Online/Blended Learning Reflection
It’s hard to imagine that I was embarking on my first online/blended learning experience four years ago. That experience, although not ideal, led me to rethink the effectiveness of online/blended learning. I remember clearly the start of that year and the daunting task the administration put in front of us. We were asked to teach a group of students in person and online at the same time!
Now, while the online learning experience wasn’t a piece of cake, it didn’t turn out to be an absolute failure like I had imagined. The opportunity helped me grow as an educator as I navigated through a unique school year. Throughout the experience, I learned that I liked many aspects of online/blended learning which led me to pursue a degree in Online Education. This degree led me to PD Center facilitation and eventually to this course!
This initial experience with online/blended learning allowed me to reflect on what my goals were and would be for my future online students. Online learning takes motivation and a lot of self-discipline that sixth-grade students rarely possess. Thus, my goals were and still are to find ways to motivate students to want to be engaged in their learning. The path to this goal is to develop an online course that students are eager and willing to return to.
The key to engaging students in online/blended learning is to create a course that allows students to feel challenged and motivated to do their best. Students need to be able to experience the same type of activities they would in a traditional classroom but in an online form. Giving students opportunities to work with others and share their knowledge in fun and interactive ways will motivate students to do their best.
Communication and a sense of community are also key factors in engaging students effectively in online learning. Projecting a professional but helpful tone and providing students with timely responses to their coursework is essential. The use of supporting statements in replies will help redirect students to understand the desired learning outcomes. Giving students opportunities to work with their online classmates and providing discussion areas for them to share activities and stories will keep them coming back!
The most challenging aspect of online/blended learning is balancing the time between work and family. A great deal of time is spent on crafting responses, weaving and wrapping up assignments, grading assignments, checking discussion posts, and responding to emails. Online educators need to learn that they can’t be online 24/7. They need to prioritize what needs to get done and what can wait. They must realize that all emails do not have to be answered as soon as they pop up in the inbox and that assignments do not have to be graded as they are submitted. Taking time out to focus on personal mental health and/or spending time with family helps online educators meet the needs of the job.
Creating lists and following the communication plan will ensure everything gets finished promptly without sacrificing quality time with family. Drafting online communication pieces, crafting rubrics, and creating a calendar to prioritize the tasks that have to be done are essential. Seeing due dates in print and being able to check them off is a huge motivator for me! Being prepared and reflecting often throughout the course will go a long way to becoming an effective online instructor.