After reading the 5 pitfalls, I realized that I have made most of these in the past and most likely would have continued to do so. Posting readings, discussion questions, assignments, quizzes, exams, PP slides…all of this I have done many times. But I never really thought about casting off the classroom constraints and embracing a much more liberating format that online offers. For example, after considering something that could take place online that may not work in the classroom, I thought about having students post photos that they take themselves and do an analysis of what others have posted as well. Upload a visual (photo) of nature. What message is transmitted when comparing the photos? Are there any humans in these photos? Why/why not?
Approaching the topic of the Nature -Culture dichotomy in this fashion is something that I wouldn’t necessarily do in class, though I have had students draw a picture of a park to see how they interpret that concept. I’ve decided that I really need to re-think how I’ve utilized Bb in my courses in the past and what kinds of communication tools can be used in this format. I need to stretch my imagination in order to come up with some new activities that students can perform as part of their learning process.
