Just like in our normal classes, online class need to make sure we are looking at a learner's style and taking into conisderation any accomedations that they should be afforded.
When working with a students with diverse learning disablities, it is important to pinpoint just how that indiviual conceptually learns and adapt your teaching strategies accordingly.
It is important for online instructors help motivate online students. They must want to participate and complete the coursework. Students should be aware that online classes will require anywhere from 3 - 5 hours of work per week to be successful. It may take more time for some students.
This has reinforced what I have come to know that students need to be assessed to see if they are ready to take on an online course and then areas that they need help with should be instated.
My favorite part of this module is the section on Time Management. I really enjoyed the analogy that time is tangible, visual and measurable. The following is taken from the text:
Students should organize time like they organize space. Students should think of tasks in terms of how they would fit into a given space. Try to get your students to think about time like organizing a closet; if you rearrange your closet, you can always find room for more clothes or shoes. The same goes with time. When students analyze their schedule, clear the clutter and rearrange tasks, room becomes available.
I also learned the name of the 20-80 rule, the Pareto Principle. This principle states that "80% of your actions or efforts contribute to only 20% of your actual results, while 20% of your actions or efforts yield 80% of your results."
Both these concelpts can help students get more done in the same time period. A good lesson/skill for all.
Organization and attention to detail are essential skills for the online instructor. Each student should have a online questionare to help access there strengths and weakness for a online course. I learned that it is important to help the students stay engaged, as students tend to drop from online classes, because they want the feeling of connected (community) for encouragement.
This lesson focuses on learning styles of the students and assessing preparedness to take an online course. It suggests that teachers and students both assess their skill set for an online course. Students should be provided with feedback to help strengthen areas of weakness for online learning. Just like in a F2F class, have a confidential manner for students to communicate an learning disabilities and meet their needs through the organizations office of special services.
For the past year or so, I have worked with students with various disabilities. All students in the class have some form of disability...ranging from physical to cognitive as well as behavioral. I had one student that was actually a teacher. He suffered a stroke and lost quite a bit of cognitive ability and came back to school to relearn those skills he had lost. A few are almost blind; one has 2 hearing aids and is diabetic as well as other disabilities. The list goes on and on, and there are 28 students enrolled in the class. A couple have amazing cognitive abilities. Some with decent cognitive abilites have conditions that cause them to lose those abilities occassionally. Needless, to say this class is more than a challenge for any instructor. The biggest challenge is reaching them when there are extreme levels of ability in one setting. Of course the poor readers and those with limited eyesight require more attention. So they more capable students are left to fend for themselves which often leads to behavior problems. The atmosphere in the room can often be chaotic. Some students have a one-on-one care provider. Those workers can also be distractive. Maintaining such a classroom takes extreme patience and endurance. By the end of a day, I am totally drained. HOWEVER, I want to emphasize the fact that I love teaching these learners. I fight for their rights while acknowledging that resources are limited in our small rural community. I invest my own funds in resources for my students to help them remain in our program and to help them advance.
Working with students with disabilities is not for everyone, and do not recommend it for most instructors. But, it is rewarding in its own way for the instructors as well as the students. Hopefully, teachers will be able to learn more about these learners because they are a true fact of life for educators. These humans deserve the same advantages and treatment as all people. How we treat them reflects on us as a society.
I learned that time managment and accomodations are important to online learning. I also learned how motivation works for students and the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
it's important that online learners are self-motivated and can manage their time well in order to succeed in the course. It's important to give a self-assessment at the beginning of the class to determine how students learn best.
I learned that you can not change the material for students with diabilites but you can apply modifications.
It's not only important for me to manage my time but facilitate an enviroment where my students know how to manage their time too.
It's important to provide accommodations for students with learning disabilities.
Creating a self-analysis inventory is necessary to prepare students for the expectations of the online learning environment.
Whether online or face to face each student needs to be ready to learn. Time management is critical in an online environment, more so than in a residential environment. Instructors and students need to be focused and very disciplined. This should all be addressed prior to the course.
This portion was great information. I curreently provide a schedule for 2 weeks out with assignemnets and due dates. I am currently creating a discussion board on the LMS I use. Thank you
All students have strenths and weaknesses. It is am important role of the instructor to lead the student to self awareness that will lead to improvement in both strenths and weaknesses. There are online self analysis tools that may be given to students or a line of questioning that wil lead to student self analysis is effective as well.
Very interesting and helpful info on handlng students with special needs in the online educational setting.
Not everyone is cut out to teach or take an online class. Self-assessing your readiness for an online class is needed. Good time management skills is a must. You have to be intentional about reserving time for participating in the class. Being self-motivated will help students to be successful in an online class, and instructors must do their part to motivate students to want to do well. This can be done by provide frequent, positive feedback, creating an open and positive learning environment and making students feel they are valued members of a learning community. It is the student's responsibiliy to inform instructors of any disabilities that make impact their learning, and work with the instructor to provide accommodations that will enable them to be successful in the class.
This module was about using self analysis to improve online teaching and online learning for students. By giving students a chance to think about their strengths and weknesses teachers can preteach how to use the confusing parts of an online program and how to encourage and motivate students in their strength areas. Time management is definitely important for both the teacher and the student.
