Dr. J's Blog

The shift to virtual learning which occurred in 2020 may have changed higher education in a profound manner, even after the crisis that caused the transition to occur is finally resolved. Students who have never taken an online class now realize they can learn in this manner. Yet many educators who never taught in this environment understand teaching online is not easier than teaching in a traditional classroom. A lack of visual and verbal cues presents an immediate learning curve for anyone who is just starting to teach online. In addition, the learning management system alone cannot be relied upon as the reason why students succeed in this type of environment. However, virtual learning has already established a proven track record of meeting the needs of students.

One of the...

If you have not received the Educator Resources newsletter this month, please enjoy the theme this month: The Power of Your Words as an Educator.

Below is an excerpt and a link to the entire newsletter.

The world is in the middle of a crisis, the likes of which most people have not experienced in their lifetime. The fear of an unknown "enemy" is perhaps more frightening than any previous threat. This crisis has caused almost all classes to move to an online platform, which means educators are no longer interacting with their learners face-to-face. While there are methods of directly connecting, such as virtual meeting rooms, the physical presence is absent. This makes the use of static words our primary form of communication, and one which must be carefully...

Online educators have been implementing the work-at-home model long before there was the 2020 crisis. Some referred to it as "teaching in your pajamas" – because of the nature of the job, which often meant for many, working a full-time position during the day while teaching as an adjunct during the evening hours. Those who are in a full-time position may still find themselves working during both daytime and evening hours, simply due to the needs of the learners and the requirements of classroom management. I've been in both roles over the past 15 years, and my ability to balance a professional and personal life has come about through time and practice.

While the roles may have a slight variation from one online school to the next, the requirements are generally the same. To be...

We live in an unprecedented time with higher education being disrupted, as traditional classes are being moved online, at least for the time being. Whether or not this will continue for any length of time remains to be seen. This has occurred at an interesting time for the field of distance learning as many of the for-profit schools have closed, and the growth of new online schools has slowed. The number of online schools growing is limited, and competition comes from traditional schools offering online classes.

With a move of traditional classes to an online platform, there is a challenge for many educators to adapt to a virtual environment. Those educators who teach in this environment already, such as myself, are already accustomed to creating a virtual presence. However,...