From the teacher’s point of view, the virtual classroom is the same as a real classroom. Actually, I should say it is virtually the same (no pun intended!). There are of course differences, but the basic exchange of knowledge between teacher and students is there. Equally important, the feeling of connecting with my students is there. We may be in cyberspace, but nonetheless, we are in the same space.

When the first student arrives in the virtual classroom, it feels strikingly similar to how it feels when that first person arrives in a real classroom. I make small talk before the class starts. Rather than discussing the weather, I ask whether there were problems logging in. When most students have arrived, I begin the class. Just like in an auditorium when I look around the room to see if any hands are raised, I look toward the top of my monitor to see if any students have clicked the Hand icon to indicate that they want to talk. In the real classroom, I do a sound check to confirm that those in the back row can hear me. In the Twigmore room, I do a sound check to make sure my headset and microphone are functioning. In both classrooms, I confirm that the presentation slides are loaded up and ready to go. I run through the class, periodically moving around and engaging with students.

Some of the same pitfalls exist as in a real classroom setting, but Twigmore does have a leg up in a few areas. For example, in the real classroom, there is not much I can do to stop a couple of disobedient students from passing notes; in the virtual classroom, however, I have the power to Restrict Private Text.

From start to finish, being in the virtual classroom feels like ‘the real thing.’

The financial crisis has brought upheaval to many corners of American life, but on college campuses around the country the turmoil is being embraced as a valuable teaching tool according to this NY Times article.  Academics say they cannot recall a time when so much of the curriculum has had to be revised so quickly to reflect the sweeping developments in the economy.  It’s nice to see business schools and economics departments moving quickly and nimbly to adapt coursework to the changing times.

Interesting Miami Herald article on Indiana’s Board of Education considering a proposal that would change the way the state ranks schools by giving them letter grades instead of putting them into categories.  Since 2006, Indiana has classified schools into one of five categories using a formula based on statewide test scores and student improvement.  This seems like a decent idea and, at the very least, ensures people understand the ranking system.