Good seasons start with good beginnings.
Sparky Anderson
Before you can:
You have to:
Before you are ready for the first
inning of teaching your online or hybrid course, preparing will make all the
difference to your course’s success. Clear course objectives, a syllabus, and weekly plans, all combined with a good learning management system make for a great launching pad
for students to succeed, but these are just the fundamentals. There is an art
to online teaching, and the role of the teacher is very different than that of
a classroom teacher, with heightened need for detailed plans and a great first couple of weeks. You have to get the bases loaded right away.
Getting the students to understand the rules of how things
work online, getting them to work with you and with each other, and getting them
invested in their own learning inquiries, processes, and projects are key. Your creativity sparks theirs, and you have to bring your A-game upfront, even more than in typical classes, according to the experts, or you might lose the students.
As an online instructor, you light the fire, stoke the
fire, and keep the fire in safe parameters, but to be successful online, you’re aiming to light the students' torches—and the goal is for them to run with the torches
on their own two feet, in some good direction, with you coaching from the sidelines. As instructor, you are sometimes in the foreground, but you often move into the shadows.
In The Golden Climate in Distance Learning (Kostina and LaGanza) we
are let in on the secrets of 1) creating learner engagement (with other learners,
teacher, content, LMS, and creative process); 2) building trusting, positive, and
collaborative online communities that encourage constructive discussion, risk-taking
and which withstand scholarly disagreement; and 3) real-world team projects that
are important to learners.
The instructor is guide and facilitator, always trying to find just the right
“golden distance”that magic balance of finding “how to be at the same time present for [students] and to let them be.”
(Kostina and LaGanza).
Hang onto your copy of Judith Boettcher
and Rita-Marie Conrad’s The Online
Teaching Survival Guide—it’s worth the price of admission for its
checklists and outline for upfront course prep. Here is my cheat sheet of their outline for beginning a course.
Projects that are relevant to students’ experience or ambitions, and which are presented to other students for discussion during and after development bring meaning and purpose to distance learning. (Kostina and LaGanza)
Both books emphasize getting learners excited about their own learning, and early successful interactions in online discussions are critical. For students to feel part of the community they must come to understand that they have to "show up" and take interpersonal and scholarly risks in order to learn online. Both books state that the first discussion questions in the course are really important to getting everyone acclimated, engaged, and buying in.
To Share
What are some of your favorite opening discussion questions?
What starter questions have worked? Bombed?
How do you like to get students engaged, right from the start?
Do you have any tips to add about preparing for an online class?
Here is another source for setting up an online course.
And here's an article about getting rich as an online instructor. in case you want to.
Tangentially, here's a video on "Blended Learning," ways schools can use non-traditional class configurations to use online and hybrid learning. Interesting!
Hoping your beginnings lead to a
OK Kate. Was the Sparky Anderson reference designed to remind us or the abysmal ending of the Reds season? If that was your goal then know that I found myself tossing another dart at my autographed picture of Dusty Backer before starting this post response. You're Fired never sounded so good!
ReplyDeleteI found the chapters to be rather dry this week. They were the kind that are really helpful and interesting when you are in the process of doing something but in isolation they are the same as reading someone's grocery list. That being said, I liked how you summarized the primary points and then linked me up with some new resources. Who would have known that you could become a millionaire facilitating online courses! Perhaps there is life after OTPES!
I was interested in the video. I am curious to reimagine the school environment and that video helped me to see some new possibilities. I still struggle with seeing a technology-based model working in grades K-3 (My recent experience with working with K-1-2-3 students in Rosetta Stone has brought this point home in a painful manner) but I can certainly see this model 7th grade and up. I would love to visit a blended model school and see it in action.
Your sharing questions are hard for those of us that do not have a lot of experience either taking online courses or facilitating them. My experience at The Highlander Academy showed that a lack of opening discussion activities and get-acquainted activities creates a learning space that allows students to become disengaged and isolated. Certainly this experience taught me that building community is important. You have to tap into the social nature of students to get them engaged.
In terms of effective openings, I like the texts idea of having initial discussions aimed at students introducing themselves. I almost wonder if having them introduce themselves in relation to the subject matter may not be a good way to get things rolling (e.g., share a story about your first online experience). This serves a social function and attaches the students to the academic topic.
Ha! I just liked the Sparky Anderson quote--and the Cincinnati connection. Also, I'm old enough to remember when Sparky Anderson led the Reds to championships, better days for the Reds!
DeleteI agree wholeheartedly that these chapters are best used as a reference when actually creating a course. I really liked the idea of starting the get-acquainted discussion a week in advance in MOOCs, because that lets the instructor begin to get to know students, their writing abilities, goals, and allows for troubleshooting tech issues right away.
With our students, in-person training about how to share information without relating too much personal information is a good lesson prior to online discussion, especially when they may be used to telling too much in social media. Regarding your work with they younger kids on tech, I am able to work with higher-level fourth and fifth grade students successfully, but it takes a lot of energy to train them about scholarly use. Once over that hurdle, they love assignments on LMS, Google Docs, research--whatever I throw at them, they seem to gobble it up. I like your discussion suggestion of getting students to make a connection to themselves and the topic.
Call me old fashioned, but I still think first, second, and third graders need to know how to write with pencil and paper. I think that there is a kinesthetic piece to mastering language that is essential to helping language stick, though I think we need to start kids learning keyboarding and some research skills from an early age as well, but being able to write a paragraph that is shaped like a paragraph on a piece of paper is important. I'm hoping the new Common Core standards will give them more practice in the earliest grades so that by the time they are on the computers more in fourth and fifth, they have more basic writing skills.
Totally digging the baseball references here - 123 days until Reds report for spring training!
ReplyDeleteWhat jumps out at me from this weeks reading and blog post is the change in role for educators. In an online format, the teacher really does become the "facilitator" that guides the course as opposed to complete instruction as in a typical traditional course. I can see how this would be a difficult concept for many teachers to grasp as it seems to be a completely different way of going about education.
While I understand the fear and frustrations that might come with this different way of looking at education, I'd encourage teachers to know that they still play an important (arguably the most important) role in the learning environment. The only difference with online learning is a shift in delivery method and instruction - instead of a teacher spending the time lecturing in a class, they might use that time to create interactive presentations and materials to be consumed in an online format. Still a very important piece of the puzzle and one that will always be needed.
I enjoyed Kate's point in the post about teachers working behind the scenes in the shadows - this is a great point and really makes sense in an online format. Students don't know/understand/ or often see the hard work and effort that goes into creating a course and putting the content together - this is no easy task. However with practice and experience, I believe this process gets easier and becomes more efficient - just as you would see in a traditional classroom.
One thing I really enjoy about these blog discussions is how everybody can take a very different thing from each reading. I didn't pull the "facilitator" point from this reading and post (I just wasn't tuned into that point) but I am glad the you brought it to the surface for me.
DeleteI agree with you that some teachers will find this new role very difficult. Many people go into teaching because they draw energy from the process of being in the center in front of people. A new role will be difficult for them. I believe, however, that "behind the scenes" can be just as rewarding if not more rewarding.
The reward of seeing students discover answers (i.e., through experiences, activities, and interactions) is far more rewarding than giving them the answer through lecture.
You make a great point about how each time we create something online, it gets easier. Much like teaching a course the first time through, there will be hiccups. In addition, once something is created online, it is simple to go back and make minor changes each semester to improve upon the lessons.
DeleteWhile reading this posts, I also couldn't help but think about the implications within a blended format. The final project I have been working on is definitely for a blended class- hands on activities mixed with online assignments and lessons- and I have to wonder, if starting the online portion of the class is going to be as hard as creating a fully-online version. Our students (maybe mine more than others) do not know how to engage coursework online. So, how can I expect, even ask for, the students to be completely invested as all the books tell us must happen?
ReplyDeleteI am trying to follow all the steps, as the books list out, but I find that in my situation (elementary level, of course) there are so many more steps that should come prior to engaging the audience...to run with Kate's baseball analogy, my kids are in pee-wee right now (just learning how to swing at the ball and not each other.) I have to teach HOW to do all of the assignments and lessons. The books, trust me, are a great resource, but I am feeling like I need more to get my online class off the ground.
(This is a response to a post but not my official response) I am very anxious to see how you manage an elementary online course. I would love to help in any way that I can. I am interested to see an elementary class and see it work.
DeleteIt seems the younger the kid, the more the in-class/at-home hybrid scales tip toward
Delete"online and in-class," at least until they're trained. I laughed out loud at the kids learning to swing at the ball and not at each other analogy. I do feel that with these little ones, letting them loose in a discussion room or even on Google Docs (where they find the chat feature immediately) is a little like a scene from the film, Jumanji, when all the animals wreak havoc.
The kids even make titles on personal narratives chaotic (72 point font, yellow highlight with pink letters, in an unreadable, unprintable font ). One of our teachers calls this adding design elements to text "dazzling," and she lets them know when they are and are not allowed to "dazzle" their written work on Google Docs. In the last class I co-taught with her, I told the kids that they needed to dazzle us with their writing instead of the color and size of the font, no other "dazzling" allowed!
As someone who taught a hybrid class for 2 years, the very first part of your post is critical- the first few weeks are critical. I made the big mistake early on of trying to do way too much. The kids were overwhelmed, and they were turned off right away. It took me about 3 more weeks to pull them back in, make the proper adjustments and get them on board. Once that happened, it was smooth sailing (we were rounding third and heading for home!) The cheat sheet was a great addition Kate. Making projects and learning meaningful, and relevant, to the students proved most effective. Especially with discussions and application of learning. The "what if" scenarios in history were the best part- allowing kids to base their own findings on their opinion and feelings- they were able to think like my little historians. (or as Lauren Karas calls them- H.I.T men -"historians in training") because we made it personal and respected their opinions and ideas, as long as they used facts to support.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, the survival guide is a great tool, but if I were to tell anyone what to remember- it is the first thing kate said- the first 2 weeks are critical
Andy, I'm glad you made the point about having the kids do too much at the beginning. I'm trying to put together my hybrid unit right now (this is for fourth graders), and I'm really going to have to show some restraint because there are so many resources and cool things to add to classes. Even my nerdy gifted kids who love to dive in can get overwhelmed. Thanks for that tip.
DeleteHaving never taught an online class before, your post was very insightful. It made complete sense to me that the first two weeks of an online class are the most important. I believe this is true for any class. At the beginning of the school year I always think the first two weeks are the most important. The first two weeks have to be spent teaching procedures and expectations. Of course, I think it would be much easier to teach these procedures and expectations in a traditional classroom than in that of an online setting. I also agree that it is difficult for some teachers to make the switch in roles. In an online setting teachers are truly the facilitator. One final note, Kate I thought the cheat sheet was great, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe cheat sheet was the first thing I did...Jeanna's lists are often helpful. But then I had such a long post, so I "cheated," and slipped it in as a link. I did like the authors' list; glad you liked it, too.
DeleteI think that you make a great point about how the first two weeks are just as crucial online as they are in a traditional classroom. I also think that it is harder to start on an online classroom because of the organization that you have to have and how it can be hard to switch roles as you discussed. I also liked the cheat sheet. I think that it is a great resource that can be used by anyone.
DeleteI love a good sports metaphor. Whenever I read about hybrid and online learning, I keep coming back to the same basic thought. How is this different from what I am trying to do in a brick and mortar classroom? The answer that I come up with, is that it is not. All of the qualities that you mentioned in making a hybrid successful, are what I strive for on a daily basis. Laying the groundwork is a major key to quality instruction, whether online or face to face.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that struck gold for me was the “golden distance.” This is the essence, and struggle, of online education. How do I as an instructor, allow students to work at their own pace, yet drive instruction when needed. When teaching the hybrid courses at the high school, this was my failure. I structured the course with weekly deadlines, much like our Xavier class is set up. However, I would periodically need to students to have more timely deadlines on readings that would drive our face to face instruction. When students would fail to do the leg work, it would bog down the face to face time, and slow the overall pace of the instruction.
I am also still trying to find the "golden distance" in face-to-face work when it comes to teaching students to write. How much do you coach without crushing their spirits? I have a fifth grader who wrote a humorous personal narrative, was very excited about it, and declared it finished. He teared up when I told him he still needed to work with me by editing and revising it--he still doesn't get where one sentence ends and another starts. He was so crestfallen that I still needed to work with him.
DeleteIn your case with the classes you taught, I can really see the need for shorter term deadlines. Otherwise, you are asking the kids to take on adult levels of responsibility, and I have a hard time seeing all kids following through. Thanks for sharing that experience with your courses. Now I will try use short-term deadlines in my hybrid unit.
Just focus your grading on specific thing(such as form, thesis, partition) , and (also) allow kids the opportunity to correct their papers and improve on their work
DeleteAndy - I like the idea of them correcting their papers too...it lends them to be more accountable once you review it with them and see what they really thought....although whenever I have had them grade themselves...seems that unless using a specific rubric - they tend to grade very nicely of themselves and their effort no matter how hard they worked or didn't work.
DeleteJeanna, have you tried having students grade each other's work anonymously? In class, we often put up a copy of someone's writing and have students critique it. They look at all types of examples, from good to bad, and it helps them understand what makes the difference. Perhaps, they'll be more likely to look for those things when doing their own work as well.
DeleteI have never taught a course that is fully online. I have only had small doses of running an online course. In fact, I think that the initial setup of an online class can be much more taxing than a regular class. For the students to be successful you have to know exactly what you want to happen and have everything prepared. In my mind it almost has to be perfect especially since the teacher is not always online and available while a student is in the class.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that I found to be interesting was when you pointed out that students have to be more self motivated when it comes to their work due to the fact that the teacher is not there with the student at all times. Therefore, the teacher needs to make sure that whatever the lesson is, that it be interesting and engaging. If a teacher is unable to do this then they will be less likely to do the work that is being asked of them.
I think that online teaching is one of the hardest ways to teach since there is very little live flexibility that you tend to get in the classroom. I think that Kate and the author are on the spot when they say that planning is key in order for it to work.
Dion, I'd caution you're thinking about having to have a "perfect" online course. While planning is important and it is important to have a road map of the course, I believe that online courses offer a bit more flexibility as you can always change and update the course to fit the needs of your students. I know that this is a somewhat different thinking for educators. I'd argue that creating all materials for a course ahead of time does not leave as much room for differentiation in instruction.
DeleteDoing your best dion, is the closest to perfection we will ever get... unless you go 27 up and 27 down in the big leagues.
DeleteDitto to the caution of doing anything perfect... it doesn't allow room for character growth or to show growth when something that we do is perfect;) Also it is always enlightening to see how some students will be able to find an easier way of doing something or see something a little differently than you introduce the idea. I love when it initiates problem solving and collaborating with me and their classmates....of course my particular classroom allows for this type of conversation a bit more than some others though.
DeleteAwesome Job Kate! I love the analogy with baseball and would agree before you can hit one out of the park... start with baby steps of getting a hit first;) I like the spark and shadows reference as well and am trying to work in this manner within my own classroom which will allow for more student lead instruction. Some students, as we have noted many times before can not work this way but for the ones that do...it is a great learning experience for them. As an educator, the frontload of work before lessons is so important and the management of it all is time consuming and should be reflective and open for adjustments and improvements. As an online teacher, I would find it challenging to make sure that those students are taking that spark and with my assistance in making it a flame - being sure that they really get it! The aha moments that I enjoy in my daily classroom, I foresee being harder to track and appreciate through an online setting. That being said, the readings were made way more enjoyable by your post and it allowed me to really digest the information that was involved. Opening starter questions/prompts that I have done - some of which have been greatly successful and some of course not so much;) Particular ones that I liked were, picture puzzles, guess ? (either what/where/who/how) prompts using a visual and the typical "is this art? why or why not...defend/debate always gets students going. I find myself trying to do too much in a little bit of time and need to slow down with my students more and make sure that they can really grasp the concept and make a true connection to the material.
ReplyDelete