Time for planning and brainstorming: A must have for hybrid courses

I am a big fan of brainstorming and reflection  as both a teacher and a learner. Of course I'm also a fan of  Dewey and Schon-great thinkers who emphasized reflection as a necessary part of learning.  Shhh-I just shared my geeky side-don't tell anyone! It might ruin my 'hip' reputation!

As a teacher, I have always struggled to find time for reflection.When our plates are full (as they often are), reflection is the first to go! We've got classes to get ready for, classes to teach, scholarly work to do, throw in a little service or practice...you get the picture. Yet without reflection, how do we improve? If we don't take the time to ask "what worked? what didn't?" then we might make the same foibles next year. Also, the LESS we reflect, the LESS we ask students to reflect! Reflecting before teaching has always helped me answer the big questions: What is the take home message? How can I best reach the students on this concept? Will they remember this in 1 day, 1 month, 1 year? What about 2 or 10 years?

As I prepare for my first hybrid entry level class, I find that time for brainstorming and reflection are even more in demand! Why? When I move my content away from a "lecture" focus, I must think long and hard about the types of  activities that will promote learning without distracting the students. I worry about the time it takes for students to FIND information, then also process it AND apply it!

Similar to the face-to-face classroom, I am trying to avoid monotony: In the classroom, I moved around, changed the pace of the lecture, started with a story or an anecdote! Likewise, I can begin a unit with a video one week and a reading another! However, I have relinquished control of timing, pace, and order in this new hybrid format. So, I need to ponder, think, run ideas by my colleagues, all in the name of making sure I've thought the idea through to fruition.

Yesterday, the faculty got together and presented our fall courses to one another. First-I am so proud of this crew-they are amazing. Second, I learned so much from them! The BONUS is that during this together time, rather than just being another mandatory (which it is) and boring (which it isn't) meeting, it was actually a solid time for both brainstorming and reflecting. The results--priceless!

I close with a picture of our wipe board in our conference room-by the end of the session we were able to agree on a schedule of time/dates for our on-campus days with some lobbying (Keiba) and good organization (Melissa) and flexibility (Kendall). Muchas Gracias!