Jackie Jamison

I learned that the same things that occur in the traditional brick and mortar school will pop up in the online environment as well.  Therefore, owning the class and having a strong presence in the class is essential.  It is also essential to document interactions and to save these things in a safe and organized online storage system.

I learned about feedback.  I think I am pretty good at giving feedback but sometimes it is good to be reminded of the why.  I also learned a lot about setting up informal sessions.  We are currently teaching for 4.5 hours and we utilize audio, video, and chat.  I didn't think about the slow typists as being an issue but that is definitely as issue.  

I learned that it is a good idea to research the students beforehand and to send an individual email to each student to welcome them to the course.  I am going to start doing that.  I also am going to start using my Instructor Virtual Office space to ask them questions about studying and managing being a student so that they can see that I am here to support them mentally, emotionally, etc. 

I learned that it is important to familiarize yourself with the inner workings of the class infrastructure.  Knowing how everything is laid out is an important part of the class experience.  I hadn't really thought about that before but now I am thinking about how each decision (like can you take a quiz again) impacts the experiences.