Since my online students are educators, or studying to be educators, I like to try to incorporate strategies in my online classroom that model best practice.

One strategy that works well is the KWL strategy. In a regular classroom setting this could be done individually or as a whole group, in the format of a three-column graphic organizer. The first column is "K" for What I KNOW. Here students list what they already know about the topic prior to instruction. This accesses students' prior knowledge and helps with building schema. Then, they move onto the middle column, "W," for WANT to know. Here questions are generated about the topic. Again, alone, or as a group, students reflect on the topic and begin to ask questions about what they would like to learn. Knowing what you want to learn makes learning much more meaningful and enduring. Finally, at the end of the course or study of the topic, students fill out the final column, which is "L" for LEARNED. This helps solidify learning as students summarize what they learned about the topic, and reflect on what questions were answered from the middle column.

To incorporate this into an online setting, I use the discussion forum. During the first week, I post a question asking students to tell what they already know, and what they would like to learn, about the topic. Students read each others' posts and there is wonderful, rich discussion that raises curiosity about the topic and helps students make connections to prior learning. Then, at the end of the course, students respond to a discussion question where they are asked to summarize what they learned and tell whether or not their questions were answered.

This not only serves as an opportunity to model a strategy that is useful in all classrooms, regardless of the topic of study, but it provides me with a means of reflecting on how effective I was as an educator in terms of helping my students understand the course and find pleasure in the process of learning.

Faculty Spotlight:

Rebecca Hathaway resides in Enumclaw, Washington. She has been an educator for over 26 years. Rebecca began her career in education as a 1^st and 2^nd grade teacher in 1980 and since then has taught all elementary grades, worked as a middle school math coach, and, for the last 6 years has facilitated online classes for Grand Canyon University. Currently, she is teaching 4^th and 5^th grades in the White River School District in Buckley, Washington, and is facilitating education online courses for GCU masters students.

Rebecca has a B.A. in Child Development and Family Relations from Western Washington University and a Masters in Teaching from Grand Canyon University. In 2004 she became a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) in middle childhood.

Rebecca has a daughter and son who are young adults attending college. Her interests include her dogs, crafts, decorating, entertaining guests, reading and writing.