Editing Online Communities (UW COM481 Spring 2024) (section)

=== Teaching and learning after COVID ===

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on all of us. Many of you may have gone to college expecting the classic face-to-face experience with a mix of classes and fun with new friends, only to find yourself in lockdown and online classes. We may have lost people we care about. We may be struggling to recover our own mental and physical health. For many of us life is still not back to "normal" and instead we are developing a sense of a "new normal".

Many of us have experienced elevated levels of exhaustion, stress, uncertainty and distraction. We may have needed to provide additional support to others. I have personally experienced all of these things at various times over the past two years and I expect that some of you have too. We may find that our personal energy and emotional resilience is lower than it used to be. It has been and still is a difficult time.

I believe it is important to acknowledge these realities of the situation and create the space to discuss and process them in the context of our class throughout the quarter. As your instructor and colleague, I commit to do my best to approach the course in an adaptive, generous, and empathetic way. I ask that you try to extend a similar attitude towards everyone in the course. When you have questions, feedback, or concerns, please try to share them in an appropriate way. If you require accommodations of any kind at any time, please contact me.