I was reading Hines & Perl (2004) and saw that they referenced four aspects of student learning including student-student, student-teacher, student-content, student-self (Lynch, 2002). After reading this I started to wonder about the aspects or teacher instructing. teacher-student (x 35), teacher-parent (x 70), teacher-principal, teacher-community, teacher-teacher, teacher-self, teacher-content, teacher-standards, teacher-budget, etc.And then I started to think about these relationships and distance learning teachers. How are social and professional connections secured with teachers at an institution such as Walden University. I have heard many instructors comment that they do not know an instructor that I have asked about. How does this reality effect teacher concepts of the institutional community where they work?
Hines, R. A., & Pearl, C. E. (2004). Increasing interaction in web-based instruction: Using synchronous chats and asynchronous discussions. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 23, 33-36. (Retrieved on 10-19-08 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4052/is_200404/ai_n9391397/print?tag=artBody;col1)
Lynch, M. M. (2002). The online educator: A guide to creating the virtual classroom. New York: Routledge Falmer.
October 25, 2008 at 10:14 am
You have a point here – regarding the social and professional connections with teachers at Walden. I have never met my mentor and when I asked him for dissertation committee recommendations he said I would have to go talk with faculty because he didn’t know any one. To me, that is a bit scary. I want to know that my committee is able to work together. I’m not sure what the Walden requirements are; however, I believe all faculty should have to attend either the six-day residency in Minneapolis or Dallas, regardless if they are full time or part time.