I hate blogging. I don’t know why – maybe because I hate conflict, and am afraid of putting something out there that others will disagree with. Maybe it’s because as a math/computer science major I’ve always considered myself more left-brained and in expressing my creative side, writing or blogging is not my go-to for enjoyment. Or maybe it’s because I’m a perfectionist and know that a blog will take me 10 hours before I’m ready to hit “post” and I simply don’t have the time for that.
Well, that changes today. In these unusual circumstances, I’m pledging to blog once a day, for a week, for a half an hour a day. It’s Monday, March 16, 2020, the first day of spring break, 2020 at St. Norbert College. Today, we will be working with many faculty who for some, are stepping outside of their comfort zone, but they’re all on board, putting their students first. So, in the spirit of stepping outside of comfort zones I will be joining them by blogging.
The professional community of instructional designers, educational technologists, teachers, and librarians have really rallied around one another, sharing resources, guidance and support. However, two pieces of wisdom have bubbled to the top for me, that I would like to share with those that are about to embark on teaching online for the first time. Jesse Stommel’s message to his students after they learned they needed to #PivotToOnline:
I’m here to support you however I can. Take care of yourself and your family first. Our class should not be your priority. Everything about this class is flexible. Whatever happens, we will work it out.
And the wise words of wisdom from Sean Michael Morris @slamteacher –
We are all still humans in this online world. Forgive and be forgiving.
