Posted December 3rd, 2013
By Kris Powers
I recently learned of a popular children’s book entitled, “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud. Bucket filling is an easy-to-understand concept: Everyone carries an invisible bucket that holds our good thoughts and feelings. When our buckets are full, we feel happy and when our buckets are empty, we feel sad. Even small children can understand that when they do and say things that are kind, caring and respectful, they can fill buckets. They can also easily understand that when they are mean, uncaring or disrespectful, they dip into those buckets and take good feelings away.
Just as you can share a smile in a crowded elevator, you can share a smile online. You can reach out, connect with someone and impact their day by commenting on a post, “liking”, re-tweeting, etc. You can offer advice, support and encouragement. It may take a while to feel comfortable reaching out online to people that you may not even know; but a beautiful thing can happen. Relationships are formed. Friendships blossom. Buckets are filled. And the world becomes a more united place.
In some ways, social media has removed many of us from the “real world” by allowing us the opportunity to conduct business from the comfort of our own homes as opposed to working in a busy office with others around us. The same can be true for online education. However; the flip side is that it’s opened up a whole new world to those of us who are at our computers day in and day out. It presents us with MORE occasions to connect and to forge relationships. We have ample opportunities to make someone’s day by simply clicking “like”, by joining a discussion, or by sharing a post made by another.
Online students may struggle with the feeling that they are alone in their coursework. Ed4Career offers a great online support tool where students can “chat” with their teachers as well as join discussions with other students. Students can also make connections outside of the online classroom, using their own personal social media sites to further the information sharing sessions. Through Ed4Career’s collaborative Online Student Center, students are invited to check back regularly to see the latest news and trends, listen to other students' stories, and even share their own.
Many colleges and universities are finding the value in fostering these types of student connections outside of the classroom – whether students are enrolled in a traditional brick and mortar school or attend classes online.
Towson University offers a career center for its students, including a career mentor database as well as a blog that offers inspiration and encouragement to students.
Western Governors University offers both Program Communities and Student Communities. Program communities enhance relationships between students and mentors, offering information on industry research and current events as well as networking opportunities. Student communities allow students to communicate through online bulletin boards, forums, live chats and study groups.
The University of Maryland University College utilizes online Study Group Areas; small subgroups where students can work collaboratively online, discuss assignments, as well as create and edit common documents.
Through social media we can reach out any time of the day or night and chat with people just around the corner, or all around the world. We have the opportunity to broadly connect, exchange ideas and offer support. All of this makes it easier than ever to fill someone’s bucket with kindness and encouragement.
Source:
http://bucketfillers101.com/about-us.php
http://www.towson.edu/careercenter/
http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/resources/connecting_with_other_students
