Carol-Ann Smith

Transitioning to online format will take a lot of upfront work. Communication will be key for both the students and me.  I need to be proactively thinking about accomodations so I can build them into my course. I'll need more information on Universal Design. 

You have to put in thought about how you conduct an online class as opposed to a face-to-face class. The delivery of materials will differ. Consistancy and accessibility will be key. Just like with lesson plans, reflection and adjustment are key to developing successful online classes.

I will need to remember to try giving the same level of immediate feedback as in classroom instruction. It's also important to remember that I have to be careful with my written communications as humor won't convey easily. Direct, informative feedback is necessary. Also, being sure to not let things pile up. Maybe having more discussions instead of submitting assignments. Then having exit tickets to allow quicker assessment and then feedback. Also, I will need to use polling more to see if students get concepts or need a change in content delivery.

It is important to think about how to organize the online portion of your classroom as much as you do the layout of your physical classroom. You need to have clear expectations and proceedures. These will need to be communicated to the students. Consistancy is key. Instructional reminders or "how to" videos/ recordings will help. Also, a FAQ board/page for the repetitive tasks so students can check there first if they forget how to do something.

You need to think about what the outcomes are prior to thinking about the tools to use. Then evaluate the tools to see if they'll  help acheive the outcomes desired. It's not about seeing how to make a tool fit into the classroom but about which tool will work best. There are lots of tools and using different tools for different outcomes is fine as long as they work for both the student and the teacher.  It's important to not get locked into a singular way of thinking.