The syllabus of any class can be compared to the map that will guide you through the semester.  The syllabus provides you with an overview of the “geographical” territory you will cover in order to get to your final destination (Ko & Rossen, 2010).  Being as detailed and explicit as possible will hopefully avoid any misunderstandings or misconstrued ideas. Clarity and specificity are important factors when creating a syllabus, it can be seen as a “contract” between student and professor stating both parties responsibilities and expectations (Ko & Rossen, 2010).  It is somewhat of the “key” that opens the door of a new semester, a new beginning.

The interactive syllabus can definitely attract students’ attention and not overlook important information.  It is amazing what the human brain can do.  Newer generations can be multi-tasking and may overlook important information on the syllabus or any document or statements for that matter.  Visual aids and multi-media can definitely enhance such an important document.  Pilar’s video mentions organizing the syllabus and integrating Wimba onto the first page, I believe, for voice instruction.  I have never used Wimba, but it seems an avenue I would definitely like to explore.  As mentioned in the youtube video: “color, images, hyperlinks, organization can appeal to students”.  I, myself, am a very visual person and as a student I would always look for bolds, italics, color codes, etc on my class syllabus.  As soon as I would register for the course I was eager to go over the syllabus and class calendar to have a visual and overview of what the class would be like.  Small details can go a long way.

Point in case, when looking for my youtube video, the video with color in the still picture for the link grabbed my attention.  Granted it was a long video it definitely made me look into it and skimmed through the video and found some useful mentions of online tools.  Another interesting factor is how we can scan information and still somewhat make sense of it (picture below).  Competing to get student’s focus and attention where attention is needed can be a challenge.  With online courses we can take advantage of technology and add  visual aids, hyperlinks, audios, etc… These “aids” can help the spectators/ students pause and really think of what the information is stating and take the information in and process it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlr6nRkatTI

Planning and creating a class can be quite the challenge and more so for an online class, because at this point I do not have much experience with online teaching and all its available and useful tools.  The importance to be precise and clear in writing course objectives, outlines, and other expectations is a principal key for the course.  I really enjoyed Pilar Video where she gives a virtual tour of the course (possibly Blackboard) online platform.  The organization of the course definitely gave me a sense of direction.  As noted in our textbook: “From the point of view of the instructor […] writing learning objectives keeps you focused on what is to be taught, what is to be learned, and helps you in planning. […]  From the point of view of the students, it lets them know what is expected of them and why in the world they are being asked to do X and Y” (Ko & Rossen, 2010).

Another point I enjoyed reading about was on the multiple tools that can be taken advantage of in an online course.  As a language instructor I am constantly looking for realia and other tools to engage students in “real-life language situations”.  Online teaching, in the past, could have  pose an obstacle for student interaction.  However, this is no longer the case with all that is available.  Knowing how to use these tools purposefully can enrich our courses.  I am very intrigued and eager to learn how to integrate video/images/audio in different class assignments and/or activities.  An interesting tool, mentioned by Gretchen Jones is Wimba and its multiple tools.  This tool, as noted by Jones, can integrate cultural aspects with discussions, images and audio.  Online tools sets a platform for opportunities and exploration.

On the Beginner’s Questionnaire my score was 11.5.  I decided to stick “half way” on one of the questions giving me a .5 instead of a whole number, somewhat in between.  San Diego State University was my base when talking in terms of teaching and learning.  However, I continue to learn, modify and build on that platform from every school and every student and every situation.  SDSU always encouraged a student-centered approach, where students are contributors and leaders in the learning environment.  I love to create assignments and look for ideas where students can expand their knowledge and combine it with their interests.  In class we’ve done assignments like collaging and other activities and I am very interested in learning how to create these activities for an on-line class.  I’ve known of Pinterest and other websites, but I yet have to play with these apps/websites and am in search for more 😀

Instructor’s presence in general can have a fine line between what can be considered “formal” and “friendly” as Lisa mentioned in her YouTube video.  I do agree we have to address points and situations with a degree of formality, but also instructor’s approachability plays an important role in making students feel comfortable yet not necessarily too friendly.  In on-line communication something as simple as emoticons can go a long way as it was mentioned on YouTube video, it can definitely relax the environment and facilitate communication.

My picture: opening doors to new dimensions…. Thank you everyone, stay cool 🙂

Hello everyone! I hope I did this right… My name is Carina Diaz and I was born and raised in beautiful San Diego.  I received my Bachelor’s (in Psychology and Spanish) and Master’s (Spanish) degree from San Diego State University.  I became a Spanish teacher while working on my Master’s degree and loved loved loved it.  I started teaching during my grad school years and continued well after that.  I enjoy interacting with students from different parts/backgrounds of the spectrum and am very interested in learning and keeping myself updated with all that is new in teaching and beyond.  Looking forward to this semester 🙂