Dr. Rob Deemer of the School of Music teaching from his home studio.
Major changes have been made to the learning environment during the last two weeks at Fredonia, beginning with faculty who spent most of their spring break transitioning their curriculum to digital platforms. Yes, a few “bugs” had to be worked out during the first week of distance education. But there were also lighter moments along the way that buoyed the spirits of professors and students alike. Here are a few examples of humorous or unexpected stories shared by faculty. We invite you to share your stories by emailing them to: marketing.communications@fredonia.edu
OLL (Online Learning Levity)
There were “a few fun moments online” in classes taught by Department of Communication Assistant Professor Ros Smith. “Many of the students had their pets or siblings in the room. One student's cat was so BIG AND FAT you could hardly see the student,” Ms. Smith said. (The cat, Hanky, was introduced by Dane Carter, a senior Communication: Video Production major.)
Breakout sessions were held in a scriptwriting class on Tuesday. “They were all in group rooms and every so often I would 'jump in' and say "Hello there." So what was the students’ reply? “You are a bold one, master Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
Smith says “flying” the students into the “main room” was fun, and everyone had their own icon, such as a pirate or a cowgirl. Smith picked a space invader.
Singing a ‘no-no’ in Comm Law
The funniest thing Department of Communication Assistant Professor Mike Igoe experienced early on was on Tuesday during his morning Communication Law class. “In one of the boxes in which my student appeared I heard a wail. My student quickly ran out,” Mr. Igoe recalled. “When she returned, I asked ‘what happened?’ She told me her mother was singing in the kitchen!
“Of course, I immediately responded: "Professor Igoe does not permit singing in his classes!"
“I THINK she understood I was only teasing.”
Igoe was taken aback by how happy students were to see each other and interact with each other in the video world.
“Overall, even though I am teaching serious subjects (such as Comm Law), I try to keep the mood light. I know the students have been anxious. So my GOAL is to be the calming influence!”
Igoe also observed during his first live session students really getting a kick out of seeing each other in the video boxes. “As I looked at it on my screen it reminded me of the opening of the 'Brady Bunch' TV show.”
Night owls’ delight?
Flexibility that Distance Education offers can be attractive.
Philosophy Professor Neil Feit reached out to help students transition to Distance Education during first week of online classes. Along the way, Dr. Feit learned that there are already believers out there.
“One student said he was safe at home and very much looking forward to watching my videos and doing the course work at night instead of our usual class time when he usually felt very sleepy,” Feit reported.
Sharing favorite music
“Concerto a day” is one of the latest threads on a fun Facebook group started by School of Music Assistant Professor Eliran Avni for students in his piano studio. In the thread, created by Amelia Wroblewski, students share their favorite concerto performances with each other. The group also launched a new book club.
Chem profs rally on Facebook
“The degree of camaraderie among instructors is very heartwarming.”
“The degree of camaraderie among instructors is very heartwarming,” noted Dr. Cardenas
That’s what Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Assistant Professor Allan Jay Cardenas has found during the transition to Distance Education as a member of a Facebook group of chemistry professors from around the world. Members of Strategies for Teaching Chemistry Online share experiences and what they’ve learned, as well as lectures, videos and advice on how to handle Distance Education.
The Facebook group also offers guidance to hundreds of chemistry professors on the challenging task of designing experiments that students can do at home which are safe and use resources generally available in students’ homes. Everyone is generous in sharing their ideas and solutions, Dr. Cardenas said.
“Distant learning allows us to collaborate with instructors around the globe,” he added.
