The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, and now it’s already time to settle in for the first week of spring term. We’ve all done our best to get courses ready for students in a massive time crunch, and from our perspective at the Tech Hub, we can say that Chemeketa faculty are rising to the challenge!
Here are some tips from the Tech Hub faculty for a successful remote/online spring term:
Use the Rule of 2
Over the past few weeks, we’ve all seen emails, posts, and tweets encouraging us to try out new tools and best practices for the pivot to remote learning. It’s gotten overwhelming. Instead of trying to tackle everything this term, think about the bigger picture using the Rule of 2’s strategy from Plymouth State University. What are two skills you’d like students to develop by the end of the course? What are two tools that could help students get there?
Photo by Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash
Prioritize Care
This is a stressful time for all of us, and it’s easy to get held up on the small things. If you find yourself editing the “ums” and “errs” out of your video lectures, resist the urge. If your cat jumps onto your keyboard and accidently ends your Zoom session, have a good laugh. Be generous with yourself: now is not a time for perfection. Students are stressed too, so let them know you’ll be flexible with late assignments and missed participation. Above all else, we should be focused on making sure our families and communities stay healthy.
Photo by Victor Garcia on Unsplash
Think outside the (classroom) box
Teaching remotely is different from teaching face-to-face. Many practices that we actively use in face-to-face classes will be difficult to implement remotely. For example, online proctoring comes with a host of equity and accessibility concerns. What are some ways in which we can reimagine our assessments? One Chemeketa faculty member is innovating with remote group quizzes in Google Docs. Let’s brainstorm some ideas together in our drop-in office hours!
Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash
Change up the plan if needed
If your plan for the term isn’t going as expected, don’t be afraid to adapt. Even people who spend their lives in front of the camera are struggling to figure it all out. Students understand that we are all going through this together and will appreciate your flexibility. The key is to communicate changes to students with clarity. You could even get students involved by asking them what would be most beneficial to their learning during these unprecedented times.
If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Tech Hub. Don’t worry- we’ve got this!