Actionable Advice For Educators To Move To Online Learning
If you are a teacher who has just made the move from physical schooling to online teaching, you are probably aware of how different the two forms of education actually are. For this reason, many teachers are understandably scared to transition from one format to the other.
However, there are ways in which you can make the move easier for yourself and your students. We will be discussing three ways in which educators can make the transition from physical schooling to online teaching much easier.
Stick To The Curriculum, But Take Short Cuts If Possible
Sometimes the curriculum can make teaching a lot more complicated than it has to be. For example, if the curriculum tells you to teach a section of work using an online worksheet, but you find a video that explains the lesson perfectly, use the video. You need to make these decisions based on whether or not they will save you time and how your online students will react to the method of teaching.
Don’t Skip Question And Answer Sessions
Answering any questions that your students may have is a very important part of teaching. This is especially true when it comes to online education.
In online learning, students do not get the chance to raise their hands when they are confused. They could also search for answers, but the answers that they receive are not personalized. For this reason, question and answer sessions become vital.
These sessions are also a great way for teachers to get an idea of where their students are when it comes to work. In physical schooling, educators monitor the students’ classwork to understand what sections they struggle with and where they may need help. They then adapt their lessons based on this. In online schooling, question and answer sessions should be used to plan future lessons.
Make Use Of Online Teaching Resources
There are plenty of online resources and tools that can be used to make your job as an online educator much easier. For example, many teachers turn to an app called Pedagogue for their teaching requirements. Pedagogue can be used to connect with thousands of educators worldwide. You can share teaching materials and methods with your peers, bringing versatility to your virtual classroom.
Many teachers also use apps such as YouTube, and Sporcle to enhance the learning environment for their students. There are so many possibilities and opportunities when it comes to teaching online.
Concluding Thoughts
Becoming an online teacher can be quite a change for educators. However, there are various ways in which you can make your job easier for yourself and your students.
For starters, stick to the curriculum, but know that you can take shortcuts when necessary. It is important that you offer your students question and answer sessions. This will help them ease their confusion, but it will also help you understand where your students are when it comes to their school work. Lastly, use teaching resources, such as Pedagogue and YouTube, when possible.