Entry #11: On Teaching in Cyberspace Pt. I

First and foremost, my previous online classes at CSULB are nothing compared to this class, which is to say, I know what I have to do and I feel personally invested in learning. However, in my first few rounds of virtual learning, I was in complete hell. I hated online classes because I felt absolutely no personal investment in the class and the subject, and everything that Warnock and Gasiewski describe is not at all like my experiences with online classes. I will say, Warnock is very virtual "hands on," and for good reason - they need it. Sure, for him, many of these students are continuing their first year of year-long coursework in English composition; for me, I was already close to finishing my Bachelor's degree / I was in my teaching credential program. The thing is, no matter how much "knowledge" or schooling you have, nothing can compare to those for couple of online courses. Quite honestly, I know that I was held accountable for not doing well. I could have emailed the professor and let her know that I was completely lost, found Beachboard incredibly confusing and hard to manage, but I couldn't tell her that I was struggling because I felt no connection to the course. As I read these chapters of Warnock's virtual scaffolding techniques and Garsiewski's attempts at interpreting and deconstructing Warnock's virtual instructions and discussion boards, I think, "Wow, at least they are trying to figure out their teacher-student relationship," which is so important regardless of the setting. Warnock's use of memos as formative assessments was genius, because it adds a personal touch and connection to the teacher, conditioning students to become comfortable emailing their professors to de-stigmatize any preconceived fears or anxieties. So far, so good!