Guidelines for how to be "present" online
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LEE TORDA 310 Tillinghast Hall Bridgewater State University 508.531.2436 [email protected] www.leetorda.com NOTE: All classes, student meetings, and open student hours (office hours) this semester will be held virtually via Zoom. Need to make an during a time that is not an open student hour? appointment? Let me know you want to meet by adding yourself to my google.doc appointment calendar here: https://goo.gl/3CqLf and I will send you a zoom link for the time you sign up for. |
Spring 2021 Open Hours for students (office hours):
T&R 11:00-12:30 W 11:00-12:00 F 3:00-4:00 and by appointment. Click here to attend ANY of the Open Hour for Students Zoom sessions listen above. HOW TO ATTEND ZOOM CLASS Click here to attend ENGL 301 Writing & the Teaching of Writing Click here to attend ENGL 344 Young Adult Literature Click here to attend ENGL 489 Advanced Portfolio workshop. |
General Guidelines for how to be “present” in our Zoom Classroom
Our semester together will be spent online. While you might be super comfortable learning that way, I’m still figuring out how best to manage it. So we’ve got to work together to make it so this class is a great one.
First off, know that I love teaching no matter where and how I am doing it, and I promise to bring as much energy as I can to our meetings, virtual though they may be.
Also know that I understand that learning online is not everyone’s preference and that, particularly right now, in the middle of a pandemic, it’s a stressful and complicated time. So I promise to be as patient and as helpful as I can as we hit rough spots in our time together.
Here’s what I need you to do:
In general, let’s be patient with each other, and, by all means, let's be nice to each other. It’s hard enough out there without a mean English class.
Our semester together will be spent online. While you might be super comfortable learning that way, I’m still figuring out how best to manage it. So we’ve got to work together to make it so this class is a great one.
First off, know that I love teaching no matter where and how I am doing it, and I promise to bring as much energy as I can to our meetings, virtual though they may be.
Also know that I understand that learning online is not everyone’s preference and that, particularly right now, in the middle of a pandemic, it’s a stressful and complicated time. So I promise to be as patient and as helpful as I can as we hit rough spots in our time together.
Here’s what I need you to do:
- Come to any synchronous class. Not every teacher insists on attending class, but a lot happens in our class, and, if you miss it, you’ll miss a lot. And one thing I won’t do is re-teach a class you’ve missed, and I’m not going to record every class. I know there will be times when you have to miss, and I’ve made and will continue to make allowances for that. However, it is my expectation that you will zoom in to our class, on time, regularly, when the syllabus says too.
- Camera on. When you arrive in class, please have your camera on. Studies show that keeping your camera on keeps us more engaged with one another (big surprise there).
I realize that there might be occasions where you can’t have your camera on—you are getting up to get a cup of coffee (me) or you are going to the bathroom or whatever. I get it. But if you are consistently turning off your camera, I’ll have to ask why.
Additionally, if there is a reason that you can’t or don’t want to ever have your camera on, please contact me. I don’t need to know why, but we will need to determine an alternate method of making sure you are participating in class—both with me and with your classmates.
- Sound on--yes, you read right, sound ON. Here is something I learned about myself last semester: I loathe the wall of silence I am greeted by in Zoom university. My IRL classes are loud, people. We are talking, groups are working, stuff is happening. I miss that a lot. I know it will not always be convenient or possible to have your mic on, but I seriously don't care about extraneous noise--your roommates comings and goings, your baby sister asking for a snack, your mother pretending not to be listening and still asking questions about who that nut on the other side of the camera is. Whatever. Let's be fully present with each other in our weird Zoom space.
- If you need tech help, let me know ASAP. If you don’t have a camera or your internet is awful, I can put you in touch with people on campus that can get you what you need. If you don’t understand how to use something—like zoom, or google.docs, or whatever it is we are working in, tell me that too. If I can’t help you I can put you in touch with those folks who can. I’m no tech master, trust me. I know what it feels like to not know how to work something.
- Things I don’t care about: Some teachers are going to care if you are in class and also in your bed. I am not one of those people. And I don’t care if you are still in your pajamas when we meet. Clothed is some capacity is all I care about. But I’m pretty relaxed about all that other stuff. There should be some perks to never leaving our homes. I promise, however, never to teach in pajamas.
I also don’t care if you are actually eating while we are in class. I never cared when we met face-to-face; I don’t care now. And you don’t need to ask permission to get up and get food or coffee or whatever.
I also don’t care if your dog joins us for class (accidentally on purpose), your kid sister comes in to say hi, or your parents want to walk over and casually see who is running this madhouse. It’s online learning and living, and we can’t entirely control how this is gonna work.
In general, let’s be patient with each other, and, by all means, let's be nice to each other. It’s hard enough out there without a mean English class.