SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2024: Oneonta – Kirsten Robbins

Kirsten Robbins is an assistant professor of elementary education at SUNY Oneonta. While it is her first year in Oneonta, she has been teaching online courses for 4 years. Kirsten’s area of expertise is in social justice education. Most of the online courses that she teaches are related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

I know that a lot of students complain that online asynchronous courses are really impersonal, and so I am always trying new things to make the students feel more connected to me and to each other. I believe that sense of connection helps them feel more comfortable with asking questions or letting me know when they need help. It also helps me facilitate richer discussions about topics that some students are nervous to share their views on. My online master’s students are all working teachers with busy lives, so I have also found that they need consistency but also flexibility. My online lay out of materials and deadlines do not change from week to week, so students always know what to expect. They also know that when they are struggling, I will be flexible. I have also found a variety of online platforms, such as Flip and Nearpod, that allow me to convey content and interact with students in different ways. It took a lot of trial and error to reach a point where I feel confident teaching online courses, but now I really enjoy the challenge.