In my last post I teased my colleagues about the fact that they would all be engaged in classes this summer and I would not. This statement in fact is not entirely true. I am planning on taking one or two workshops this summer on software that can be used to enhance my online classes.
Two weekends in May I will be learning Captivate and two weekends in June will be devoted to learning something about Dreamweaver. I am an ardent believer in the fact that these types of software programs do a great deal to enhance an online class and breathe life into the communications by adding another dimension. I am very anxious to learn new software programs that I can use to be more creative in my class offerings.
Due to the nature of today's student (a very tech savvy generation), it is imperative that online learning be engaging and challenging by being many faceted. Learning should always be a challenging, enlightening pursuit however, it should also contain an element of excitement and fun for the student. Quite simply real learning should be more exciting than watching paint dry---I have been a student in a few of those classes and boredom does not begin to explain those experiences.
On ground we can "sorta" tell when we are in for a class in boring 101 when you walk in the first day and you wonder if you should take the instructor's pulse to see if they are still breathing. Your immediate impression is they are even less excited to be there than their students. Is it any wonder than students immediately become comatose when the teacher begins to drone on in a monotone about the class expectations (expectations he/she probably has not changed in the last 5+ years of teaching this same class? And then instructors wonder why their students don't seem engaged in the class?
Online engagement is even more difficult because the instructor is faced with developing strong communications with/between students often without the advantage of any f-2-f encounter being a possibility. There in lies the first big challenge----engagement. Making the student interesting enough to have students look forward to logging in to learn. This takes all of the muscle that a good instructor can muscle----so thus I need to start building up my arsenal of exercises that will help me to build a worthwhile cyber class. I envision a place where challenges are offered and communication between classmates occurs twenty-four seven because they are interested in exchanging their ideas with each other. TWENTY FOUR-SEVEN---I once saw a sign in an all night diner that read, HOT COFFEE---Day or Night----24-7. There was something about that sign that conjured up a sense of warmth and security, so much so that I never forgot seeing it. That is part of the beauty I see in these online class exchanges. I have popped online late at night only to find some of my classmates online also. Granted I have had persons from the other side of the planet like Australia who were on because it was already the next day, but it was still comforting to find other students struggling through their assignments (albeit perhaps due to procrastination) online also. I suppose one could say that misery loves company! It is nice to know that you are not alone out there in cyberspace and you can always find someone who is willing to discuss any topic at any hour of the day or night somewhere out there in the cyber galaxy.
So this is just the first next step on this journey in honing my skill level for this endeavor. I do,however, intend to also spend some time recharging my batteries this summer by doing a little reading under that shade tree. Hope you have a chance to do the same.
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