Course Outline online? Check. Course homepage set up? Check. Welcoming email sent to new students? Check.
Getting ready for a new class has undergone changes since I started teaching at BCIT in 1997. Things have moved to the Internet in a big way, from contract acceptance to submission of the final marks. During courses, I do share a lot of material online but I'm running up against a barrier. I can schedule a computer lab for my classes but I cannot, of course, meet there for every single one.
I could do well without text books if every student were to come to class with a laptop or netbook. Unfortunately, many students in our program are new immigrants with limited financial resources. It would be impossible for us to mandate students arrive with their own equipment. Yet, it'd be great if I could use links in class for reading assignments and discussion preparation. I would so love to have all handouts in digital form for sharing. Imagine media clips that could be consumed at an individual pace right at the desks! I am beginning to find it hard to function as leader in a traditional classroom environment as technology makes things easier.
My class from about a year ago.
