Online Learning

It is important in these days to provide some sense of normalcy to students when it comes to learning, and though teaching may be delivered and learning may be achieved via very different mediums than usual, we should strive to provide as close to a typical instructional experience as they receive in the actual classroom as possible. Unfortunately, we do not have a huge amount of time to put together a well polished program. There will be stumbling blocks and frustration along the way. We can only do the best we can with the time we have. As we plan for the coming weeks, we should keep the following elements of effective On-Line Learning Days in mind.

1. Accept and plan for the fact that not all students will have at-home Internet connectivity. If they have do not have Internet access, make sure that they have learning options that are on par with those that do. Consider how they will access printed materials as well as how these students will access their teacher throughout the On-Line Learning day.

2. Take time to learn how to use online tools. There are many online tools that can help you plan for these days where you are teaching outside the walls of your school. Take the time to educate yourself on some that you think will assist you and your students. Look at their websites, view tutorial videos, play with and familiarize yourself. Ask a colleague for help, view your technology integrator's website, go to YouTube and learn how other teachers are using it. You never know, you may find a tool that you want to continue using beyond these Online Learning days.

3. Communicate your expectations and plans to students and parents. This is uncharted territory for us and at this time we unsure of what our continuity of learning plans are. Once you plans are established though, make sure that students and parents realize that these online learning days are not a day off and that they need to complete the assigned work as best they can. It is also important for them to know how and when to communicate with you when they have questions.

4. Make sure students know how to access assignments and activities. Even though there may be communication to all students and parents about our Continuity of Learning plans, you may need to specifically email students to inform them of how you will deliver assignments over the next several days. You may even need to remind them of how to utilize certain tools if it has been a long time since you have used them. If you already use Google Classroom for example, then they should know to find assignments in the Stream as well as the Classwork tab. If your students are new to an online tool that you are using during this time, make sure to find or create some tutorial information for them to use so they will not be completely lost on what to do.

5. Make student-teacher communication a priority. While these online learning days will feel anything but ordinary, we should strive to keep them as similar to standard classroom days as possible, not only in terms of rigor but also in quality of instruction and interaction. Just as students are expected to treat these days as "school days", so should teachers. It is important as always for teachers to be actively monitoring student progress and providing guidance throughout the online learning day, and effective tools for communication between students and teachers need to be in place to support that process. Ideally, multiple communication mediums; including video conferencing, phoning, and emailing—should be available. Google Classroom courses, Google Meet, Zoom meetings, websites, or other online social platforms can also be great tools to make e-learning days more interactive.

6. Plan for instruction that meets the needs of ALL your learners. Make sure your plans consider the needs and additional support your IEP/504 students may need in order to be successful. These students may need additional access and interaction with their teachers or Ed Techs.