tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721109.post875318516626300011..comments2023-09-24T04:29:33.445-04:00Comments on TLT-SWG: ADVICE TO JEN Experienced/successful prof to teach 1st online course: Ask for help; PlanB; Be clearer; Use feedbackSteve Gilbert TLT Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07514829309387674855noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721109.post-51768632755322924162011-11-18T14:47:37.456-05:002011-11-18T14:47:37.456-05:00My first online teaching experience was a disaster...My first online teaching experience was a disaster back in 1998. The synchronous class was one where I taught a face-to-face group at our campus location and had four additional groups of 5-8 students that were simultaneously connected via a closed circuit network. It could not have been a worse experience for someone who prided himself in his teaching. Too many monitors to watch; too many distractions involved because of all the technology that was involved. <br /><br />I swore often while teaching this class and that's not like me. At the end of the semester I then swore once again that I would never repeat the experience again. It was going to be a "one and done" for me. <br /><br />I wish there had been someone around back then to offer the kind of wise counsel that you have in the posting. I really mean this. <br /><br />Back in 1998 I was encouraged to find a way to be successful in an online teaching environment because of the needs that we had on our campus for students to complete a gradate level statistics class. Fortunately I was smart enough to realize that this was a promising direction for the future and that someone needed to take on the task of learning how it could be done successfully. I pretty much taught myself what I needed to do. I had ideas I wanted to pursue and it's turned out that many of the ideas have been it possible for me to be successful. <br /><br />Not all of the ideas worked and this is why again I want to say how "on target" your points are in this posting. And the advice you received from Beth, Jane, and Ilene was very helpful.<br /><br />Keep doing what you are doing because I am more sure than ever that the direction we continue to go will involve more distance teaching and learning. We both want the instruction for doing this to be successful. Fortunately we now have some superb technology tools that make it possible for us to teach well. And the tools continue to improve and even more become available to those of us brave enough to try them.<br /><br />As I look back on these past 13 years since I first started teaching distance students I am grateful for giving teaching students at a distance a second chance. Life has been good; my experiences with teaching two graduate levels of asynchronous statistics classes have been mostly positive.Charles Ansorgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721109.post-90283850855932090062011-11-17T22:50:02.565-05:002011-11-17T22:50:02.565-05:00Thanks Jennifer for the session you did online wit...Thanks Jennifer for the session you did online with us. It was stimulating and heartening!Sally Gilbertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21721109.post-42903388879114645752011-11-17T12:29:14.156-05:002011-11-17T12:29:14.156-05:00I appreciate the very first piece of advice - to d...I appreciate the very first piece of advice - to defer some things until later versions of your online class. So critical to focus on just a few key components rather than taking on too much the first time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com