2.2 Reflection: Methodologies of the Online Instructor (Pass / No Pass)

My instructional methodologies can always use some tweaking and revisions. Although I have not had a teaching assignment for several years, I can see areas that would need changes in order to fully support my students. First a very explicit description of when they could expect online assignments to be graded and messages responded to. As someone pretty much constantly connected in one way or another, it would be difficult for me to "un-plug" without some rules in place. 

I would also prefer to give more control over to students on how, what and when they complete their work. In my case, it does not matter if the work is completed in a brick & mortar classroom, or in the privacy of their own home. As long as they master the materials I give them, then I would be pleased with their progress. In my class I instituted a "100% Proficiency" policy. It did not matter how long students took to master the material - however, before they could move on to the next level, they had to   prove that mastery to me by completing all assigned performance-based tasks at 100% proficient. If they missed something, I provided additional materials and practice projects to help them reach that 100% proficiency. This proved frustrating for my students {they just wanted to get done!} but it only took one or two students returning to class and announcing how THEY got the job based on their own higher level skills to help motivate other learners to continue with their learning.

An area I would like to expand to my students is providing more synchronous time together. I'm learning that it takes a long time to help teachers understand synchronous tools like Google Hangouts, Skype and Adobe Connect. But once they do, they love it. Not only does it allow us as a group to come together "in real time," it also allows everyone to share their work, discuss their challenges and successes in their own online and blended teaching, it also provides a great connection between myself as teacher and my students. Although it is hard to get a large group of people together, when it happens there always seem to be really good thing happening among the group.