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Community college students are more likely to come from underserved populations and are inclined to feelings of self-doubt in academic settings. When learning online, our students need to know they have an instructor who cares and is there to support them, and that they are part of a vibrant learning community. Effective online teachers mindfully cultivate their presence at the course level and one-on-one with students. These interactions foster a relationship based on trust, which is the foundation of a learning community.
For me, equity is coming alongside a student where they are at and helping them get to where they want/need to be.
Reflections
Reflections
Where I was.
Where I was.
In the past, I had a very strict late policy and rarely accepted assignments past the due date. I also used a discussion rubric that did not support students who did not do well on the prompt. If students missed an assignment, I would just put a zero in the gradebook with no feedback or comment.
Where I am.
Where I am.
After taking the Equity course, I revised my late policy. This was a big ah-ha comment during the Equity course. I had come down with a horrible cold and completely forgot to submit an assignment. The instructor provided feedback in the SpeedGrader that said, "Is everything okay? You usually submit your work early. It is unusual that you did not submit your assignment on time. Let's chat!". I couldn't believe that I had spaced-out on an assignment and it was so reassuring to know that my instructor cared about me and knew that it was not my normal habit to miss an assignment. I immediately adopted this approach in my courses by providing supportive feedback on missing assignments and made modifying the late policy in my course syllabus.
In conjunction with the Dynamic Discussions @One course, I am utilizing a coaching rubric that is much more supportive to students who do not earn full credit while also giving encouragement to students who meet all criteria.
Where I'm headed.
Where I'm headed.
I have two strategies I would like to start deploying in the upcoming semester. I can start emailing students (a day before the due date) directly who have not posted in the discussion forum, reminding them that their participation in the weekly discussions is valuable to the entire class. I would also like to send personalized emails to students who complete assignments early in the week, thanking them for their hard work so they know that I recognize their efforts.
Examples
Examples
OER/ZTC Work Group
OER/ZTC Work Group
The Equity course reaffirmed my passion to provide students course content at no cost. I strongly believe that textbook costs should not be a barrier to education. I am co-chair of the OER/ZTC Work Group. Part of my work is to support faculty who are interested in adopting Open Educational Resources to replace traditional publisher textbooks. I believe that all students should have equal access to learning materials on day 1.
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