Find Your Own Voice
In addition to tone, your writing is able to convey personality. You can present yourself and your personality online in a way that is unique to you. Beyond formal and informal tones, your voice is the sound of you—it is your personality online.
Some facilitators are naturally more formal in the online environment. Even if they are spunky in person, their online voice leans toward the serious. These facilitators must purposefully incorporate collegiality in their posts. Adding informal and humorous posts to their repertoire helps these facilitators create community in the online class.
Some facilitators are naturally informal. They are comfortable using a lighthearted tone, incorporating humor and whimsy into their posts with ease. The challenge for these facilitators is to remain formal and serious when necessary. Posting a reminder about the academic integrity policy that includes a joke in the introduction may be counterproductive.
One exciting aspect of teaching online is the ability to pause, consider, and revise posts and responses before sending them along to participants. You have the opportunity to create an online voice that reflects who you are and who you want to be. There is no "right" voice. If you are sincere and collegial, the rest is up to you.
The activity for this topic asks you to analyze your online voice. Take time this week to ask someone you trust (a friend, co-worker, or even one of your former online facilitators) how you come across online. What is your online voice like? Do you seem serious? Silly? Blunt? Talkative? What changes do you want to make in your online voice?
Those of you who are new to online learning will take some time to find your unique online personality. Enjoy the opportunity to experiment and discover what tone and voice works best in different situations.