So my introductory post was a challenge. I learned that you can’t just add a PowerPoint presentation to a Word Press blog without a plugin but I couldn’t figure out how to add the plugin. I tried so many times to add my presentation and I tried to many different ways of recording my voice on my computer but nothing would post. It was very frustrating. Then I remembered that I started to use Loom for my face-to-face class recordings at the end of Winter 2020 and added a link to my intro about me! I’m feeling pretty clever at the moment.
I like that my introductory post was consistent, i.e. what I recorded me saying directly linked to the photo of the plant my masters student gave me. 🙂 I think adding a video component would really have made a stronger connection but then again, we all hate to hear our own voices, don’t we. 😉
In my first post, I might have written more, or added some emojis as I am doing in this post. I do tend to write how I would speak and regularly use faces and exclamation points to get my points across.
Since my first post, I’m not sure my thinking has changed that much, I’ve always believed social presence is important in all my teaching. I’ve come to appreciate how challenging it can be technically to accomplish it and firmly believe that video is probably a stronger tool to encourage that presence than just a voice recording. I’ve learned that I can add to my Moodle course to tailor it a little more to my style and provide students with more information. As a new OLFM, I thought that I had to keep the course the same as it was given to me and I like the idea of adding a video welcome and an FAQ area to support students. Perhaps they’ll feel like I’ve read their minds!!! :O
I hope it’s not too late to send along my appreciation for your remarks. As I go through the course, it is very helpful for me to read how others have approached the assignments. You have a very detailed way of completing your work in this course; it helps those of us following.
I hope your teaching is going well, and that you are staying safe and healthy in these trying times.
Thanks so much! It helps me to break down what is required in the posts and to structure my thoughts. Perhaps it’s a benefit of my academic and professional background? 🙂