Kristine has participated in numerous professional development opportunities here at JCC. They include the Distance Learning iPod pilot group, MCCVLC Blackboard training and she has an ETOM online certification.
Below is our interview with Kristine.
I began my higher education at JCC as a non-traditional student. The community college gave me the foundations I needed to successfully transfer and graduate from University of Michigan where I earned both a Bachelor and Masters of Arts, with a focus on teaching writing in the community college. Returning to JCC in the 1980's to teach Composition, Literature and Humanities classes, I’ve had the opportunity to grow up alongside technology at JCC, from teaching in the first computer labs to online education. As you may guess, I am 'sold' on the opportunities that community colleges offer, including smaller class sizes, the ability to work personally with students in a community of learners, and, most recently, the flexibility and availability of education through distance learning. My guess is that students also enjoy these very same perks!
Teaching literature, humanities, and composition in the online environment, I guess you could say that one of my jobs is to take the ‘distance’ out of distance learning. My goals are to create open, honest, relevant, responsive, respectful, empowering classroom communities where learning is discussion-based and interactive. As learners of all ages and in all stages know, each of us has a hand in generating and acquiring knowledge.
I structure my online classes to foster learning opportunities within variety of experiences. From the ‘cyber cafes’ where we can all let our hair down and chat to the formal discussions where we use threaded discussions to explore, exchange, analyze, and (sometimes) debate ideas with each other, to small group configurations featuring collaborative projects and activities, students are able to experience online learning together. Thanks to the ever-changing world of technology, we are able to create and share course materials and student projects using a variety of visual and written ‘texts.’ Whether evidenced by a collaborative PowerPoint presentation exploring multiculturalism in Bharati Mukherjee's "The Management of Grief" or a threaded discussion about how Nietzsche's existentialism influenced visual arts in the twentieth century, the excitement and passion of students learning together is always a great reward.
Each class also offers a HELP discussion, where anyone can post a question about anything related to course or technology such as, “How do I upload the document? Where can I find a resource?” I love this feature of the class because it allows me to witness time and again the generosity of students who jump in and help each other negotiate trouble spots. Each semester, my students help me gauge successes and identify new opportunities for delivering online education through informal and formal check-ins and assessments.
Community is the essence of all learning, and here, in JCC’s online classrooms, learning and community are powerful opportunities for personal and intellectual growth.
