Xochitl's Capstone

Effective online teachers are present within their course.

The first @One Quality Principle of Online Teaching states that 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.

This principle underscores:

• Evaluating and incorporating digital tools to support the development of a learning community;

• Providing a supportive environment for all learners;

• Incorporating tools and activities to support student-to-student interaction and presence;

• Using multiple tools to support instructor-to-student interaction.

Artifacts

Each one of these artifacts reflects what principle 1 is all about in the sense that students need and want their instructors to help them succeed. This can be done by providing a variety of learning applications that allows for content to be delivered in different formats, but still ensure learning. In order to establish a learning community, students need to feel comfortable and given the opportunity to do so. When students feel a sense of comfort in a non-threatening environment they are willing to open up and share with others what they have learned.

To help students navigate outside the course while their learning continues, I have incorporated Padlet. This tool allows students to reflect on a given topic and share their responses by using text, or other media. This artifact addresses the first criteria of principle 1 by incorporating digital tools to help support and develop a learning community. It also allows students to interact by responding to their peers.

This piece supports principle 1 and falls under the last criteria. I include a statement in my syllabus that lets students know how to contact me at any time. I provide students with different venues they can contact me such as email or Canvas inbox. By making myself available it alleviates student anxiety and helps me address student needs on an individual basis.

To better demonstrate my presence in my course I opted to use videos. This sample video was created to welcome students to my course and outlining the expectations to succeed in this online learning community. This idea resonates with standard 1 that encourages the use of media to deliver content.

In this last piece, principle 1 is addressed by implementing the first three criterion. Students are allowed to interact with each other by discussing a given prompt. Each student is encouraged to respond to at least two, but are not limited to this number. By allowing students to share they can express their inner thoughts without feeling judged or doubtful. Through the discussion board, students can build a community of learners by clarifying, responding, and supporting each others thoughts in a supportive manner.

Reflection

Before starting courses:

The whole concept of teaching online was foreign to me. When I think of learning, it occurs in the classroom with an instructor up front and student peers. This to me was being present. Looking and interacting with others while learning is key therefore, I needed to be surrounded with people.

My growth after taking courses:

In this certificate program of online teaching principles the concept of being present in any format was really clarified. It transformed the way I defined being present. Learning about proper online behavior, incorporating different learning platforms, changing how I use language to communicate, and using technology to humanize a course really helped me define my presence in an online setting.

How I plan to continue growing?

At this point, my goal is to build my online presence. The first step is to finish designing my online course; since I have never taught online. Each piece that I create I will apply what I have learned from the words I use to the different ways I will allow students to interact and be present in their learning.

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