Teaching Relationships and Engagement...
Pun intended.
I think this week's lesson gets at the crux of what bothers me and so many people about the online learning community. How does technology work to engage people in relationships and communication?
I actually wrestled a lot with my professor in Homiletics about this idea. If I preach the "unadulterated Word of God in its full counsel" but no one listens because I give no consideration to my presentation, am I a faithful preacher? How much responsibility is on the hearer and how much is on the speaker? If I have 20 hours to spend on a sermon, how much time do I devote to my study of content and how much to my presentation and "communication" skills? (This tensions plays out with the "mega-church-watered-down" preacher reaching thousands vs. the small town "theologically-sound-egg-head" pastor of a dying church who reads his manuscript). What if the best form of presentation doesn't even look like a pulpit?
In many jobs today, both/and is becoming the expectation and it seems overwhelming. I need to be technologically skilled (or basically instructed) AND a master of my content AND a good teacher. Farmers need to be farmers AND increasingly skilled at playing the market. Doctors need to be highly educated in medicine AND possess emotional intelligence and bedside manner (aka customer service - comment cards are everything!).
My reasoning usually takes me back to consider what I can control and what I cannot. I can only control myself. I cannot control my students, but I believe that I can influence them. I want to speak in a language that bridges worlds, that builds student's trust and that develops relationships...even if their online world is odd, scary or foreign to me. As a faculty, I probably have the right (authority) to expect them to come to my world - old school lectures, scribbled notes, pop quizzes and final exams. But I want to show them that as far as I am able, I will meet them where they are - even if that means online...
I think this week's lesson gets at the crux of what bothers me and so many people about the online learning community. How does technology work to engage people in relationships and communication?
I actually wrestled a lot with my professor in Homiletics about this idea. If I preach the "unadulterated Word of God in its full counsel" but no one listens because I give no consideration to my presentation, am I a faithful preacher? How much responsibility is on the hearer and how much is on the speaker? If I have 20 hours to spend on a sermon, how much time do I devote to my study of content and how much to my presentation and "communication" skills? (This tensions plays out with the "mega-church-watered-down" preacher reaching thousands vs. the small town "theologically-sound-egg-head" pastor of a dying church who reads his manuscript). What if the best form of presentation doesn't even look like a pulpit?
In many jobs today, both/and is becoming the expectation and it seems overwhelming. I need to be technologically skilled (or basically instructed) AND a master of my content AND a good teacher. Farmers need to be farmers AND increasingly skilled at playing the market. Doctors need to be highly educated in medicine AND possess emotional intelligence and bedside manner (aka customer service - comment cards are everything!).
My reasoning usually takes me back to consider what I can control and what I cannot. I can only control myself. I cannot control my students, but I believe that I can influence them. I want to speak in a language that bridges worlds, that builds student's trust and that develops relationships...even if their online world is odd, scary or foreign to me. As a faculty, I probably have the right (authority) to expect them to come to my world - old school lectures, scribbled notes, pop quizzes and final exams. But I want to show them that as far as I am able, I will meet them where they are - even if that means online...
You raise some very good points, questions and challenges. In the context of a sermon that is a difficult dilemma. The most important is content, theologically sound. Then comes the presentation. If all that is important is presentation then it runs the risk of becoming entertainment. This also is the problem from the listener who is in a me first mentality.
ReplyDeleteYou also make a good point about the balance. Both aspects are still very important. If the farmer sits on the tractor and using all the tools of precision farming, autodrive, etc. and never gets out of the tractor to see and evaluate the soil and plants, are they really a farmer? I don't think so. Although there are specialized areas where a person could emphasize one over the other. An MD pathologist who only deals with the dead doesn't need much bedside manner.
Your final paragraph sums it up well. There needs to be a balance and it has to be where each of us can be comfortable, although there probably should be some stretching the boundaries of comfort. There is still a place for the 'old school', although you are not that old. A good lecture still has a place in education.
Well said - John.
DeleteGreat stuff! I am a firm believer in using extreme ownership in all facets of life. Meaning, that if I have a student who is failing it is my job to help them to pass. If I see a player who doesn't succeed, it is my responsibility to help them get it. Now...... there will certainly be times where a player/student fails and I worked diligently at helping them, but even in those times I will reflect on what I could have done to better LEAD them.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat - sometimes I give myself too much weight of responsibility in "being all things" to the students. But the reward of seeing some succeed is worth the pain of having to let go of those who don't.
DeleteVery engaging stuff!
ReplyDeleteA few thoughts came to mind as I read your post. Because this idea of social presence goes beyond the classroom. I am glad that in the education field there is a bit more awareness than in other fields.
1-The idea of ergonomics is somewhat related to social presence. When you consider that ergonomics studies and research the best ways a person can be accommodated in their work environment in order to be safe and productive.
2-There is also a trend in the field of HMI-Human Machine Interfaces. Here what is pursued is creating a level of comfort between men and machines in order to efficiently accomplish a task.
3-The third part is the aesthetic and purely relational aspect of technology. Where , humans will be drawn to, or somewhat attached, to something where there is an intentional relationship aspect.
For me the big picture is, that our Heavenly Father is relational in nature (John 3:16), his desire for a relationship with his children exceeds his expectations of performance. This is a wonderful revelation to me.
Fascinating. I wonder what Virtual Reality will to our understanding and experience of relationships?
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