Traditional college instruction is part of a well-established tradition that has always been fairly unrevised over time. Becoming an instructor in this environment has meant conformity to teaching standards that have also always been fairly unrevised. A college mentor is associated with someone who is an interest matter expert, likely to achieve a situation with stint, and have dual roles as an instructor and examiner. It is expected that they’re going to be published authors of scholarly journal articles which have been peer-reviewed and contributed knowledge to their field. While this form of education and instructor still exists, there is another educational institution that has already been established and it is an online college and university.
For a modern form of online education you will not Dr. Philipp Heinrich Kindt likely find any positions that are labeled mentor. Most online universities hire adjuncts and many refer to their instructors as facilitators. Some universities expect their instructors to complete annual professional development requirements but rarely does that is included in publishing peer-reviewed journal articles. What is needed now as part of your is a new family of instructor, one who meets the wants of students who participate in this modern form of education. Now’s also the time for online universities to embrace this new form of instructors, those who can be called a modern day Instructor.
From Traditional to Online Teaching
The traditional format for schooling students is the lecture-driven class. The instructor delivers information to students and they must demonstrate what they have learned through various tests. They know that their instructor or mentor is an expert in the particular subject area for their class. This method of instruction is the same style that is used in primary education and it is teacher-centered. As technology has taken new possibilities for the field of education a new format developed — online courses and online degrees. At first traditional educators taught these courses but over time that has changed, especially as adjuncts filled a majority of the tutorial roles. Now with online degree programs and online schools having been fully established in the education field, a new type of instructor was also emerging.
Development to Modern Teaching
With the growth of online learning came the requirement for hiring a large volume of instructors. Some online universities have classes that begin every week yet others offer courses starting monthly. Hiring adjuncts was the answer and the majority of jobs teaching undergrad students have been filled by instructors holding a master’s degree in the subject field these were teaching. Over time the number of instructors qualified to explain to online has exploded significantly and now many adjunct positions require a doctorate degree. What has contributed to the increased pool of available online instructors is the fluctuation in sign up numbers, the limited number of full-time online instructor positions, and the increase in degree specializations — especially those related to online teaching. There are also many online schools that offer online teaching specializations and those students who complete their master’s degree are added to the pool. Around at present there are nearly two million adjunct online instructors teaching online courses.
The prerequisites for teaching online also occasionally includes continuing education. Most online universities require some form of annual professional development. Those universities generally offer workshops and training courses as an approach of fulfilling this requirement. Publishing scholarly periodicals can be used to help fulfill the professional development requirements but most schools do not require it. These modern teachers are also not the same as a college mentor by the manner in which they are allowed to promote themselves in the class room. An online instructor is often called a facilitator and rarely is this position referred to as a mentor — however some instructors will refer to themselves as a mentor to determine their position in the learning process. Many online universities tell their instructors to use their first name as an approach of fabricating a casual and approachable image — even if the instructor has a doctorate degree.
An example of a modern day Instructor
Within the field of online education there is a significant difference among instructor types. There are people that have a master’s degree who can teach undergrad courses and there are people that have doctorate degrees who can teach both undergrad and graduate students. For those schools that offer doctoral degree programs, an requirement for instructors to be published in a manner similar to that of a college mentor may be in place. But there is a need for a new standard. If traditional methods of learning do not affect online education, then traditional instructor qualifications should also not affect online educators. Now is the time for a new tutorial category, one that is called a modern day Instructor.
My are an instructor has evolved from traditional college teaching fot it of online teaching and now I have be a Modern Instructor. Instead of spending months (or possibly longer) trying to become published in a scholarly journal, I publish online articles. Instead of my work being available just to those who have access to and read scholarly periodicals, I are in possession of to be able to reach a bigger audience. My work is available as soon as I write and publish it, and more important — I discover how to use social media. I am linked to a worldwide basis of educators, universities, and students with the use of social media.
Through social media it is possible to share ideas and resources, along with online articles, blogs, and other intelligent contributions. This also applies to transformation of the publishing process. Instead of waiting to find a publisher and feel the traditional publishing route, I have self-published e-books. It’s allowed me to become highly engaged in the field of education and possesses redefined what it means to be a college instructor. Becoming a Modern Instructor indicates what online instructors should be involved with and online schools developing as a dependence on their professional development.
Steps to Becoming a Modern Instructor
Whether you have a master’s degree or doctorate degree, if you teach online courses you need professional development. But this should are more than taking a class — it takes to involve making an intelligent contribution. In addition, the work of a Modern Instructor should also be engaged in some form of social or professional networking. Here are some actions you can take and strategies you can use as a Modern Instructor.
1. Write a Blog — This provides a platform to share with you your expertise and sum it up your knowledge. As you continue to conduct research for your areas of professional interest and you can include what you discovered through your site posts. There are numerous free resources that will assist you to create and share your site, such as Word Press.
2. Write Online Articles — Instead of spending some time required to write and submit articles to scholarly periodicals, which can always be an option for you, find a resource that allows you to publish online articles. The articles you write, which are based on your knowledge and experience, will assist you to reach a bigger audience, improve your writing skills, and establish yourself as a subject material expert. I utilize Ezine Articles, which is an article marketing database.
3. Use Social networking — Every online instructor needs to learn how to establish their presence via technology. It only makes sense that if you work in a technology-enabled environment you should also know how to be engaged in social networks. LinkedIn gives a means of professional networking, finding groups that match your interest, and even finding online jobs. Twitter can connect you to a worldwide base of educators, students, and universities — providing a place to share with you resources.
4. Create a Website -If you find that you are highly ambitious and want to develop regarding green blog you might also build your own website. This would be a place for you to house resources that you have created, which could be shared with educators and students. There are free web hosting services available yet others that charge a small fee.
5. Write E-Books — The field of publishing has changed and now authors are taking back control by making their books available in an e-book format. Kindle and Space devices are the most popular devices. Kobo is another device that is gathering popularity because it can be suited for mobile phones such as Blackberry mobile phones. You will probably need to hire anyone to format the book, sign up for a merchant account to distribute your e-book, and once it is ready you can have it available in a relatively short amount of time.
Maintaining a modern day Instructor Status
A modern day Instructor is someone who more than teach classes on the web. They are active in the field of education and their chosen subject material. They know how to teach using technological tools and engage in a virtual community of other educators through social media. The modern Instructor is also doing research and making intelligent contributions through technological means. The work they publish is done through technologically-enabled resources and made immediately available for their intended audience. They know how to use social media to promote their work and share resources with other educators and students.
It is time now for the Modern Instructor thinking to become the standard for online learning. Instruction has modified in format from traditional to online, and so too must the instructor. It is also important that online schools and hiring specialists recognize the new Modern Instructor. This is someone who has likely taught for several institutions because of fluctuating enrollments and staff changes; however, what matters most is their ongoing professional development and intelligent contributions. The most desirable candidate for an online teaching position is someone with an increase of than extensive are an online instructor. It is someone who can also utilize technological tools as an approach of publishing their work and connecting with other educators. A modern day Instructor is the new college mentor and the one most prepared for teaching with the use of technology.