1) If the promises are too good to be true, then they likely aren't true.
2) Teaching and grading are different.
3) This is a JOB, not a hobby.
So this rant is brought to you by certain,
dare I say it? yes I dare
RUDE
IrritatingPeople
who have been disrespectful about E Teaching.
Hey gang here's the truth
Shopping for Online Learning is like Car Shopping. The better prepared the buyer, the better the experience. If you go in unprepared thinking we're all alike, you may get lucky and find what you are looking for, but more likely you will find the experience wanting.
Why? Because different Online experiences have significant differences. They range from correspondence school to University level and everything in between. If you want some tips see the organizations on the Pedagogy in Practice page
What I do for a living is teach. Many people are surprised by that because I work online. They think everything is set to automatic, and while that is one form of online learning typically used in credit recovery models and some of the less dynamic schools (personally I am not a huge fan so I am being upfront about the bias), it is not the best form.
Good online schools meet the learners where they are and build them up from there. I work with everyone from the struggling kid who is failing regular school, to the advanced kid who is trying to jumpstart college. I can honestly tell you I have more communication and more direct effect on their learning now than I ever did face to face.
Finally, let me say that I do sit around and eat bon bons in my jammies, but that does not make my job any less tiring. I work every day of the year, even Holidays. I work any hour my students need me, and some of them do not share my timezone. There are no longer summers, evenings nor weekends in my life. I literally have to engineer exit times, just to have a meal with my family. and when I do engineer those times, the work is always waiting for me in spades when I return, because there are no subs in online. So yes, there are perks, but my job is every bit as grueling as yours.
Rant complete. Thanks, I feel better :)
Shopping for Online Learning is like Car Shopping. The better prepared the buyer, the better the experience. If you go in unprepared thinking we're all alike, you may get lucky and find what you are looking for, but more likely you will find the experience wanting.
Why? Because different Online experiences have significant differences. They range from correspondence school to University level and everything in between. If you want some tips see the organizations on the Pedagogy in Practice page
What I do for a living is teach. Many people are surprised by that because I work online. They think everything is set to automatic, and while that is one form of online learning typically used in credit recovery models and some of the less dynamic schools (personally I am not a huge fan so I am being upfront about the bias), it is not the best form.
Good online schools meet the learners where they are and build them up from there. I work with everyone from the struggling kid who is failing regular school, to the advanced kid who is trying to jumpstart college. I can honestly tell you I have more communication and more direct effect on their learning now than I ever did face to face.
Consider this, my typical classroom had 20 plus students whom I spoke with mostly as a group for 45 minutes in a day. In my online class, I can meet with a student for hours by phone, IM, online meeting rooms. I can have one on one exchanges daily with every kid. I can give instant feedback, and tailor it in ways I only dreamed of before.
Finally, let me say that I do sit around and eat bon bons in my jammies, but that does not make my job any less tiring. I work every day of the year, even Holidays. I work any hour my students need me, and some of them do not share my timezone. There are no longer summers, evenings nor weekends in my life. I literally have to engineer exit times, just to have a meal with my family. and when I do engineer those times, the work is always waiting for me in spades when I return, because there are no subs in online. So yes, there are perks, but my job is every bit as grueling as yours.
Rant complete. Thanks, I feel better :)
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