Should we be teaching students to use the internet appropriately or should we be protecting them with blockers? Many blockades are placed in the way of educators trying to use online learning. Some of the hardest to overcome are from the federal and state governments. Instead of teaching children to make good choices and use the internet safely and appropriately, we are required by the government to provide blockades to “protect” children from the worst of the internet. Without a sufficient number of blockades the government will refuse to provide funding for access to the internet for our students. This requirement causes 2 major problems: 1) the students do not learn how to use the internet appropriately and 2) bright children feel challenged to break the blockades instead of using their energies constructively.
"I think instructors as well as students should be on a "timed" process. Instructors need to lead through example."
Having recently read an article on how to be a successful online instructor, I started to think about how my teaching style has changed over the last 3 years. My early experiences in teaching in a masters of education program were all traditional, face to face classes. When I retired from the Chicago Public Schools, I thought I would continue teaching those courses as a part time job to fund my travels. Unfortunately life does not always go the way we planned. My mother who was in her mid-eighties and still living on her own, had a serious injury and needed to have constant help. After several family conferences we decided to have Mom move in with my husband and me. Do to her need of constant help I decided to try to find a part time job teaching online. Putting out my resume brought back an offer for a full time position which would allow me to work from my home teaching online. Although I had some concerns about teaching online, I decided to give it a try. As I became more comfortable with the various online tools I started to find this an exciting way to teach.
"grouping each component is better for the student and easier for me to view/revise."
