teachers apply
equitable methods
to promote student
access and success
while
acknowledging
institutional
obstacles.
Community college students are more likely to come from underserved populations and are inclined to feelings of self-doubt in academic settings. When learning online, our students need to know they have an instructor who cares and is there to support them, and that they are part of a vibrant learning community. Effective online teachers mindfully cultivate their presence at the course level and one-on-one with students. These interactions foster a relationship based on trust, which is the foundation of a learning community. This principle underscores:
- Evaluating and incorporating digital tools to support the development of a learning community;
- Providing a supportive environment for all learners;
- Incorporating tools and activities to support student-to-student interaction and presence;
- Using multiple tools to support instructor-to-student interaction.
The above principles inform the practices noted below, as taught in courses provided by the @one online network of educators – @one principles for quality online teaching
Applying the Principles:
Web developers and programmers do not communicate via email; too many things get lost in translation. They communicate, as a team, using collaboration tools. The primary collaboration used in today’s workforce is Slack. I create a Slack group for each course. And, within the course, I create Slack Channels to help guide students. For example, there will be a general topic channel for Q&A and a Channel for each Module of the course. The screenshot below shows a summer course on Introduction to Web Programming. You’ll see Channels that denote course organization and a random channel for some fun comments.
I have Slack set up on my phone and computers (home and work). When students comment I’m typically a few minutes away. They know we’re all working together and I find that this changes their culture from emailing a teacher to collaborating on a team. Students engage with each other in this platform at a higher level than in Canvas.
In other courses I utilize additional professional tools to include Jira, Confluence, Azure, AWS, and more. I want students to experience working while learning, and I need students to see how complex technology has become and how much of a time commitment is needed. Tech is now always a team sport. Learning must include collaboration at every step.
I continue to email and talk with students in Canvas. Students have my cell number and can call during hours posted in class.
Reflection
Where I was: I believe I have always been available and open to engaging with students; more so than most any faculty member I have worked with. This is reflected in my evaluations and, truthfully, getting to know students makes teaching more interesting.
Where I am: With @one classes, I changed up my ‘voice’ in communicating via collaboration tools and email. I am more ‘me’ than the organized instructor. In Slack, I communicate my thoughts while working or coding, as much as I do assignments.
Where I’m headed: When I taught full time and had several overload courses I focused on staying organized, clear, consistent, and available. I now work as an administrator and teach a couple of classes a semester, which leaves me with more time to creatively engage in classes. I enjoy getting to know student more and it seems to work well in the classroom. I am building new projects that are peer-reviewed and will serve students as portfolio pieces more than homework projects. In these projects, I’m engaged as a product team member and we’re working together.