Again, I agree with these wonderful strategies which I have been using for many years. I do want to stresss the point about starting the class with some light hearted discussion to get the students warned up to the discussion. In my online class, I log on early. I play a little jazz, as waiting music until the class time starts and students log in. Students look forward to it, and remind me of playing the specific song I use because it helps them settle in. I also give them some history as to why I chose that jazz song, and why I'm sharing that personal event with them. I also greet the students as they log on to the system. Students are confortable using the chat feature as I encourage them to interact socially.
