Principle # 5: Effective online teachers recognize ongoing professional development is a central component of their success.
Prior to taking any @ONE's courses, I hated taking online classes. I was even reluctant about taking @ONE courses since I never had a pleasant experience taking an online class. The results were always the same: there was little (if any) interaction between me and the instructors or my peers, the presentation of coursework was mundane and robotic, and I was left alone throughout the entire course.
Having such an unpleasant experience being a student in online classes, the idea of teaching an online course brought great anxiety. I value the interaction I have with my students in a traditional classroom and I was afraid of losing that interaction when I teach an online course.
After taking @ONE's courses, I have learned how to incorporate in my courses teaching practices that are equitable, humanizing, and dynamic. As evidenced throughout this website, I have learned various ways of creating an online teaching environment that is far from the environment I experienced as a student. Needless to say, I am enlightened, inspired, and empowered.
I am excited to learn more about the different ways I can improve in teaching online courses. I'm looking forward to my continued growth as an online instructor and developer of online courses. I also look forward to empowering my colleagues and students with the knowledge I learn through my professional development. Most importantly, I am excited to break the static mold of archaic and mundane online courses by creating dynamic online courses that students will appreciate and enjoy.