Beneath the Snow the Wheat Sprouts
January 1–5, Amherst, MA USA
Seasonal Memoir #48
Tina and I lead what would to most would feel like dreadfully boring lives, but we do so gleefully. We like to hang out by a fire, read books and watch fluff, live vicariously through the lives of family and friends, eschew most social invitations, yell at our dog to stop barking, and walk. We really like to take walks together. Amherst has afforded us ample opportunities to get some fresh air and amble about, sometimes getting coffee, sometimes exploring new routes (which Tina always has to cajole me into doing–I like routine), and sometimes turning around because it’s too frickin’ cold and icy. Solvitur ambulando. It is solved by walking.
With the new calendar year arriving, I wrapped up my first teaching experience with Global Online Academy (GOA), where I facilitated a section of Positive Psychology to sixteen students around the world (but mostly in the United States). It was interesting to see a nearly 100% asynchronous environment in action. Long before the pandemic forced teachers into designing lessons and activities that could be done on one’s own time and at one’s own pace, GOA has been the world leader in quality online learning.
The learning and teaching experience is surely not for everyone. As a student, it takes motivation to keep up with assignments that are posted on a platform (Canvas) that they are likely not using at their brick and mortar school, with classmates that are not at their same school. But it also offers wonderful flexibility to work around one’ unique situation–we had two aspiring athletes who needed flexible schooling options–and to take courses that are not offered at traditional schools (nearly all!).
As a teacher, your “class” is virtual, and you never get to speak to them all as one group. There are some Zoom opportunities with individuals, and lots of Twist messaging, but most of your interaction is through the feedback you provide on the course’s competencies and learning outcomes (not to mention from students asking for extensions or ways to improve their grade). Slowly, over time, you can feel a connection forming, though for the students who don’t engage fully in the course, you never connect. They feel like a figment. I wonder about this.
GOA is setting a high bar with its mission, and its push for belonging, equity, and competency-based learning. It requires significantly more time and attention than traditional education, and that’s a good thing, as the kids deserve better. It leaves me feeling, however, a bit cynical about educational reform that relies solely on the teachers and their ability to shift their pedagogy. I felt like a novice in this virtual classroom, but I grew a lot as a teacher, because I put hours and hours into it, and took candid feedback from my students. Are our teachers ready for such a commitment, and do schools have the courage to put the resources behind this approach (time, training, etc.)?
