Online Teaching Reflection: Day -10

Like teachers all around the globe I am in the process of transforming my face-to-face classroom instruction into one that is delivered 100% virtually from my living room.  Below is the daily schedule that my school, Sonoma Academy, is transitioning to. 

Currently I teach 3 courses that all pose their own unique challenges in preparing for this transition: 10th grade Honors Chemistry (CD Period), 10-12th grade Biochemistry (EF Period), and 10th-12th grade Engineering for Social Good (AB Period).  

The Pedagogy in each course ranges from an Inquiry Learning approach in Honors Chemistry that I have been developing for the past 20 years, to Biochemistry and Engineering for Social Good, two new elective courses that I developed and was teaching for the very first time. 

Biochemistry following a similar Inquiry Learning approach, while Engineering for Social Good is a heavily Project-Based. Transitioning each course to an online version that is MEANINGFUL, EFFECTIVE, and most importantly: LEVERAGES THE ONLINE LEARNING MEDIUM is proving to be a very daunting task. 

Our online learning program launches 10 days from now. My plan is to write a short blog post each day, sharing lessons learned, resources acquired, frustrations, modifications, reflections, tool, ideas, etc. etc., as I embark on this scary and vulnerable time with all of you. 

I hope you find the posts to come useful, and please feel free to respond with your own ideas, questions, concerns, or feedback! 

Ramsey