I always say….life is a journey! My journey into online education has been just that. It started in 2006 when I decided to go back to school to complete my master’s degree. I was intrigued with Wilkes University because I was able to complete my entire degree online. I had just had a baby! I had no desire to leave him to head back to school. And so it began….

I have had relatively good experiences with all of the classes that I have taken. My instructors have all been interactive and quick to reply to my many questions. I hope to offer these same experiences to my future students. I want to be there for them to alleviate any worries or stresses they may have. The online environment is very different from a face-to-face classroom. Sometimes it is easy to overthink assignments or question expectations. As my previous instructors have done for me, I want to effectively help my students work through these concerns.

In taking my FOLCOL class, I have learned there are many, many different ways to address students and respond appropriately. I’ve always been very conscientious about my wording but wasn’t aware of the specific TYPES of corrections and positive reinforcements. I hope to use the different strategies of approval statements, empathy statements, needs/benefits statements, supporting statements, etc. to engage my students. I have learned that using these various strategies can really help to encourage students in discussions. Using appropriate questioning strategies can also promote further dialogue. Broadening the scope of activities that are offered within the course will also effectively engage students. It is most helpful to offer choices or have different types of activities throughout the course to keep student attention.

I am most concerned about the time management aspect of an online course. As a student I tend to log on a lot simply to see if anyone has posted anything new. I want to see if there are any new discussion posts or any replies to work that I have written. I want to see if my instructor has posted new grades or new information for us to read. As a course instructor, I know that I cannot do that all the time. I need to set aside certain times of the day to work on the class. I need to make sure that I follow the guidelines that I have created for myself in one of the earlier modules. I am confident that once I get into a routine, it will work out…it’s just a matter of getting myself there and not feeling like I have to log in every hour. One thing is for sure….I am excited to see what the future holds as I move into this new realm of teaching!