In a face-to-face class I introduce myself, sharing both professional info - including how I came to be teaching that course - and personal info - including what I enjoy about northern Michigan. I ask students to share briefly what led them to the course and how they would expect/how they want to, use what they learn. Also, I have an ice breaker which encourages each student to share something cool/interesting about their life. After introductions we also review the syllabus and I encourage conversation regarding what strikes them as most interesting in the material we will cover.
I find that online forums can actually lead to a greater comfort level, as some students can feel a little jittery when sharing in a live classroom. The challenge is missing out on opportunities to follow-up/ask probing questions in real time.
I've had success structuring introductions as an icebreaker assignment, requiring students to follow up with 2-3 classmates with a question or thought about their post, perhaps something that resonated with them. This is an effort to create conversations which are more typical between two students meeting in a live classroom.
I find that online forums can actually lead to a greater comfort level, as some students can feel a little jittery when sharing in a live classroom. The challenge is missing out on opportunities to follow-up/ask probing questions in real time.
I've had success structuring introductions as an icebreaker assignment, requiring students to follow up with 2-3 classmates with a question or thought about their post, perhaps something that resonated with them. This is an effort to create conversations which are more typical between two students meeting in a live classroom.