Online Lesson Tips and Resources
These are unprecedented times, and it feels like the education world is entering uncharted territory. The truth is, there is a pocket of educators who have been spending years learning best practices for creating and delivering quality instruction in an online environment; it is not an easy task to be thrown into!
It is our hope that this site can act like a PD "crash course" in online instruction, to help any teacher with limited to no prior practice in this area of education.
You've got this!
Who are we?
We are an instructional coaching team who each have 12+ years experience teaching in a distance learning environment.
Connect with us on twitter:
@kheiles713, @MrsDeRoner, @tanyacontos
START HERE: Before you look at specific ideas and resources, please remember the following tips as you create content for students to access asynchronously:
Keep it simple. Don't try to get too fancy, or use websites or tools because they look fun or cool. Keep the learning objective in mind, and use a resource that meets that objective. If you just want your students to read and comprehend a story, a copy of the text and questions in a Google Doc might be all you need. Remember that less is more.
Be consistent. Try to follow the same structure from lesson to lesson. This will help your students acclimate to a new environment quicker.
Be clear with your directions. Your students are going to get confused, even when you think it's quite obvious what they need to be doing. If possible, ask someone without prior knowledge of your courses to look at your activity. If they are able to get through it without asking you for clarification, that's a great sign. If they ask for clarification, you know where to be more specific in your directions.
Make it personal. Your students need to see YOU in your lessons. Asynchronous does not equal isolated; create video messages and opportunities for students to communicate with you and their peers in both academic AND fun ways.
Be proactive. Know that Internet connections may vary, as will your students' abilities to complete the work provided on their own. Be aware that not all parents are going to able to help their child. Add "how-to" documents when you ask them to use a tool they might be unfamiliar with. Give downloadable PDFs or Word Documents that students can complete offline as alternatives for web-based activities. Provide choices in how students can demonstrate their understanding.
Now is a great time for projects. Because of how many variables may hinder your students' abilities to be online, limit what you are posting, and allow students to explore in a way that works for them. How do you do this?
Provide students with topic relevant to your class, and ask them to find as much information about that topic as possible using whatever resources they have - the Internet, TV, books and magazines, exploration, interviews with family members, etc.
Give students a simple rubric so they know what they should be reporting back
Provide options for students to present their information - online or offline (create a video, make a poster, make a diorama or model, make a Slides presentation, etc.). For offline projects, students can take a picture to send you.