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Or, Tend To What Matters Because Nothing Bad Will Happen If Your "Now Online" Class Is Not Perfect
By now, most of us have opted, decided, or been voluntold to teach online for the remainder of term.
Cool.
Cool.
The 99 Problems Of Online Teaching
Everyone's got 99 problems and 98 of them feel like finding "best practices" for online teaching. There's Zoom and Hangouts and Drive and Screencastify and a zillion other apps, sites, programs, and all the sorcery associated with online teaching.
And The Winner Is?!
This is not a contest, my friends. Your former f2f class that is "now online" is not gonna win an Emmy or an Oscar or some golden whatever (we are saving all of those for Catherine O'Hara).
Our students are people. Some might be hacked off that they gotta go back to Mom and Pops when they'd rather share a single bed with their hot partner. Others have kids at home for three weeks while schools are shut. Still more do not have reliable internet and have to go to the library.
Our students are people. Some might be hacked off that they gotta go back to Mom and Pops when they'd rather share a single bed with their hot partner. Others have kids at home for three weeks while schools are shut. Still more do not have reliable internet and have to go to the library.
Stay The Course (Literally)
The exam in this course means nothing in the long run. So don't sweat these lockdown browsers or if students are going to cheat (which implies lack of trust, another issue that will become a blog post). What does matter? Staying healthy. Maintaining friendships and connections with classmates. Not being a hermit and keeping students together as a group in a different space.
Movin' On(Line)
So you gotta shift stuff. Fine. Think minimalism. We are talking the capsule wardrobe of online teaching. Give yourself permission to have a capsule course. Because, let's face it, you will be doing this in your pajamas anyway so rock on with the capsule gig.
We Are Not The Jetsons
Prime importance ought to be given to maintaining a sense of community in class. You are suddenly not a robot. Students are suddenly not robots. We are all humans having an online/remote/distance/headphones-on-in-the-basement academic experience. How can you create freedom and connection if you're worried about policing tools such as TurnItIn and Lockdown stuff?
The Prize Is "I Fucking Did It"
These are unique times. Building online courses takes months -- the videos, the visuals, arranging modules and stuff. I have done it myself (and it's fun, when time and resources are available). In this case, you're doing it in a week or even overnight. No one is looking for the Best Panicked Online Course Delivery Award. There is no such thing. Go for the self-dedicated, "I fucking did it" prize.
It's Still Good!
We all have to do this, so let's figure out how to make it "good." I don't mean award-winning. I mean tolerable. For you. For students. How?
Make fun of yourself. Admit to students that you've not done this before, you're breaking your own "rules" of perfection, you are learning, they are learning, and you're in it together. Do things like extend deadlines. Adjust expectations.
How else?
Make assignments easy to submit. Do you usually use the LMS? Then keep doing that. I use GoogleSuite with my students. We will keep doing this.
Make fun of yourself. Admit to students that you've not done this before, you're breaking your own "rules" of perfection, you are learning, they are learning, and you're in it together. Do things like extend deadlines. Adjust expectations.
How else?
Make assignments easy to submit. Do you usually use the LMS? Then keep doing that. I use GoogleSuite with my students. We will keep doing this.
But So Many Ideas!
Yup, you are likely to get overwhelmed with ideas and potential plans. This app or that app or "if I had more time I would do it a different way" stuff. Make a page in your Everything Notebook and save it for later. Like, when you actually voluntarily do an online course. After you survive this one!
The keys here and now are modelling flexibility, understanding, and chillness.
The keys here and now are modelling flexibility, understanding, and chillness.
Now Online
Do a shitty first draft of your "now online" course. Your students will remember you for being flexible and positive in tough times. Make it simple. You have a chance to be a leader in a time of crisis. Lead by being positive, minimal, fun, and healthy.
The chill approach to this will permit you to go shopping for seniors who live nearby, shovel someone's driveway (I live in Canada, let me have this jab at March), communicate with students who are confused about these updated instructions because they're thinking about something else (like, will this affect my grad school application -- not a simple worry).
Stay well, academic family. My DMs are open if you need talked down, advice about approaches, opportunities, ideas, etc.
The chill approach to this will permit you to go shopping for seniors who live nearby, shovel someone's driveway (I live in Canada, let me have this jab at March), communicate with students who are confused about these updated instructions because they're thinking about something else (like, will this affect my grad school application -- not a simple worry).
Stay well, academic family. My DMs are open if you need talked down, advice about approaches, opportunities, ideas, etc.
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