It\u2019s interesting the perception people have about online instruction.\u00a0 I often listen to Dave Ramsey podcasts as he helps callers on his show work through the issues of personal finance.\u00a0 He recently had a call from a teacher who was tying to get out of debt, but wanted to remain home with a young child rather than return to full-time teaching.\u00a0 He suggested that she look for an online teaching position at a local community college.\u00a0 He made it sound like it was an easy way to make additional income without a substantial time commitment on her part.\u00a0 He told her she could do the work around the baby\u2019s schedule.\u00a0 While it is true that online instructors have the benefit of time flexibility, the time demands for an online instructor are high.\u00a0 Due to 24 hour access to courses, there are always messages that need a reply, questions to be answered and course pages and discussion posts to update.\u00a0 I find that the demands can be a time-sucking black hole if I\u2019m not careful.\u00a0 So, to say that online instruction is an easy way to supplement an income is shortsighted.<\/p>\n
Online instruction is not simply posting a powerpoint lecture.\u00a0 In my earlier days of online teaching, I found this belief was common-place with my colleagues.\u00a0 Many felt that they could post a series of powerpoint presentations online and that would constitute an online course.\u00a0 Today\u2019s post-a-powerpoint strategy is capturing a lecture in video format and sharing a podcast or webinar link to the lecture.\u00a0 That\u2019s as effective as watching paint dry, with the paint having a longer lasting effect on the observer.\u00a0 Beware of short cuts to the integrity of online instruction.<\/p>\n
Online instruction is not less demanding than a face to face course.\u00a0 I actually find online instruction to be MORE demanding.\u00a0 Lost in the online environment are the subtle communication cues we take for granted.\u00a0 Online students cannot see the smile I have when responding to an answer, the question in my eyes as I clarify a response or hear the lift in my voice as I encourage someone\u2019s statement.\u00a0 Online I need to work even harder to make myself clear.\u00a0 I need to anticipate questions BEFORE they occur. I need to put myself in the computer chair of a student in a different time zone half way around the world who will finally have time in their day to do an assignment when I am safely snuggled asleep in my bed.<\/p>\n
Online teaching is not for the faint of heart.\u00a0 Teaching online requires a different paradigm, one that embraces a growth mindset over a goal oriented approach. \u00a0It forces the instructor to find ways to connect with students through the online medium, a growth oriented process.\u00a0 I liken it to embarking on a trip where I need to pack all the essentials before I leave home because I won\u2019t have time to pick up forgotten items along the way.\u00a0 Once the train of an online course has left the station, it\u2019s hard to turn it back.<\/p>\n
Online instruction is NOT boring or static, but dynamic in every sense of the word. \u00a0I love the challenges presented by teaching online which force me to look at new ways to approach instruction.\u00a0 Like the rainbow that follows a storm, I appreciate the rewards of online teaching that come in the form of meeting the challenges of connecting with students and creating a learning environment that is inviting, intriguing and rigorous.\u00a0 I value the flexibility that I can build into my day as I budget time to meet the needs of my online courses.\u00a0 The more time I spend teaching online, the more I have come to value the process, focusing on the journey.\u00a0 I agree with John Maxwell who writes in The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, \u201cIf you can believe in yourself and the potential that is in you, and then focus on growth instead of goals, there\u2019s no telling how far you can grow.\u201d\u00a0 This certainly resonates with me as an online instructor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s interesting the perception people have about online instruction.\u00a0 I often listen to Dave Ramsey podcasts as he helps callers on his show work through the issues of personal finance.\u00a0 He recently had a call from a teacher who was … Continue reading