EnD oF mOdUlE TwO

Tonight is the end of Module two. Four weeks done. 1/3 of the way through the course. I have learned so much already. Creating my own course from scratch has been a really cool experience so far. I get to design activities, that build on each other. But I am not in charge. The teacher is the spark. Starting the guiding process. And the student is given some tools, shown some examples, than off they go on their own journey of learing, bouncing off my ideas, their peers ideas. Bringing their ideas back to the table where we ruminate over them, chew them up, question, engage, debate and challenge them. Then we send them off again to further smooth the stone. Like the waves slowly grinding down the rought edges.

Because you dont see the student f2f different rules and guidelines are required. Online is not for everyone. The student starts off on their own. They don't have the fixed rules of showing up twice a week. From their the difference can grow. No longer is it a given that the teacher will teach and the student will absorb. Why not have the students teach, and they are. Why not have the the teachers learn, and they are. Why not have the students and teachers do both, and they are.

Since I have never taught before the online environment almost seems like a good place to start teaching before I enter the classroom. To work out the kinks. See what activities work.

If you can't copy a f2f class for online learning can you copy an online class for f2f learning?

I have some cool ideas for work, individual research, showing the technique, than progressing to group work on wikis's that will push through two modules, than I might combine two groups for student lead discussions. By combing the two groups I can enhance the group atmosphere, by having them get to know a few people, than add more. A continual process of building on top of the last module.

I might be falling into the category of doing too much. But I have so many ideas and I can't wait to try them all out.

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