Assessing communication in the online classroom

In regards to the assessing and providing feedback for students, it is again highly important that teachers seek out communication not just for the conveyance of learning, understanding, and mastery, but also for struggles with content, life, emotions, etc.  I am known to be a nice person, and that comes out in my communication, such that many of you, that are familiar with me from other classes, were able to pick up on that from my tone.  Also, the manner in which things is turned in is also telling.  For instance, I write my posts late, but do them exactly as I am supposed to, which indicates that though things are rough for me, I am doing the best that I can to get them done as right as I can as soon as I can, but this is very very difficult for me.  This also shows that I value quality over time.  There are others who you can tell that they may value time over quality.  Or for instance, patterns in the posting times, can tell you whether someone is a list/steady/predictable person, or whether they are a night owl/get-R-Done/I'll do it when I can make time type.  That said, the assessing of language can be as telling as a personality profile if you read deeply and intimately enough into it.

The tone part is very cool, because as an English major, I know how words can convey many things.  I found out the other methods when Dr. Green showed me that communication also tells us what is going on by patterns.  In many ways, we are our writing.  For instance, in one class with Dr. Green.  I was normally one of the first ones to post, however that changed suddenly.  She noticing the change, emailed me expressing concern and curiosity about that change.  It was needed, because it was then that I was trying to help my neighborhood after a home invasion spree that affected 3 homes in one single weekend.  It was horrible.  Needless to say, she was professional and understanding, handling things in the best way, while still holding me accountable.  I learned a lot then.

My old Principal says that “Every time a kid enters into the building, that parent is sending us the best that they have got.”  That means here that we as educators have to understand that each of our students are giving us the best that they have, as are we, given their circumstances.  This also ties along with Dr. Giddens, who I paraphrase as saying, so long as I can make my students better human beings, then I have done my job and anything else is icing on the cake.   The most important lesson that we, as instructors of instructors, can teach is the value and imporance of being human, because like an exponential reaction, that will grow into something greater through the lives they impact in accordance with our guidance/training.

Though that was very personal and humanistic, communication can show us also what students value whether it be the theory or the application or usability.  I value the usability of the information, research, techniques, tools, and advice that I receive at this school.  Such that when I post I tend to gravitate towards anecdotes and narratives that capture the essence of just how that modules purpose is valid and valuable to me as a teacher and how I have/do/will use(d) it to enhance my craft.  There are others who post that value facts and evidence.  Such people may be viewed as more dogmatic or orthodox.  The trouble can be how to assess all these different styles and approaches properly.

I personally believe, know, and have experienced the power of trust, honesty, equity, respect, and integrity in terms of grading.  For instance, I ask my students, to honestly rate themselves on say a notebook check.  I state to them what I am looking for, what time period I am interested in, and then say, we all know what constitutes an 'A', 'B', 'C', and an 'F'.  Tell me what you truly believe that you should have.  If you lie, I will request proof, and if your proof is lacking, I will grade you automatically as an 'F'.  Not only are the grades always what I would have given them, it does wonders for their integrity and for their self-awareness.  I say that to everyone reading this, when we assess communication, we already know what A, B, C, and F work looks like.  We know the effort according to the quality; we can read the passion in between the beauty of lines; we can feel the intensity through the diction; and we all know BS when we read it.

Words are but black and white skeletons with all the identifying and descriptive power of the DNA in our blood.  When I assess communication/posts, I look for patterns, focus, tone, organization, time stamps, etc.  All these help us to assess and properly identify those who are truly working to learn and develop best practices and those who are looking simply for a raise.