Where I am.
After completing my course review I am, perhaps more than ever, aware of just how much work still needs to be put into this course. I really never conceived until I started laying out all the parts what it was going to mean to put everything together. I must admit that at one point this week, I was pretty frustrated. As I was plodding along, working on my course, I realized that I wasn’t getting very far, very fast and that the amount of work required seemed ridiculous. My emotions ran the spectrum from a little bit of anger at being asked to complete a task that I didn’t entirely think was realistic, to disappointment in myself that, even though I thought I had caught up, I obviously was still just treading water. I’ve settled somewhere in the middle but regardless I decided to just put and shut up and make my way through the remainder of the course development process.
In terms of what I need to complete my online course, I need a few things – the largest of which is more time. I am simply running out of hours in the day to do things (by the way, in case anyone remembers from the beginning of the semester, we are still trying to buy a house… the most frustrating process ever). I also need Moodle to cooperate. It is doing things that are unexpected and it can be very frustrating. But I believe I have all the basic tools, ideas, documents, and outlines I need – it just has to come all together.
As far as what I’ve learned about myself – I’ve learned that I need to stop biting off more than I can chew and try and focus my efforts and one or two tasks and do them really well. This summer has been a testament to how not to pace one’s self. Surprisingly, I’ve learned that I actually like online teaching and really think it may have a place in the high school curriculum someday. I can absolutely say that I would not have thought that 10 weeks ago.
Finally, I’ve decided that theory is easy and practical application is a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Teaching presence, in particular is critical at the early stages of course development because it is your thoughts, ideas, notions, and movements that will either make or sink your students course. I’ve constantly considered and reconsidered the importance of my role as the teacher as I’ve laid out Module after Module. And as can often happen, I’ve realized that theory isn’t always easily (or even possibly) applied to the real world.
Three more weeks to go – I think I’m going to make it. (3)
