Trying Again

There's a new term starting next week and we're trying again to run the Advanced ESL - Mixed Classroom and Online class. (I didn't make up the name!)

As of this evening, 8.5 students have registered. The minimum number is 10. Registration finishes tomorrow. So close! If I'm not posting tomorrow night it could be because I'm celebrating - or doing more work on the course - and sending out welcome emails to the students.

Either that or I'm too miserable to even touch the computer!

If anyone'd told me when this all started, how much work it would be, I don't know what I'd have done. I'm just glad I didn't know.

Why? Because it feels like most of the publicity and attempts to create some momentum have been up to me. The college has never offered a blended ESL class before. In fact, I don't think there's ever been a blended class in any department. I've probably said that before. They don't seem anxious to start.

It's the people closest to me who've been most supportive: the department head, other teachers, support staff, and the computer lab tech support people.

Want some good news? Another ESL department has now received funding to offer online courses. And another is waiting to see how the Advanced ESL ...Online class works out before launching their own project, but they already have some interesting ideas. So it's not wasted effort, even if "my" course doesn't go.

The course is advertised on the College website, but if you're an ESL student, good luck finding the ESL section from the main page. It's really not at all friendly to ESL people. The ESL pages are clear and easy to access, but students have to be able to find them. Anyway, I'm not going to start analyzing all the weaknesses. Tonight I just want to share my feeling of anticipation - and the realization that creating a course is only the first step.

If tomorrow I find out the course is going to run, I'll be unbelievably excited. I'm a teacher, not a course designer and not a promoter. The whole point of this last year has been to do this with students. The real challenge is to do a good job on that.