The biggest challenge in my current course (EDCI 569) has been that I continually struggle to connect the content to my own practice, and I still do. As a grade eight teacher in a middle school, there aren’t many opportunities to engage in online teaching aside form the use of a learning management system (Google Classroom, in my case). I do not expect to shift the grade level I teach in the near future, so it is also difficult not to dismiss much of the content I absorb regarding online education; while I can examine the theory in a group discussion, that tends to lose steam quickly as I have no applicability to imagine it in my own world; there’s no excitement.

With that in mind, I have to determine how exactly I can use with what I have learned in this course.

First off, don’t critique an article’s recommended methods to improve online education while in a room with online educators. It doesn’t go well.

Second, the content in this course has added a new consideration to my own planning and resource creation. As i continue to plan and develop what I teach, I’m now asking these questions as i work:

  • Can this lesson/resource be accessed, replicated, and completed by an online learner?
  • Is this work open, and will the learners response be open, and is either desired in this case?
  • Can this be easily and intuitively replicated by other teachers?

As I answer these questions per resource development, I have found that my resources are more comprehensive and inclusive. Moreover, as ShareEdBC approaches its launch date, I am motivated to develop my resources with the goal of creating OERs that can add to provincial-wide content. I do not expect to re-invent the wheel with my resources, but I do feel I can develop OERs for my grade level in this fashion, which is something I have yearned for during this course.

The most meaningful article I read was the fifth chapter in Mavs Open Press text “Creating Online Learning Experiences” allowed me to form practical ideas of how to to apply online education principles to my hard copy resources. The chapter breaks down what does and does not work in delivering practice in online learning. The emphasis on practice and seemingly honest pro/con lists were a far better resource for a practicing teacher versus an article on the merits or deficiencies of only one type/category of online education.

Furthermore, I appreciated that the chapter actually gave the reader tips and issues to remember while engaging in online education which can also be used to improve our practice as classroom teachers. For example, my grade eight students and I share the following sentiment when attending a class: “Make sure you offer a good reason for learners to be there. Don’t just repeat what is in a book or in the course already. Cover new material, have learners interact with each other, or do something that gives the learners something they can’t get in other areas of the course” (Creating Online, n.d.).

In summary, the chapter was a refreshing read. It is not a scholarly article, but I believe I found it to be what I was painstakingly looking for; something that would help my own practice and bridge it with online education. Moving forward, I have the chapter bookmarked as a tool to compare my work against, but also something to remember and use when analyzing new scholarly articles I am introduced to. Perhaps, this chapter is something that can assist in an action research approach when developing my own resources or replicating others.

One flaw of the chapter? To my cohort and instructors, I say this…

The following is wrong and it is the hill I will die on: “Instructors that ignore social media or don’t even allow learners to set-up or utilize any social media avenues. Social media is one of the a few ways to increase “teacher presence” in courses” (Creating Online, n.d).

References

Chapter 5: Effective Practices – Creating Online Learning Experiences. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2020, from https://uta.pressbooks.pub/onlinelearning/chapter/chapter-5-effective-practices/