Week 2: Getting Started Already!

I really enjoyed doing the reading of Ko and Rosen’s book for the second time. I think one can never take this class too many times. Every time, I will learn something.

During this second reading, I was able to better understand, outline and summarize what Ko and Rosen talk about. I think that they are slightly too optimistic about the online teaching experience, but I think this depends on their perspective.

The Language of Online Teaching:

The first important point made in Chapter 1 is that the “Online World” has its own language and acronyms that one should learn and keep learning because they will become useful. For example, it is important to meaning of the terms “synchronous” and “asynchronous” as well as “blended” or “hybrid” before getting started with online teaching. During the spring of 2014, I hope to teach a French 101 online course, if given this opportunity, and I should be aware that this course will be entirely online and not a blended class.

Ideally, I would like my class to be partially synchronous and partially asynchronous, but I do know that this will be difficult. I may have students logging in from New York and others from Houston, Texas. I would then need to coordinate with everyone’s time and work schedule to find an ideal moment for our synchronous meeting.

These terms help me ask myself how would be the easiest way to convey my instruction to my students. How can I best bridge the gap between me and my students?

E-Learning or Distance Learning?

Ko and Rosen talk about the reality of teaching online. It is a very different feeling to teach students from a distance and in a “Virtual Classroom” than to teach them in a face-to-face setting. I think, as Ko and Rosen point out, teaching online has advantages and disadvantages of its own. I don’t agree that a person teaching online should be bolder and have a more outgoing personality than a person teaching in a classroom. Being in front of students is difficult for any person who is introverted and shy. I am extremely shy myself but I am not a shy instructor. I believe that a teacher who is excited about what he or she is teaching will automatically become outgoing and will want to share his or her knowledge to the best of his/her ability.

Getting Started.

The Beginning Questionnaire was very important because the way we teach will determine the way we structure our online class. Language learning is very interactive and I rarely lecture to my students. I like to bring variety to my class when teaching. I alternate between using videos and audio to have students repeat, act out, or sing along, and doing in-class small group activities and having students practice what they have learned. A language learner can never get enough practice of the language, so having students interact is essential to language learning.

Therefore, the online class will be very different from the face-to-face class. Students will have to work more independently and will have to organize their time to get as much practice as possible. This is the first goal that I must set for myself. I need to hear students practice what they have learned and give them immediate feedback so that they can keep practicing and improving their skills.

Really Getting Started!

Now that I know and have thought about what and how I want my students to learn French, I need to begin organizing my Blackboard page. Based on what I have seen from the previous POT session I took last year, I have come to the conclusion that I would be best to organize my class by week in a similar way that the POT class is currently organized. The next step will be to determine how much I want the students to accomplish in one week and how to assess what they are learning each week.

I was inspired by Melissa Conrey’s use of PowerPoint and I have decided to show my Getting Started Chart based on what will be important for my class. I think it is important to start organizing one’s class now and not wait until next semester. This way, one doesn’t fall behind and one can ask questions from peers and moderators if problems arise.

The Beginner’s Questionnaire:

I am a language learner; therefore I avoid lecturing as much as possible. I like to see students put into practice what they are learning; therefore I love the small group activities and do sometimes use large activities just to make sure they are learning the correct way.

I have a student-oriented teaching style. Students can produce amazing works of art and can grow if they are taught to use the target language for their own purpose. For this reason, I like it best when students contribute and help me create the class. I do this through presentations, by getting feedback, and by having them create their own PowerPoints or art works for class.

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