When I started teaching online this semester, one of the concerns I had was student engagement. Would students engage with my writing and the YouTube version of me? Would they sense my enthusiasm and concern? Could I build trust, or at minimum, a solid connection, with students without meeting them... Continue reading

I was unable to attend the web meeting on organizing. But, after viewing the recording, here is my response and thoughts: Course links - One of the key elements of creating effective/streamlined/organized course design is the “Course Link.” They’re the online equivalent of the atom: invisible, but essential in building... Continue reading

I’m a feedback traditionalist. What I mean by traditional is that I privilege the imperfectly-rendered, though acutely personal, mode of handwritten feedback. One of my students who teaches preschool recently told me that she is seeing more and more cases where her preschoolers can proficiently, even expertly, use their index... Continue reading

One of the f2f class moments that I consistently enjoy is the in-class debate. I usually devote one class to a debate related to what students are reading. One textbook I’ve used multiple semesters for this activity is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. If you aren’t familiar with this... Continue reading

Two different thoughts are on my mind after reading Warnock’s chapter and watching Anna’s videos: reading selections & converting those readings into successful discussion board conversations. My instinct tells me that I can migrate most of the readings I assign in my f2f course into my online comp course. Typically,... Continue reading

Of all weeks, this one is probably the most important topic for someone like me: a post-prefab-composition-course-instructor, who has to eventually build her own course from semi-scratch. So, I read and digested Warnock’s chapters. I watched Tony’s video twice. But, then I sat looking at a blank Word doc, watching... Continue reading

In my “prefab” or shell courses, there was little consideration of accessibility (as far as I’m aware). So, with this week’s readings, I realized that I should translate (literally and figuratively) some of my future course elements. In my f2f courses, if I have a student who has physical or... Continue reading

When it comes to LMS, I sometimes feel like I’ve learned as much as I need to "get by," so a feature that I think isn’t possible in one LMS versus another, might actually exist. So, any egregious falsehoods in this blog posting are just based on my ignorance of... Continue reading

When it comes to teaching composition online, I am in the strange position of neither neophyte, nor veteran. For about three years, I “taught” (AKA facilitated) two composition courses online for a for-profit college. This particular college’s English department built standardized, online composition courses, including readings, assignments, rubrics, etc. The... Continue reading