Testimonials

What did participants say about their "online" professional learning experience? 

Following are participants' evaluation comments regarding what they liked and what they learned at the Fall 2020 and Fall 2021 Great Online Teaching Seminars as well as the 2021 Virtual Red Rock Great Teaching Retreat. Their comments have been roughly organized into THREE common themes: 

1. Value of Teachers Teaching Teachers and Sharing Their Ideas Across Disciplines

• I liked the interactive nature of the workshop, and the chance to learn from other dedicated professionals, and share experiences with colleagues from diverse disciplines who all have a common passion for teaching and educating.

• I am always open to hear about things that others have incorporated into their online courses, so I think having a place to share and receive this type of information is perfect. I think this seminar should be made available to faculty every semester. I especially like conversing with faculty from other disciplines as this brings ideas to mind that I have not thought about.

• The Great Teacher's workshop was not only inspiring and instructive, but also fun! I found it to be a very worthwhile investment of my time. Much of the information, strategies, and approaches shared among participants will be incorporated into my own courses, and will certainly enhance my teaching effectiveness, and promote more productive student engagement.

• I liked the interaction with my colleagues and getting to learn about them and their ideas and passions.

• I learned to be vulnerable as a teacher. I learned to be enthusiastic about the subject I am teaching. I learned that video conferencing can be an effective teaching tool. I learned that inspiring students is a big part of my job as an instructor.

• Helping students truly learn is a fundamental part of being a great teacher, but it is just a part of a greater whole, which whole I am coming to better understand. This conference is helping me to do that.

• I learned too much to list. Other teachers brought up several ideas that I will use in my teaching.

• I am new to teaching so I was able to learn a lot from other teachers on how to improve teaching my classes.

• I liked that I learned from other teachers so everything was relevant and can be used.

2. Seminar Structure, Small Groups, Breakout Sessions, Variety, and Pace

• I liked the diversity of the attendees, their advice, opinions, and discussions were valuable. I liked the structure of the Seminar overall.

• The small number of participants allowed for smaller group sizes in the breakout sessions. This allowed each member to expand on the topics they wanted to share, discuss and gain suggestions/alternatives.

• I liked the small group settings. It forced interaction, which is sometimes hard for me to do when the conferences are so large.

• The video conferencing software functioned well for this online conference and allowed for discussion to flow easily. The breakout sessions were a cool feature.

• I enjoyed it. I liked the ability to be put into groups using the break-out rooms. I liked being able to look at everyone's face as the seminar was proceeding.

• I liked the online/video conferencing approach. I am not a social butterfly and do not enjoy meeting new people. I prefer to stay to myself. I feel that I probably participated more this way than I would have in person.

• The three topics that we were asked to share ahead of time I think really helped me to prepare for the sessions and become more engaged in the topics.

• I was skeptical about this being online, but it worked surprisingly well.

• I really liked how the Breakout Rooms worked.

• Good variety of topics and the quick pace. 

3. Positive, Productive Experience Getting to Know Other Teachers and Seeking Solutions to Teaching Problems/Challenges 

• Every part of the teaching retreat was a great experience. I was able to meet very nice people. I was able to discuss the problems which I had related to my online classes. Many faculty provided great teaching tips to increase student engagement in and out of the classes. Overall it was a nice learning curve.

• It was a positive experience. It was helpful in many ways. The most valuable was in getting to know my fellow teachers.

• I loved seeing the faces of the other teachers. I was able to give some positive feedback to several of them. I received positive feedback as well.

• Everyone's willingness to share their successes and what they need help with.

• Hearing from colleagues that are experiencing the same things that I am.

• I learned that for some of the issues I struggle with, I am not alone.

• I enjoyed the casual and positive nature of the retreat.