When I first started teaching my primary concern was covering material.  I tried my best to follow the advice of a wise colleague – don’t over-plan because it won’t give you leeway to respond to where your students are and where they want to go.  But I can’t say that I was very successful.  Then I began working in an environment that was very teaching and learning focused.  We had weekly meetings that allowed instructors to share what was and wasn’t working in the classroom and provided more formal development sessions during each intersession.  Student centered teaching was the expectation and the norm.  I learned a ton and was able to practice and experiment both in my own classroom and when I taught in other instructors’ classrooms.  I came a long way in my teaching, but was beginning to work on encouraging more peer teaching and learning as my last class came to a close.  I continue to work on this practice during my “one shot” instructional sessions, but have been frustrated not to continue developing my practice in my own classroom.  This class has provided me with an opportunity to jump back in where I left off and to start thinking about how to design a student centered classroom online and how to facilitate learning within that space.

So while the student centered approach isn’t new to me, teaching online is.  I’m most concerned about facilitation and establishing a positive environment in the online classroom where I can both challenge and encourage students.   In a face to face classroom two things are very clear on day one – I have rigorous standards and I’m  invested in student learning and success.  In COI, Social Presence and online learning Pickett discusses the importance of establishing trust in the online classroom.  One thing that has been surprising to me but upon reflection makes sense is that this is about both design and instruction.  The icebreaker module takes on a new significance in this light – as it’s not only the launch of the course but also the launch of the community.  In tandem with the design will be my presence. How do I introduce myself? How do I facilitate the first discussion to make everyone feel welcome and validated? How do I make myself “real” to the students and help make them feel a part of the community?  All of these elements combine to create trust.  Pickett discusses using “generous and genuine” compliments as well as using vernacular and addressing students personally.  I don’t think about being authentic in the face to face classroom, but I think it will actually take some work online.

While rigor can be introduced in any environment, it’s more likely that students will rise to the challenge when they feel trust with the instructor and with their peers.  Pickett raises the possibility that students can challenge each other – as long as it’s done respectfully.  My course material is all about critical inquiry and that should be a thread that runs throughout all aspects of the class.  I just can’t forget that modelling, a theme that runs throughout this course, becomes extremely important in this context.  I think that discussion facilitation will be an exciting challenge.

Somehow I have been interacting less in this module rather than more.  I”m not entirely sure why this is but I am aware, which I suppose is something.  One thing that has been taking a lot of mental energy is starting to think more about my course structure and how all the pieces do, and in some cases don’t, fit together.

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