Reflections on Online-Teaching and Learning

mod 5-end

I am vanilla ice cream today.  As I grow as a teacher, there is no doubt, that I will be rocky road.  I feel that my course is finished and I feel fine.   I have most of all learned during this process that i can keep up with other people, even though my face is smushed up against the learning curve.  as a result, of that some things were left for another day.  for a week, i have been at a professional development institute on assessments for and of learning in proficiency based grading and  for the life of me  i can’t process what i have learned into this course.  It is understanding the theory that is easier for me.  Now, i must apply it.  It is not going to happen now in this course.  We must improve teaching and learning- it cannot happen over night.  Some are good at creating rubrics and assigning grades.  i am not.  i am sorry that i cannot fit your suggestions for the rubric into my head right now, alex.

The most surprising thing i have learned is that teaching and learning online can be brought into the classroom and better the quality of education there.  i was one who was afraid of allowing my students to interact.  i am not anymore, I realize how powerful and imperative it is. However, discussion has to be scaffolded well.  A community must be present where students feel safe.  The discussion topics must be well thought out and not be too broad.  I think my discussion questions are a weakness in my course.  i will figure out after teaching this f2f course again this year, what those questions are supposed to be.

I realize that i am a lover of theory and a struggler when it comes to application.  Applying what i know is hard for me.  There is a processing that is required to apply.  That processing can be sped up, i suppose, if you try real real hard in a short amount of time.  I don’t believe that is optimum learning though.  I feel like all the theories i love are almost marinating together and that I am applying them sparingly, strategically, and through trial and error over a longer period of time.  I am proud of myself and patient with myself.