(Re-posted from the Straube Foundation Education Blog, April 30, 2020)

A few months ago, Zoom was foreign to me and I rarely used Skype and FaceTime. Virtual teaching was something I’d occasionally thought about but dismissed it as too cumbersome or impersonal. Really, I’m a technophobe. Then the pandemic hit and virtual classrooms sprung up everywhere. The only way to teach was online.

This term I’m teaching writing at the University of Utah’s Osher Lifelong Learning Program (for adults over 50). Part of my course, “Re-Imagining Your Life: A Creative Aging Writing Workshop,” stresses the importance of stepping out of our comfort zones in order to grow. So back in March, when the program director asked if I’d be willing to learn Zoom and teach online, I jumped at the chance. I realized this was the moment to expand my technology comfort zone. The first week I muddled through as we experienced a few technological difficulties, but I encouraged the students (most of whom were also new to online learning) to re-frame this as a group adventure. I’m almost finished with the six-week course, and through trial and error, I’ve quickly learned a few things along the way to help make my online classroom run smoothly. Here are my ten tips: Read full article . . .

How are you faring during the pandemic? Do you have a personal essay, painting, or a poem you'd like to share? If so, I'd love to read it. Send it my way!

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