Course prep work starts way before the start of the semester. Attention to relationality details set a tone of expectations and accountability. Students not only learn of the expectations I hold for them, but they also start to build relationships with me by understanding what they can expect from me. Here are a few samples of how I start to establish presence, stability, accountability, and trust with my students as they embark upon their online learning experience. 

SETTING UP COURSES

• Create a syllabus and Canvas site that mirror each other. My class modules are represented according to categories of content and are further granulated according to week and lesson. Dates are included and links are all verified.​

• Create a welcoming Home page with a photo of me and a bit of my story. Sometimes I include a photo of me and my animals, other times, it is of professional work. I personalize that area according to the topic of the class. I want them have a humanizing experience as they enter their learning space. I want them to get to know me according to my geography.

ORIENTING STUDENTS

• Draft an orientation email and include the syllabus as an attachment . In that email, I include a link to an orientation cloud video for students to learn how to access our class from the college's main page and then how to navigate the class. This helps learners to feel less lost and starts to familiarize them with my communication approaches.

• Personalize videos. Not all of my videos or classes are recorded in the same space. Often I will record from my living space, the corral, the field, or even my back yard (the Chuska Mountains). This depends upon the lecture and activities. I minimize distractions such as recording during times my children are not sharing the same space, or my sheep are out grazing, or my husband is not tractoring. Geography is so important to my teaching, research, and writing content and I expect learners to explore their own geography.

MODULE 0: COURSE TREATY

• Agree to relational online learning: We study treaties of all kinds, from animal treaties in time immemorial through federal Indian law. In the spirit of sovereign entities, I set treaty terms for my classes in an activity called, Course Treaty:Learner and Facilitator Agreements.This is an activity formally introduces students to the expectations and allows students to accept those terms and/or modify those terms according to any Letter of Accommodation (LOA) that they may have. Learners understand and clarify the roles of their facilitator. Lastly, this activity introduces the students to the Tribal Critical Thinking Rubric that will be used throughout the term.
  

WELCOMING STUDENTS

• Make time for introductions It is so easy to just jump into content. But I intentionally pause and remember to remember relationality. I create an assignment for introductions

• Require introductions before moving on with content. For my fully online, asynchronous classes, I have introductions as a requirement in Module 0. This means that the class will not open up for that individual unless they contribute something. 

• Let the students be creative. Instead of the standard, write out your introduction, I let students use what every tool they want - audio, video, photos, poems. 

• Respond. I respond to EVERY introduction. For those who are clan relatives, I make note of our relationship and then continue for the rest of the class with that relational connection. 

• Encourage class relationship forging. I add options for students to respond to their peers as extra credit. This places the co-stewardship of class relationship building at their hands. They do not have to dialogue, but if they do, they can start to find clan relatives or just general points of interest with other students.

• Peer Review:

  • For scholarly papers in my 400 and graduate level classes, I utilize the peer review function in canvas. Students peer reviewers are provided with a guide so that they may address areas of title, tone, content, style, and citations. This allows to students to learn how to provide critical yet constructive feedback. 

  • Student do not have to implement the peer review feedback they receive; however, just like with article/manuscript feedback, they must address what they will and will not implement and why.

• Individual Feedback:

  • Written Comments: I provide general synopsis written feedback, highlighting strongest points as well as point to consider.

  • Audio/Video Comments: For feedback that needs a bit more constructive guidance or to push critical thinking, I utilize  video and audio feedback. This allows for more reflective and comprehensive attention to the submission and to the learner.