Humanizing Online STEM Showcase
Sharyn Sotelo, Mathematics Instructor, Saddleback 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 taking this Humanizing Stem Academy, there were many online teaching and learning principles that had crossed my mind, but I never thought I would take away so many more important elements to the online learning environment. I did not know that my “imperfect human presence” is important to my online students' learning or that “warm demander pedagogy encourage students to apply themselves at a higher level and build intellectual capacity.”
Where I am.
I am glad to be a part of this academy. It is truly one of the best professional developments I have participated in. I have gained more knowledge than I expected. Not only did I learn about the different teaching components such as the “get to know you survey and the bumper video” but the tools like Adobe Creative Cloud and Express that are used to create these teaching components.
Where I am going.
I will carefully reflect on the courses that I have taught and work on areas I think can improve upon by utilizing the tools and the humanizing elements I’ve learned from this class. I will then apply them to my future courses both online and in person. I will also build upon what I have created in this academy, such as building more robust activities around student-to-student interactions; remembering to provide warm and wise feedback that supports high standards, effect, ability, and specific action via text, voice, and/or video; and create short videos using Adobe Express to introduce a new module or concept.
Liquid Syllabus
My Liquid Syllabus will allow me to establish trust and demonstrate that I care about my students' learning before my course begins. It includes my short humanizing welcome video, what students can expect from me and what I expect from them, the first week’s success kit, advice for success, and links to other on-campus recourses and support to help students get started.
Course Card
I picked this course card for my online class because it shows a group of students collaborating happily on their laptops. I want to convey that message to my students that is exactly how I would like our class to be, welcoming and helping each other through this journey together.
Homepage
My homepage is simple but provides just the essential and critical information for students to get started with week 1. It includes a short friendly message in text and video welcoming students to class. Due to it’s simplicity, it allows students to easily navigate to the getting starting button to begin their first task.
Getting to Know You Survey
My “Getting to Know You” survey will fit in at the end of the orientation module right after students are given all the essential information they need to begin the course, and before they start their assignments in the Week 1 module. By having students take this survey at the start of the term, I will have the opportunity to learn about them and make notes of any concerns they may have, so I can create a plan to support their learning. To support student learning, I may need to communicate with students through different mediums such as text, voice, or video, meet with them via Zoom for extra help, provide a detailed weekly progress report letting them know how they are doing, or provide an actionable plan so they can succeed. Some of the questions I plan to ask are:
What would you like me to call you? Sometimes we have a middle name or a nickname we prefer to go by.
What is the best way to reach you? (If email, text, or phone, please provide)
What can I do to support you?
Ice Breaker
I believe this ice breaker activity will foster a sense of belonging by connecting students through sharing and listening to each other’s views of what matters to them using Flip. In this activity, I will have students share an object that conveys their core values in voice or video. Then they are to listen to their peers’ initial responses and choose two to reply to that resonate with them.
Bumper Video
This bumper video serves as an introduction to a trigonometry topic, which I will embed in one of my course modules. I hope this short, narrated video will provide enough background to help students understand one of the foundations to evaluate trigonometric functions. It explains the relationships between the sides and angles of a special right triangle, specifically the 30-60-90 degree triangle.
Microlecture
This microlecture fits within the design of my course because it “serves as a powerful learning component in online or hybrid courses.” It allows me to provide a short video concept that focuses on a specific learning objective. Students can also watch it at their own pace, pausing or rewinding as they see fit. I chose to solve a trigonometric equation that takes on a quadratic form through an example that directly aligns with one of our learning objectives. By providing color-coded, detailed step-by-step instructions on how to solve the equation, I hope it will improve students’ learning experience.