Ellen Laird’s Comparison of Online Teaching and Traditional Teaching
Ellen Laird's essay is a point-by-point comparison essay. She picks an idea about the online teaching and the traditional teaching and states if they are similar or not.
Contrasting Research Work Methods
For instance, she says that the students in classrooms only start their research work once they have received the instructions. Contrary, the online students expect to have the option of doing their projects before.
Contrasting Attitudes Towards Deadlines
Another contrast is that online students do not regard the deadlines as fixed and serious because they always ask for more time (Laird 41). In contrast, she portrays students in the traditional mode of teaching as deadline observers who respect teacher's right to set due dates.
Differences in Learning Experience
I vividly agree with Liard's assessment of distance learning and class-based learning. The experience can never be the same. Even though it appears like online learning has many shortcomings, she has not failed in approving its advantages. Circumstances which do not give time for attending classes physically force people to choose e-learning (Laird 41). Although the distance teaching no longer has the same spark as in the beginning, she sees it as rewarding and resolves to continue.
Laird's Objective: Complexity and Challenges of Online Teaching
Laird's objective is to make it clear that online teaching continues to become complex in nature with time. What she wants to accomplish is to inform those who desire to be online teachers' to have a large store of energy and commitment if they want to succeed. In her introduction and conclusion, online teaching is becoming challenging, hence those interested must be prepared to embrace the challenges if they want to enjoy the rewards (Laird 41). She is comparing and contrasting online teaching and classroom-based on teaching, in terms of the nature of the students, deadline observation, teacher availability, and ability to maintain professionalism.
Work Cited
Laird, Ellen. "I'm your teacher, not your Internet service provider." The Education Digest 68.7 (2003): 41.
