Humanizing Showcase
Carrie Roberson
Education, Child & Family Studies Instructor ~ Butte College
This site provides examples of instructional resources created in the Humanizing Online STEM Academy, a professional development program funded by the California Education Learning Lab and administered by the Foothill DeAnza Community College District.
Reflections
Where I was.
Prior to the Butte College Humanizing Academy, I had been teaching online for over a decade and was content with my online courses. I have positive feedback from students, both formally and informally solicited, although I always felt there was something different about my humanness between my face-to-face versus my online classes. I realized my presence was not something I had to think about in the classroom, but it is when teaching online, so I decided to engage in this opportunity to make a change to this dynamic.
Where I am.
In the last six weeks of this class, I have felt and seen significant transformations in my considerations for all aspects of my classes. I have a new understanding of how humanness supports our most vulnerable students and how to apply these concepts for success in both my teaching and for student learning online. I am more self-aware of my strengths and abilities as well as recognize areas for future growth as an online teacher. I also have a new perspective as a student around what it takes to be a successful online student!
Where I am going.
I can’t imagine not incorporating each and every aspect of this class in my future teaching of online classes! Humanizing a class with all of the various tools, strategies, and even ideas for student agency is a whole new concept that I am ready for! I am going to recognize that the effort and energy put up front to support students by bringing more of me and them into the class will ultimately be less of a sage on the page and more of a guide by their side!
Liquid Syllabus
The Liquid Syllabus will be just the beginning of my intentional, asynchronous relationship with my students! It is intended to let them know that I am in this learning endeavor with them and that this class will be a collaborative learning environment. The information provided is meant to be welcoming and encourage them to explore what this class is all about before we begin the class. I attempted to humanize myself as the instructor and focused on making the aesthetics clear and concise, but also to give an overall vibe which I currently refer to as “chillax.”
Course Card
I chose this image for the Course Card because it gives a general sense of community, even a little chaos, that makes for a terrific depiction of the college experience and my class. I intend for it to be inclusive because of the array of colors and not necessarily distinct gender affiliation with each shape. The image relates to this course which focuses on the child and family within the community.
Homepage
My Homepage has made huge strides from where it was before the Humanizing Academy. I realize I made assumptions that students would just figure out how to navigate the course but now recognize that is not going to be the case for all! My Homepage is intentionally simple, giving students the basics of the class and some general direct links to the Syllabus and various ways to contact me. Since I have learned this new way to host the course homepage, I am excited to use this going forward and I assume it will be refined overtime!
Getting to Know You Survey
This Getting to Know You Survey is intended to support students through indirect kindness cues as it asks for information that will help me to support each student. The questions I ask demonstrate to students that I really care about their success in this class and that we will be working together to make a collaborative learning environment. This will be a non-threatening assignment in the Welcome and Introduction module of the class to get them engaged in the course right from the start!
Wisdom Wall
Words of wisdom, to come! I believe there is power in hearing from other students at the start of the semester or even any point in their educational journey. The Wisdom Wall is a way of indirectly connecting with others to both derive motivation around what they may undertake in my class and potentially impact one’s self-efficacy in the course.
Bumper Video
The Bumper Video reiterates my belief that each and every student matters! I think it is critical to let students know that there are instructors who really do believe in their potential to succeed. I also find it so important to provide them with the support and resources needed to achieve their goals. Sometimes I think I am just a grain of sand in their educational journey… but then there are those moments I also think there might just be that one message, or one resource that I guided them to that truly made a difference in their life!
Microlecture
Whew! This was my first, but not last, Microlecture for students to cover a particular concept. This aligns with my student learning outcome that students will be able to identify how the child develops within a system and is influenced by multiple factors of socialization. including the educational, political, and socioeconomic impacts on children and families. I think a brief overview of concepts covered in a microlecture is valuable for students to engage with the course information in a way that they are not always provided in the online dynamic.