Humanizing Online Teaching Showcase
Michelle August MSN, RN Butte College Nursing Instructor
This site provides examples of instructional resources created in the Humanizing Online Teaching Academy, a professional development program at Butte College, funded by the Culturally Responsive Pedagogy & Practices grant from the California Community College Chancellor's Office.
Reflections
Where I was.
Starting as a brand new instructor, online teaching was an unknown to me. I tried so hard to create a warm and friendly environment for students to learn in by using fun pictures, videos, and posting weekly check ins. I knew there was more work to be done on my courses and I wanted to learn. I wanted to create a course that was more interactive and personalize the information for students so they felt comfortable with the online learning experience. This is where the Humanizing STEM Academy came in!
Where I am.
After taking the course, I have been given so many tools for my toolbelt. I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge around accessibility, different platforms to use to create content, and how to create fun videos! I also learned that we have such a huge pool of knowledge within our own institute here at Butte College. I have met so many talented instructors who have shared their wealth of knowledge with me. I have learned how to create a warm presence online using humanizing components and have built a course that will promote and celebrate diversity, student-to-student interactions, teacher-to-student interactions, and humanizing the online learning experience for students. This course has enhanced my skills in capturing videos, such as bumper videos explaining tougher concepts and breaking it down for students to feel more confident in their learning. This warmer climate allows walls to be broken down and incorporates the idea of relationships before pedagogy.
Where I am going.
I look forward to using the knowledge I gained to build all of my courses and sharing this knowledge with others. My takeaways from this Humanizing Academy is the importance of creating a community that is conducive to learning for all students. I want to foster relationships where students feel comfortable and empowered to learn. By using all these tools I feel confident that I can create that type of space. I will be more present in my online course and use many of the tools I've learned to create courses that encompass empathy, kindness, and many more humanizing elements.
Liquid Syllabus
Welcome!! A place to welcome students, even before the course begins. This was a brand new concept for me and developed from scratch. I enjoyed adding each step as I created my liquid syllabus and learned how to make it warm, accessible, and interactive for students. I love that it includes a welcome video for students to get to know me a bit better, expectations for both the students and myself, easy access to many resources such as the student success center. This will help students get organized before the semester starts and know where to get additional help if needed.
Course Card
Course card with course name and stethoscope for Med Surg 1A
Students will log into Canvas and the first thing they'll see is the Canvas Card. I used the stethoscope and monitor paper to represent Nursing, and the black text for accessibility and ease of reading. It's a warm feel and created by myself using one of the new great programs I learned through the online course. Students are so excited to start the nursing program as they have had to wait some time to get in. I believe the picture of the stethescope will add to their excitement as they prepare to pick up what might be their first stethescope!
Home Page
This was my first homepage creation and it was so fun to learn how to put together such an inviting and interactive page for the students. My homepage is a welcome to students as they start to navigate through the course. The interactive buttons will allow students to easily navigate to other important elements throughout the course such as the course calendar, discussion page, and Week 1 module. I have also included a welcome message and a few personal personal pictures so that students will be able to get to know me a little more and feel less anxious as they start the semester. It allows students to see that I am a normal person and by displaying videos that are less than perfect will convey a message that it's ok not to be perfect!
Getting to Know You
The Getting to Know You Survey serves as a way to gain important information about each student. As their instructor I want to help support them and create a safe place for learning so it's important to understand them and their current situation. I want to know their names, pronouns, and how they learn best. I want to know if they need additional support or resources to help them be successful during their time here at school and this survey will help be gather that important information.
Ice Breaker
My Icebreaker assignments ask students to watch a video about "Knowing Your Why" and then asking them to reflect on their own "Why" of becoming a nurse. Once they are ready, they will video (voice or video) their response and share with the group. This will allow other students to watch their video and be able to connect with their peers, creating a belongingness among students. For the last step of the assignment student will respond to other classmates videos, sharing their thoughts and commonalities. This assignment allows student-to-student interactions, which will help build a community among the students. It allows them to see that they share similar thoughts, which will them build connections and friendships.
Bumper Video
This video fits into my NSG 3 course to help students understand the "sticky" topic of the different types of Diabetes. This quick little 2-minute video goes over the important details of the two major types and helps student differentiate between them. It creates a fun learning experience, and humanizes online learning for them. I have enjoyed getting to learn the tools and creating fun videos for my online course to make the experience fun for students.
Microlecture
This microlecture goes over the Endocrine System hormones and their functions for students. The objective is for students to be able to describe the functions of the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and the pancreas hormones. This concept can be very daunting with all the information. This microlecture will break down the information so students are able to learn and retain the information easier. This will go along with the Week 1 module information and allow students to review the video as often as needed to study for their first test.