Creating meaningful relationships with students and fostering collaboration and open communication is key for both online and in person learning. “One aspect of online teaching is fostering the perception by students that the instructor is present in the course” (Barnes, 201). I believe face to face interaction is so important in creating a sense of community and security online. By having virtual sessions it will allow teachers to find out the needs of their students (“What is Human-Centered Instruction”). In my Kindergarten class last year I showed my presence by creating morning messages, responding to students flipgrid videos, and holding weekly video chats. In my morning message I read a story, performed a magic trick and created a quick hands on math or English lesson. This message created a sense of normalcy for the students and allowed them to look forward to something every day. The virtual meeting allowed students to connect with their peers and share special events that had been going on in their life. I created fun team building activities for the students to do during these meetings; such as, go and find your favorite toy or find me 5 special items in your home. These activities allowed the students to connect with one another, and created a fun and engaging environment.Â
Another crucial aspect of online learning is creating a sense of belonging. “Dewey felt that teachers imposed too much control on students rather than being a part of the school community” ( (Barnes, 201)). I think it is important that we let our students know that they are valued and encourage them to express their ideas. I think we should showcase students’ talents and ask students to share their knowledge/skills with the class. For example, if a student is very knowledgeable on planets they could create a lesson or activity for the class and post it on flipgrid.Â
The image below showcases all of the components I deem important whether teaching online or in a classroom. The 3 points that stand out to me most are knowing your students, being playful and reflecting and revising as you go. As  Barnes said “Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement”. This can be done by hosting one on one video chats with students, creating team building activities, and starting an inquiry unit on the students and their families. Lastly, it is important to take time to reflect and ask for feedback from parents, students and colleagues. Every day I spend 15 minutes reflecting and I ask myself what went well, what didn’t go well, and what do I want to focus on tomorrow. These questions allow me to revise how I teach and provide me with a specific task or goal for each day.Â
References:
Barnes, C.L. (201). Where’s the Teacher ? Defining the Role of Instructor Presence in Social Presence and Cognition in Online Education. Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://humanmooc.pressbooks.com/chapter/wheres-the-teacher-defining-the-role-of-instructor-presence-in-social-presence-and-cognition-in-online-education/
Howell Major, C. (2015). Teaching Online – A Guide to Theory, Research, and Practice. (Chapter 1). Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail.action?docID=3318874
Hunt, R. B. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved September 26, 2020, from http://rebeccabathursthunt.com/sketchnotes/
What is Human-Centered Instruction? https://www.leadsv.com/hcn
Thank you for sharing your experiences, Shelby! I love reading about how you have incorporated building relationships and fostering collaboration online with your Kindergarten class. Having actual experience working with students must give you immediate feedback if something isn’t working. I do think that approaching online learning for mature students differs for younger students. I think it is so cool how you would create morning messages to connect and do a magic trick. Not only does it humanize the learning experience online by having a constant presence of the teacher, it makes learning online fun and exciting. The thought of that makes me want to join in the class 🙂 I wonder if having that routine and structure helps normalize the learning online since there is so much structure and routine with in-person learning. I also think you made a very good point with reflection and getting feedback. This can overcome our assumptions that the students are doing well, when in fact it may be hard to tell if that is the case with online learning. Great post, Shelby!
I really liked how you opened this blog entry with a meaningful quote. At times during online learning it feels as if we are alone and do not have any guidance through the course. Interacting with students the way you explained you would with your kindergarten class is excellent because it promotes social interaction. Also creating activities that allowed them to interact with each other over the internet makes the students value their class time in my opinion. Unfortunately I am unable to see the picture you provided as an example but I can understand what it is of by your description. Reflecting at the end of classes and at the end of the day is always a good thing for students to get in a routine of doing so they can try to recall what they learned. Maybe adding a part about a teachers ability to demonstrate their implicit and explicit knowledge would be a good addition to this blog entry. I feel that you could have provided a little more information form this weeks reading as it was very insightful on this topic, but I really liked what you have to say about this!
I really liked how you started your blog with a meaningful quote, Shelby! It sets the tone for your whole blog. I think in an online classroom, its very easy to become disconnected to your teachers and for teachers to lose the attention of their students. I really liked that you did magic tricks, and held weekly video chats. I think that is a great way to maintaining your presence in the classroom and it extends into the idea of having a presence for the creation of a community. I bet your students loved you doing magic tricks. Furthermore, I like that you focus on the idea of a student posting videos on flipgrid as a means to show off their talents/knowledge. I am sure you can agree with on me on this, in university and even in high school, it is very rare that your talents are highlighted or that you have the ability to show off your talents. I think promoting the idea of showing your talents at a young age is a great way to creating self-confidence. Unfortunately, i am unable to see the image you attached. However, I am looking forward to reading more of your posts in the coming future!