I is for Insight

Some letters of the alphabet are far easier than others...insight, integrity, influence, involvement, inevitable. Let's look at the importance of insight when dealing with learners, whether virtual or on-the-ground.

Insightful conversations with students and colleagues are critical. People want to be heard and just listening can accomplish a great deal. Although the phone isn't most people's first communication choice anymore, nothing will ever replace the sound of a sympathetic voice whether delivered via cell phone, webinar, or Skype. If your presence is "too virtual" and you don't appear real to the stakeholders, learning and productivity will diminish. You start with how you fashion and post your personal introduction to students, and continue letting "you" shine in every interaction.

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Insight is important when it comes to really knowing your students' capabilities. Just because the world assumes students know exactly what they are doing with all technology, I don't make that assumption and you shouldn't either. While the under-thirty age group is less afraid to experiment and has grown up with technology, using technology properly is fundamental, not secondary, in promoting its use for education. Additionally, we know all educators are not on board with integrating technology into curriculum pursuits, whether in a blended model or fully online, and teachers who are have a responsibility to help fellow educators be successful. We can not assume those around us, whether students or teachers, have all the tools they need to learn via computer. Improvements happen so fast in the online world, I often hear "I did not know that!" several times a day.

Impression is another word that comes to mind. First impressions linger and it is hard to change them. This is why the tone and voice in your emails, right from the beginning, are so vital. We have all received emails where we made an assumption about the sender after we read the first sentence.

I had one adult who always wrote very terse sentences and used all capital letters. I couldn't figure out what I had done to make her angry, and it wasn't until I called her and asked that I learned she was visually impaired and the best way to see what was on the screen was to write in all caps. I breathed a sigh of relief, shared with her my unfounded fears, and cleared the way for an ongoing relationship. I encouraged her to share her impairment with her instructors so they knew she wasn't angry, giving them the opportunity to offer more assistance as needed. (I made a mental note to not always assume every email writer knows all caps equal shouting.) It is a plus educators are moving to greater use of podcasts, audios, and videos in classroom settings, as these more clearly deliver the personal touch teachers need to offer.

Reflection: Make the time and take personal responsibility to be introspective about your own perspective! Assumptions are not your friend in the virtual world. Reach out and clarify to gain insight!

H is for Home

Home is one of the many reasons why students and teachers enjoy the virtual education world. Sophisticated technology has opened doors to innovative ways to teach and learn. And here we are standing on that cutting edge.

Home is a place of comfort and support, and has as many definitions as there are places to call home. Wherever home is, successful educators and students have learned quickly how to avoid the distractions. You have no choice but to ignore the piles of laundry, dirty dishes, scattered toys, and blaring television shows. Ignore the knowledge that no one can "see" you in your work space, thereby allowing for whatever flexibility looks like to you. Make sure your definition is not too flexible. Finally, ignore those things you would rather be doing: online games, weeding, reading, texting, instant messaging, talking. You simply must stay on task.


Honesty is key. Many students will insist they are on task. After all, courses are online and that's where you are: always online. Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. For instance, how many tabs are open in your browser window and on your tool bar as you read this blog post? When you are trying to work, to study, close most of them. A minute on Facebook turns into fifteen; a quick word game turns into a rematch; and one searched article turns into two and then three. Being in a home office or workroom is a privilege, but it can be so easily abused. How many corners do you cut in a day?

I often have asked students or teachers to do their own private time and motion study, an honest accounting by ten minute blocks of how our day really looks. Do we have childcare or are we constantly trying to work while juggling babies and dirty diapers and snacks? Do we dash out for the missing gallon of milk or a "quick doctor's appointment," losing two hours of our day? How efficient would our day be if we honestly made changes? Both students and teachers need to own the decisions made concerning the privilege of working from home, and constantly check we are making the right decisions.

Help students understand how to use the responsibility of being at home wherever that may be. Sleeping until noon just isn't the best plan. School is your job and theirs and if the schedule isn't reasonable, the job isn't getting done. If you could watch a student work online for a day or could do a video of your own work habits, it would be apparent only a regular routine leads to completion and success.

Remember, for many students, wherever they live and work, as the teacher, you ARE home for them. Be the role model and inspiration they seek.

Reflection: Challenge yourself to start and end your work day on a traditional time card grid. Ignore distractions, take a set lunch break, and stop at 5 PM. How did that work for you? For your students?

G is for Glass

Glass...or glasses. Improve our vision, allow us to see better, more clearly. The ultimate goal of a teacher is to make things clearer; the end result for a learner is for things to become clearer. A student can "see" when we give them the best information, the best tools, and a chance. Simple, yes?

Glass is transparent, something which students often are, even while believing they are an enigma to everyone, or hard to understand. They need discipline, firm and reasonable guidelines, understanding, patience, and love. The more we use these guidelines, the more transparent students become as they increasingly trust the instructor who cares.

Glass is made from simple elements: sand, limestone, soda ash, and borax. Hard to imagine from such simple powders comes the array of glass in the world. Can you pull the analogy from this on your own? We are working and learning in a technologically sophisticated environment, but we need to remember the basic elements at play: ability to read and relate, willingness to listen and learn from our students and colleagues and experts, and above all else, the recognition of how different every student is and what he brings to the kaleidoscope of our classrooms no matter where those classrooms are located. So simple yet so complex.

Glasses are in one of four conditions: half full, half empty, full, or empty. While there is a reality to each state, how we view each reality is a "state" of mind. How do you view your students' need or desire to learn? Which one indicates an enduring belief in the right of every child to learn? And what does each condition say about a teacher's mindset?

Glass is durable but also fragile. One wrong move and it can be shattered. Sometimes even our best intentions can end up shattering self-esteem or an eagerness to learn or teach. And just as a person's view of self, once damaged, is often beyond repair, so too a glass once broken, is impossible to reassemble perfectly. However, the good news comes in a description of the final element used in glass making: cullet. Cullet is recycled glass, added to the process to strengthen the final product and shorten the length of time it takes to heat the elements to a molten state.

The parallel? Even a student severely behind grade level, one who is disenchanted with learning, or one who has had few positive learning or teaching experiences can be recycled and made stronger through the exposure to those who care. There is no time limit for this - even disenfranchised college students can be infused with the excitement of learning. A person is strengthened by joining with others. Makes simple yet profound sense when you consider how this plays out daily in our lives. No one teaches or learns in complete isolation, invigorated instead by community.

Reflection: Set a glass on your desk and look at it throughout your day. Are you up to the glass making challenge?

F is for Fit

A classic explanation given to students and parents who seek information about online learning programs, college courses, or blended learning experiences is a commentary on what makes a good fit between learner and school. Can the instructor make a determination about whether a student is in the right place for the right reason? And if the student insists on enrollment, can the program and teaching approach adapt to the student's unique needs or expectations? I believe both questions can be answered with a yes. First, a look at the markers which give a good prediction for success.

Flexibility is a clear and early indicator for success. Online coursework is organized in a sequential form which makes sense, but a student is often free to alter the pathway to complete work in a sequence that makes sense to him or her. The instructor needs to be flexible to work with students at their pace, while making sure the start and end dates are clearly messaged. The older the student, the more life interferes and students have the responsibility to stay in conversation with the instructor while the teacher needs to be flexible enough to support unique student needs so he can have success.

Freedom can open wonderful doors to increased learning, but it can also provide a serious pitfall for a student or teacher who does not know how to either construct it or handle it. With the rich depth of
lessons and supplemental activities offered, a student needs to be guided by teachers to learn pacing, overview, review, and completion strategies. Scheduling our interaction with students ("I will be online for your questions from 5:00-6:00 PM" or "Work turned in by 5:00 PM today will be returned by 5:00 PM tomorrow") creates a role modeling opportunity for task completion and commitment, the best gift we can give students. Freedom in online learning and teaching while, for some, is as simple as where we do our jobs, offers a framework for life and job success. Freedom comes with responsibilities.

Failure, the obvious opposite of success, is a good indication of the student's needs and a teacher's oversight. Online coursework opens the door to procrastination. If you don't need to appear at any given time in a classroom, "doing it tomorrow" or "later" can be seductive. Flexibility is good; failure, however, can become a pattern and self-fulfilling prophecy. Jobs, family, finances rarely allow such liberties and so teaching prioritizing of tasks is critical.

Online teaching and learning has been undergoing a maturation process for nearly two decades. Education and educators have been redefined multiple times and that definition isn't done. We do our students a great service when we assist them with knowing how they fit into the bigger picture. For now, some learners no matter their age just do better in a physical classroom with a physical instructor present. But does that necessarily preclude accessing the benefits of online curriculum? Think blended, training, and maturity.

So what makes for an excellent online teacher? Highly-qualified and certified/degreed? Check. Professional and creative? Check. Flexible and technologically savvy? check times two. Add the eagerness to learn, a positive attitude, and the ability to be a strong communicator mixed with focus and commitment to excellence, and the fit is good.

Reflection: Consider all types of fits: a close fit, a bad fit, a perfect fit, a forced fit. Which one are you? And more importantly, which one describes each of your students when you assess connections to the school, curriculum, and success? How do you go about making their fit a positive?