For me, it is the first week of the July quarter for my online 12 week English Composition class. My students are having the usual problems like "How do I find my online textbook?" or "How do I find my Canvas classroom?" or "Where is my Canvas classroom?"
As we all know, three factors influence student success in an online classroom--Social Presence, Cognitive Presence and Teaching Presence. During the first week of class, it is essential that the teacher establish right away Social Presence. That is the teacher must establish a bond with the students and make students realize you are more than a name on the computer screen.
SOCIAL PRESENCE
Create a welcome video
You need to make a welcome video where you introduce yourself. Use screencastomatic and you can have a power point of yourself where you present your education, your credential, your family pictures, your dog, your hobby, to your students. Once students see that you are a human being, they are more likely to come to you with questions, or participate in your forums.
Engage in the forums to make each student feel welcome.
After you post your welcome video/bio into the forums, then answer each and every student as they post their introductions in the introduction forum. If you miss even one student, then that student will feel rejected or left out. Make sure you greet each and every student.
Ask Icebreaker Questions to break the ice
I sometimes will ask off the ball questions like, if a magic genie were to come and ask you for three wishes, what would those three wishes be?
COGNITIVE PRESENCE
Get to know what students want from the class
Cognitive Presence is the ability for teachers to know what students want from the class. Ask students questions about their goals for that class. Get a general idea of what the whole class wants from the writing class.
Ask students directly what they want from the class.
You can put these goal oriented questions as a writing prompt for students to answer in their introduction. As I greet each student, I ask them what they want from the class. I also make sure each student has their textbooks.
TEACHING PRESENCE
Make sure you answer student email right away especially that first week
During that first week, students are panicked. They are new to the class. Be there for them and project a confident comforting demeanor so students feel comfortable coming to you for questions.
Start introducing the core concepts of the class
Introduce what you will be teaching in the class and get students ready for the weeks to come. For me, I start off right away with mini lessons on writing and asking reading questions to make sure they have done the reading.
Make a lot of Announcements posts
I have learned how to use the announcement tool very well. I have posted announcements on how to find the textbook, who to contact for which emergency, my contact information, my bio,. assignments for Week 1, Practice Quiz tips for their Week 1 quiz etc and class navigation tips.
Email students on first day to see how they are
I emailed students to introduce myself and I will email them all again in Week 2 to make sure they have their bearings and have no questions about the class or its assignments. In general, students like the 'how are you doing?' email because they realize that the teacher cares for them--that is the hallmark of Teaching Presence.
As my students post one by one during this first week, I am greeting each student, learning each student nickname, writing down on a spreadsheet my student interests, and right now just getting to know my class. After all, we will be together for 12 weeks. I will blog week by week how my class is doing. They are all coming in one by one. This first week is one hectic one as my school has just transferred over to Canvas so we are all learning how to use this new LMS.
So far, so good! :)
What tips do you have for the first week of class?
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