Welcome New Staff Member, Karri Iverson!
Hey Karri! Welcome to Oaks Christian Online!! We’re so excited to have you with us. Can you tell us a little bit about your new position here and what you’ll be doing?
Sure! I will be the Academic Advisor for Oaks Christian Online. I’ll be doing course planning and registration, as well as helping students with their online experience.
We know you have also had a lot of experience in online learning. Can you share a bit about what you love about this format and some of the things that have kept you passionate about this work?
I love that students from around the world can connect for online learning. Collaboration, discussion, presentations and video all present students with so many options that weren’t there for them 20 years ago. Interacting with those students keep me passionate about working online- I love those success stories!!
What are some of the landmarks in your personal or professional life that caused you to think more deeply about ‘going online’? What are some of the main reasons you’ve heard others (teachers, students, and schools) consider this kind of education?
Aside from the recent changes in the world with the pandemic, so many families are now considering online education. Their reasons range from choosing from a wider variety of class options, to the flexibility of learning at a student’s own pace or schedule, to smaller class sizes leading to greater care and connection with a teacher. Our own kids (we have five!) have taken online courses with great success. Now that our kids are in college, I can see how much a university model of learning has helped prepare them.
So with all of your experience, I imagine you’ve probably encountered a lot of the sorts of things that cause students to struggle when learning online. What are some of those and what are your tips for preventing them?
My number one piece of advice to a student would be to COMMUNICATE with your teacher. It’s so easy when you fall behind or are late on an assignment to continue to let things slide. Communicating with your teacher helps establish a plan for success early.
Finally, we’d love to hear a bit more about you as well; where are you from and what are some of the fun things we should know about you?
Well, my husband and I have been married for 32 years and have five children- the youngest of which has now graduated! I like to bake, run and read in my spare time. We are very involved in our church home in Michigan and try to relax with our two grandchildren at every opportunity!!
