I have so many thoughts and questions floating in my head pertaining to online teaching. I have an analytical mind and am still processing some of the information I read from the textbook, saw on the PDF/graphic files and videos I watched.

There is so much information, so many tools are available and yet I still find it difficult to narrow what I need to use for my class. Currently, my (on-campus) class is held twice a week. In an online format, I’d imagine I’d have it set up per week instead of per class. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching the videos of other professors’ snapshots of their online classes. It seems like a lot of work to set up at first (as was the class I currently teach which isn’t online but uses blackboard) but if it can be used for other semesters, it seems like a great way to be organized and have many resources available for students. For my own classes, I put many tools on Blackboard–from handouts to videos to “additional resources”. A recurring problem has been finding out that my students do not view/read/use the multiple resources/tools I make available for them. I believe that possibly formatting my class differently might encourage students to check out the various options/resources available to them.

I feel like I put a lot more into my class than I am “required” to. But I really want my students to “get it” so to speak. I hate when students are confused or can’t understand something no matter how many times I teach it or explain it. I think finding the tools that best suits my class will help me best help students learn. I’m still trying to figure what tools, resources, etc I want to use for my class. I’m excited to continue discovering various ways to teach my students online.