There was this very interesting blog post today. I encourage everyone to read it:

Please do a bad job of putting your courses online

It does a good job of highlighting some of the problems we face trying to manage in this crisis while putting our classes online. However, I completely (and entirely) disagree with this article. In for a penny in for a pound!

College students are paying for this education, $10sK. We should be doing everything in our power to make sure their education is as good as possible. It is our responsibility to run toward the chaos and to be as helpful as possible.

• Hold synchronous class, but record it so students can work on it later. Students will benefit from hanging out together.
• Meet with your students often using google hangouts, zoom, or whatever.
• Facilitate your students creativity when it comes to clever use of technology. Give them multiple ways to meet their goals, but don’t hold back.
• Mentor! Help your students find solutions. Even if it is just listening to them. Your role as a mentor may quickly broaden
• Exams! Hell Yes! They are going to be hard too! But we are going to spend a lot of time talking about it, its importance (or lack thereof). I don’t have a problem with open book, but if we don’t challenge each other, we don’t learn or grow.
• Grades! I never cared about them in the first place. Let’s give As to everyone who is excellent and Bs to everyone who tries.
• Everyone tries! Listen, you work until you can’t. Then you can’t. The university has to be flexible with students that have to drop or withdraw from classes. Professors have to be flexible too.
• Create community! I always try to build community in my classes. Now we are going online. Oh well. Now we are just going to have to make a community there too.
• Be there for your students. Be ready to help in an emergency. I give my students my cell phone and tell them, if you have no one else to call, call me.
• If someone has kids or grandparents, bring them into the discussion. Broaden your classroom. MAKE COMMUNITY!

I always tell people, do you want to hire someone that runs toward the fire or away from it. Of course the answer is that you want someone who wants to be useful, helpful and runs toward the fire. It is our opportunity to make a difference. It is our opportunity to run toward the fire!

Love your students!