I have been learning and teaching online since 2003. I took an MA program on education specializing in curriculum and technology and a PhD program on educational leadership specializing in curriculum and instruction online at the University of Phoenix. The instructors modeled what I consider effective online learning through their facilitation. I fell in love with the process of online learning because it offers opportunities to learn about life.
Not everyone is open to learning online nor to being a learner. I say that teachers have the hardest time in the role of a student. I guess teaching has its price. I teach teachers (mostly in higher education) how to Moodle. A participant in a course I'm leading has articulated her sense of failure as she sought for help.
The feedback loop of failure coupled with the feeling of wasted time is spoiling the experience for me. I'd love to hear from others as to how it is so easy for them ... or on suggestions on how to get out of a loop that feels destructive rather than productive.
This is a huge question. I would consider that as the W of a KWHL strategy and fill in the rest. Online learning has taught me a lot about myself and how to cope with my immediate needs. One way was to search for the answer. But looking for answers or the H part of the equation required time which I didn't have. So, the next I had to now cope with time. I had to come up with survival strategies to mange myself and what turned out to be more about me than what was happening in the course. It was not my peers, the teacher, or the content/assignments of the course. I decided to take the challenge and learn about me as a learner and eventually person, Yes, the H brought me to mindfulness, too.
What I love about online or distance learning is that it's about lifelong learning. Exposure to the online learning environment improved my overall outlook on life. The online learning environment offers opportunities to learn more than the content if we let it. We can learn about our emotions and how we cope with them. You have been exposed to the online environment as a student. You may find it interesting to compare how you feel as a teacher in your own courses. I bet you will be on top of things in your Moodle courses. In my opinion and only mine, it's not easy for teachers to take the role of a student.
The participants of my doctoral research study discussed similar lines of thinking when it came to teaching online. They were all instructors of blended online learning programs at universities around the globe. They felt that online learning changed how they viewed themselves, others, and life in general. They felt that they gained openess and greater confidence by teaching/learning online. I would love to continue the research and write about change and the online learning experience.
Botton line: I would use mindfulness meditation practice to get out of the loop.
I also follow a why attitude to my life. Robbins has some interesting ideas on emotions and how they drive us:
I have been practising mindfulness through meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, the Silva Method and the Alexander Technique since the early 90s. The practice involves lifelong learning and joyful living. You are invited to join and share your experiences.
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