Week 1 - day 10

Yesterday I had my on-line tutorial and it was very instructive in the use of Wimba and I am going to try and sort something out for my students so they can use it next week. I have a few comments regarding one to one tutorials on-line:

 My helpers in the office: Horace checking the printer and pretending not to be interested.

 Mae as a puppy and her helpful suggestions to the book.

 Enzo demanding cuddles at the most inappropriate times.

The other work we do

1. They are lengthy - use interact via text and if you are not at the same speed of typing/thinking then it does make it rather slow
2. You do lose some of that personal contact, it does help if you can see that person. I am going out and investing in a web cam this weekend. This may bring with it many pitfalls but I tihnk the benefits outweigh them.
3. It is actually tiring sitting through a tutorial on-line. Now I am still recovering from surgery so I am more tired than most but at the end I was exhausted and useless for the rest of the day.
4. The meaning of explanation sometimes gets lost in text and you do have to watch your phrasing at all time. It is sill things like if you have just been told something and you understand it, in person you would smile, nod etc... in text there are only so many forms of right, ok, cool. And then you think cool, really I am meant to be a professional and I put cool. I am not one for being quiet and you really do have to sit and listen  on this one.
5. The technology is still rather slow and clunky. We were meant to have sound connections but this did not work and the application sharing was rather slow as well.
6. You do need some understanding of how a computer works to be able to do undertake a tutorial
7. You really need peace and quiet when studying, when you are at home things, happen, the door bell rings, the cats want cuddles and the dog may need to pop out for a comfort break! You can't really stop and say hang on there...

Overall I found the experience worth while and enjoyable but there are many pitfalls and issues you as a tutor have to think about before you set up a tutorial. f2f teaching (check me out with the lingo) may be easier and quicker as you are there and bam you do the teaching but with on-line you have to be much more composed and logical. I think therefore you and the student get better quality discussion from it.

Today I am going to be working on the tasks for next week. I am not meant to but I had a quick look at them and I want to do the reading .... I hate being behind so here it goes...

The best till last: Keats demanding that work shall not be attempted :-) Who could resisit