Even though the semester doesn't officially begin until Monday, I'm back to teaching. I have three online classes. The course web sites opened yesterday and students are beginning to write their introductions. People often think online classes lack interaction, but I find they have more. I don't think in a classroom I would ever have learned that one of my students loves marathons and is going to Paris over spring break to run in a marathon there. Another is getting married this Saturday in Florida, and with the internet, obviously can do this introductory statement from there. Another immigrated from Latvia. That brings the number of countries from which I've had students now to 28, that in addition to all the diversity of U.S. born students.
In one section I have a student who lives 3 hours north of the Twin Cities and another who lives 1.5 hours south. That is what makes online so good. Think of the hours they can spend doing something else rather than driving on the highways.And think of the resources that saves, too.
And speaking of resources, seldom does anything end up on paper. Students submit electronic files, I add comments to their work, and send it back electronically. I only download and print an assignment when it is very complicated and I really need to have a visual.
And I was reading and responding to students last night at 11 PM. Can't really do that in a classroom. With the shifts our students work, online is good because they do work when it fits their schedules and I can do mine when it fits my schedule. I often start at 6:30 in the morning looking for course materials students have submitted during the night. Sometimes I find something a student submitted at 2 AM and I've reviewed and graded it by 7 AM. Again, that doesn't happen with only classroom based teaching.
Love teaching and really love teaching online.
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