and work smarter, not harder, at online grading. Handle it once will be significant for me if I can actually do it. I am an email hoarder who continually flags key emails to revisit. Needless to say, several of these flagged emails do not get revisited nor addressed properly. As an online instructor I must retrain myself to read an email, respond appropriately, file it, and move on. As I address assessment in an online environment, I will need to work smarter, not harder, at online grading. In order to do this I will maintain and utilize a bank of reusable learning objects (RLO's) as well as a bank of reusable assessment objects (RAO's). Both objects should be revised to reflect current course actions as well as deployed in a personalized manner. Handle it once and work smarter, not harder at online grading, if used consistently will allow me to use my time as an online instructor more efficiently. Students will receive timely responses as well as feedback and I will avoid a backlog of issues to address. The frustration levels of all involved should remain manageable.
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