Reflections from Flexible Learning Conference

Madison College, part of the Wisconsin Technical College System, graciously hosted the 3rd Annual Flexible Learning Conference in Madison recently. I was afforded the opportunity to represent my college, NWTC, by attending and presenting at the conference. After a few days of mulling over my notes and pondering how to use this opportunity to grow, I thought what better way than to share my experience with those not able to attend. With that, I give you my big three take-aways.

1) SOCIAL MEDIA is having a huge impact on higher education - Keynote Speaker Tanya Joosten, nationally recognized for her work on Distance Education and Technological Advancement, highlighted several compelling reasons that social media needs to be harnessed by instructors across our nation. Perhaps the image below is the most compelling reason to think of alternative communication means:

2005 PEW Data results

"Email is for OLD people" the survey found! That must mean I'm pretty old! You see, students today view social media as much more than a vehicle to connect with their friends or family. Today's students get their news, alerts, weather, research, and so much more from a variety of social media outlets. Yet, many instructors and institutions demand that the best vehicle for communication is email.

It's time to think outside the box and allow students to drive the vehicle. Ask them what platforms they use and devise a methodology to employ their strengths in your class. If your stuck in a rut, then consider backward design. Tanya facilitated a great pre-conference workshop on how vital backward design is in incorporating social media into your classes. While perhaps a daunting task, when framed in the proper order, social media can drive creativity and innovation.

Think about your course level outcomes and WHAT students must be able to do to meet them. Then, think about how you plan to assess those outcomes - what evidence do students need to show you. Finally, think about the content and interactivity that you can provide through a unique learning experience. What social media tools can you use, or encourage students to use, that will harness the power they have in their fingertips for good! Tanya provided a great definition for what is social media? "Social Media is a virtual place where people share; everybody and anybody can share anything anywhere anytime!" (Joosten, 2012, p. 6)

2) Passionate Educators Abound -  Through attending the #flexlearn2015 conference, I was quickly reminded of how passionate many educators are about meeting their students needs, going above and beyond was is outlined in their job description. Take Martha Schwer for example. An English instructor at Madison College, Martha teaches English Composition ONLINE to students that just have to 'take the class'! While a daunting class for in-person students, Martha has taken it upon herself to provide her students with a unique learning experience that engages them in a such a way that they don't even realize it's an online class.

Martha provided, shared, demonstrated, and beamed with positivity as she walked us through her course. Her liquid syllabus that incorporates videos, voice-overs, and explicit details and directions give her students the sense that she is a real human being, not some robot behind the computer in their online class. Her use of Voice Thread and Zaption to engage students in the learning process is nothing short of inspiring.

And then there's Trey Morales, psychology instructor at Madison College. His love for brain based learning and willingness to share engagement strategies that are tested and true was impeccable. Trey's presentation on the 4 rules that should drive instruction are spot on: Emotions Matter, Vision Matters, Movement Matters, and Novelty Matters.

Through a careful navigation and engaging presentation, Trey had us eating out of the palm of his hands as he incorporated all 4 of those rules. I couldn't help but think what Aristotle was thinking about Trey's words - after all "Educating the Mind without Educating the Heart is no Education at all!"

3) Teaching Is Not Easy -  Finally, among all the learning and innovation that was happening around me, I was reminded that teaching is not easy, nor is it for the faint of heart. Students are rapidly evolving, technology is busting at the seams, and educators feel the pressure of time and budgets suffocating their creativeness. And while many educators may feel doomed about their position, I was reminded that it is vital to connect with others. Making those new connections helps to harness the energy you feel may quickly fade.(Thanks Daniel, Sundi, and Trey.)

Teaching is the ultimate sacrifice. I am fortunate to work at an institution that believes in life-long learning and supports and my goals and aspirations. If we do not believe in life-long learning, how will our students ever believe that what we are teaching them is important? Enjoy the journey that teaching is and be daring to try new things. Model the creativity and innovation you wish to see in your students and you will be amazed at what they give you in return.