On Wednesday, I chatted with my online teacher via Skype, at first, I was hesitant about what is the point. It's an online class, no face to face required. But then I realized the importance after the meeting ended. Life and school is not in solitude, we as humans need to be social and interact with others. It came to my attention also today while I was watching the Super Bowl and a friend left my house because his roommate was home watching the game alone, and he said, "You can't watch the super bowl alone. That's just depressing!" I thought to myself, why? Why is this football game that much bigger than any other football game. (clearly I know the answer as I am a HUGE Chicago Bears fan and sports fan). But it got me thinking in terms of education, why do we want our students to do assignments alone, do homework alone, read alone, study alone. Everything in solitude but then we are told to teach our students how to interact. How can the technology that we are given enhance this? If a person cannot watch the super bowl alone. What makes us think that students should be doing work all alone.
For this class, a friend and I decided we would get together on Monday's and do the work together to make sure we are both on track with this online class, and to make sure that we both understand the assignments since there is no "formal" instruction from a teacher while I am sitting in a class. It made me come to realize how important social interactions are in every aspect of life, even our online classes where we think we don't have to interact with anyone else but the computer. Online classes may be a great way for people who are on the run, need to hold down jobs and such, but are they good for our education regards to our social learning?
I think online classes are great, and a great way for people to have their cake and eat it too, but it's also important for online professors to have a connection with their students, because at the end of the day we are all students who need that social interaction.
So, I want to thank my online professor for making it a priority of hers to make it important to keep the socialization alive in the technology based class. To show us, that regardless of where you are and type of classes one is taking the basic needs of socialization are always there!
Thank You!
