Standard C
The teacher plans, designs and incorporates strategies to encourage active learning, interaction, participation and collaboration in the online environment.
- Demonstrates effective strategies and techniques that actively engage students in the learning process (e.g., team problem-solving, in-class writing, analysis, synthesis and evaluation instead of passive lectures).
- Facilitates and monitors appropriate interaction among students.
- Builds and maintains a community of learners by creating a relationship of trust, demonstrating effective facilitation skills, establishing consistent and reliable expectations, and supporting and encouraging independence and creativity.
- Promotes learning through group interaction.
- Leads online instruction groups that are goal-oriented, focused, project-based and inquiry-oriented.
- Demonstrates knowledge and responds appropriately to the cultural background and learning needs of non-native English speakers.
- Differentiates instruction based on students’ learning styles and needs and assists students in assimilating information to gain understanding and knowledge.
- Demonstrates growth in teaching strategies in order to benefit from current research and practice.
- Creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that promotes the development of a sense of community among participants.
- Encourages students to bring real-life examples into the online classroom.
- Mandates participation by setting limits if participation wanes or if the conversation is headed in the wrong direction.
- Provides structure for students but allows for flexibility and negotiation.
- Uses best practices to promote participation.
- Begins each lesson with a short, student-friendly, summary statement indicating the goal of the lesson and the primary benchmarks that will be covered.
- Provides extended resources and activities to increase achievement levels.