You are a man after my own heart, I think. It is the same issue I am conflicted with in this. I started to put a few other paragraphs in this post but took them out and started a new post. I hope to have it ready today or tomorrow. It has bits from Dean Shareski and Gary Stager as they challenge my thinking on this subject.

I do know that a full online course should be an option for some. I did my entire Masters online from University of Texas at Arlington. It was the top rated program in the nation when I enrolled. It was the hardest work of my entire education career, but I loved it. I did go to UTA for the last class because there was one option that was only offered on campus and fit with my literacy training background. It was a perfect ending to that degree.

Yet, what I got from that was that both of the types connections I made during that year and a half (f2f and virtual) were powerful and long term. For instance, I decided to go to the graduation even though it was a three hour drive. While we were getting placed in alphabetical order, they called my name to be seated. All of a sudden a woman ran over, gave me a big hug, and whispered in my ear that she would not have made it through the degree had it not been for some of the things I wrote during our virtual conversations as a class. Later she clarified that she was confused much of the time because there was no one there to ask F2F, and she was too scared to ask herself. As most know by now, I’m not much in the scarred category, so I asked questions. Lots of them. When we did not receive answers from the professor or a TA, we came to a consensus as a group and stuck to the plan. Virtual leadership was a first for many of us. What I got out of that encounter was that the environment is not made for everyone and participation in it fully by everyone involved is important.

I appreciate you commenting on this. It validates my own struggle of moving away from f2f to virtual completely. The hybrid model Shareski uses with his students seems to be the best option for many of the students. Now, we have to figure out a way to prepare our schools for all three types of students or else we risk losing them.

The power of technology is in the relationships that it allows us to create that would otherwise be impossible. But I think we’re going down the wrong path if we think these relationships can ever be completely without the face to face human element.

I want to look into my students eyes and detect confusion or comprehension. I want to celebrate with them when they reach their goals and I want to experience this first hand.

Right now, my most meaningful online relationships are with people whom I have had and hope to continue to have real life connections. With the virtual friendships I am developing where we have never met, I hope we can someday meet in the real world.

I think the best models will be a hybrid situation with some virtual learning and some face to face opportunities as well. I’m not saying 100% virtual is impossible or even unlikely. I’m just thinking about what is best for humanity. But I might be quickly becoming an antique. Now where did I put my vinyl Elvis LP’s?