Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Teaching in the Pandemic


This is my second day of trying to teach my classes remotely.

I am not liking it, if anyone is curious.

So far I am using Slack and Google Classroom. I'm running the discussion boards asynchronously, and I'm giving students lots of room -- letting them turn work in late, and cutting some assignments.

For me, though, education is something that happens in person, face to face. I imagine we can have discussions via chat threads. It's not going to be what happens when we hold discussions in a classroom. I suppose I just have to get over wishing for that.

Also, some of my students are having problems with technology. We're a working class university, for the most part, so some of them don't have their own computers -- they use a parent's computer, or try to work on a phone, and were relying to some extent on the university's computer labs.

Now the labs are locked and the parents need their own computers because they're working remotely.

It's making me feel grumpy, I guess is the tl;dr.

On the other hand, no one at my house is sick yet, and so far as I know none of my students are either. Knock wood.

Coronavirus cartoons: Bay Area locks down to slow COVID-19 spread


2 comments:

A said...

In my richer state university (so the students do mostly have computers to use--- I surveyed) my students have asked me to supplement my asynchronous plan with optional zoom discussions. They (and I) find it easier to interact, and find they crave the contact and real-time discussion. But only about 3/4 (though not always the same ones) can generally do it.

delagar said...


I've been thinking about zoom, or alternatively google hangout.