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Lesson 1 of 22
Online courses are virtual but students are not. Expert online teachers have the ability to reach across virtual networks and create relationships to support students. Building a foundation of rapport and collaboration with students from the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the course.
Let’s get started helping you create your best online experience for you and your students.
Lesson 1 of 22 complete
Lesson 2 of 22
Instructor presence in the online course environment is vital.
From a warm welcome to a cyber high-five, positive, consistent, and meaningful interactions will keep students engaged, remind them that you’re a real person, and let them know you value them and care about their success.
With online teaching, one thing is guaranteed: things can and will happen.
Review the video, and give yourself a break if something like this happens to you. The YouTube video: “When Online Teaching Goes Wrong ... Lockdown 2020,” is a lighthearted series of eLearning scenarios gone wrong; you may access the 1:45 minute video now or later.
Narrator Comment: use the ENTER/RETURN key to select the link;
the video will open in a new tab, and closed captioning is available.
When Online Teaching Goes Wrong ... Lockdown 2020
Research shows that routine student participation in online courses leads to high academic success.
But how do we get them to engage?
instructors perpetuate dialogue by creating virtual sessions, checking in on students regularly, monitoring progress, and developing asynchronous discussion boards.
All of these help the student to feel like a real person in the online environment.
Instructors can model growth mindsets for their students by how they react to situations.
Moving your teaching online is not easy, but it is a great opportunity to show your students you are growing, too!
Online teachers have the ability to create presence as well as positive engaging learning environments. Resources for discovering how to effectively do that can be found in the module Job Aid located at the end of this training.
Now let’s explore how to create pathways to collaborative working relationships with diverse groups of students.
Lesson 2 of 22 complete
Lesson 3 of 22
Why should students “show up” virtually when they can just read the book?
Because learning is so much more than words on a page. By building pathways to participation, you can help students engage with learning experientially.
Here are four simple, yet effective ways to ignite interest:
Learn how to identify and manage obstacles:
How can you remove obstacles? Here are four simple options to get you started:
One key ingredient to a successful team is efficient two-way communication. Even as an instructor in a virtual classroom, you can develop a learning environment based on trust and openness.
Making communication clear, concise, personal, and appreciative of students’ inputs are just a few ways to proactively build effective two-way communication.
The “Diva” & the “Problem Child”
Just as in on-ground courses, there will always be one or two students that seem to need more attention, or have a need to be at center stage.
As we have already discussed in this module, being proactive can help to eliminate student confusion and stress.
So what can you do to be proactive?
You actually have a lot of options! Here are just three to get you started:
You have great opportunities to strategize the creation of relationships with, and to build pathways to participation for, your students in the online course room.
Let’s take a look at what we’ve learned in this module.
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Lesson 4 of 22
Both share these four key ingredients for success:
Being mindful and tending to these details as you transition to online will boost student engagement and create a positive experience for you and your students.
Additional resources and all referenced resources in this module can be found in the Job Aid located at the end of this training.
Lesson 4 of 22 complete
Lesson 5 of 22
Transitioning to an online environment might feel overwhelming but, rest assured, your pedagogical knowledge and passion for student success is still there and will serve you within the online environment as well!
This module will help you communicate clear expectations, manage learning experiences, and identify student needs in an online setting.
Let’s begin!
Lesson 5 of 22 complete
Lesson 6 of 22
Because online settings can make students feel as if they lack opportunities to ask clarifying questions, creating clear assignment expectations becomes critical.
You can give students a clearer picture of what is expected of them by creating some of the following three elements:
The first rule of adjusting expectations for an online classroom is to accept that the modality is different and that you may have limited control over some elements.
Expectations you had in your on-ground classroom surrounding participation, assignments, and learning activities might not be achievable in an online environment. Therefore, it’s important you look at each expectation individually and examine whether it’s appropriate for an online modality.
As you re-evaluate your expectations, it’s important to consider limiting access factors such as the internet, printers, and even basic coloring tools that might not exist in a home.
Five specific factors to consider that might influence your online course design include:
Providing feedback and giving students the opportunity to implement it is most comparable to walking around a classroom and talking to students about their work.
In an online setting, you must consider what types of activities might encourage incremental progress. These are opportunities that allow for feedback and growth through a progressive process.
Three opportunities that use progressive processes to gradually build towards a larger project with feedback along the way include:
This is likely something you’ve done in your on-ground classrooms but, in the online environment, you can add collaborative elements such as comments within Word or Google docs to guide students in the process.
These types of assignments do not heavily impact grades, but give students the chance to “practice,” involve informal writing and grading, and can provide students with points for submission versus points for content.
These types of assessments not only help you to assess your students' growing knowledge and skill sets in a particular subject, they can also help you get a better picture of who your online students are and where their needs lie. You may find the 17 Formative Digital Assessment Tools to Help You Know Your Students article linked here helpful in this regard.
Communicating and managing expectations in an online setting is completely achievable with clarity, modality adjustments, and proper formative grading opportunities.
When we show up to the present moment with all of our senses, we invite the world to fill us with joy. The pains of the past are behind us. The future has yet to unfold. But the now is full of beauty simply waiting for our attention.
Lesson 6 of 22 complete
Lesson 7 of 22
Technology makes many learning experiences possible. Things like online games, screen sharing, and conference calls are all possible in your online course.
As you look at the experiences you offer on-ground, consider how they might transfer to a virtual experience. For instance, do you play bingo in class? Find a virtual, customizable bingo game and deploy it online.
The truth is that not everything will transfer to the online environment. However, we live in an exciting time filled with technology opportunities. Let yourself get excited about these and make them work for your classroom!
Additional resources and all referenced resources in this module can be found in the Job Aid located at the end of this training.
Technology and the online environment can enhance both individual and group learning opportunities.
Because we’ve already discussed some of the mechanisms for individual learning, let’s now talk about group or community-based learning experiences. You can provide your students with collaboration tools such as:
Remember that technology is just a tool to create the experiences you want your students to have. Check out the 6 Online Collaborative Tools to Engage Students in Teamwork article linked here to begin or continue your exploration of these tools.
Now let’s switch gears and focus on identifying different indicators of student needs and performance online.
Lesson 7 of 22 complete
Lesson 8 of 22
Glazed eyes, tears, and head nods are ways we monitor student reaction and performance in on-ground settings. We need to utilize different indicators online to help us gauge whether students need extra support in a virtual setting. Let’s review some of these.
All students are different.
Some enjoy group Zoom web-conferences, while others thrive on a 1:1 phone call. Some enjoy the gamified replacement of handouts, while others miss the satisfaction of completing a physical worksheet. Therefore, it’s important to utilize multiple approaches to meet student preferences and needs.
As you design your class, consider how you can incorporate a variety of ways students can complete their coursework, contact you or other peers, and interact with course material to ensure you are meeting unique student needs.
Meeting the needs of learners in an online environment will continue to be an important component of student success. As you design your course, be sure to build in ways to “check in” on your students through performance indicators to provide early intervention and support.
Lesson 8 of 22 complete
Lesson 9 of 22
Managing students in an online capacity doesn’t have to be frustrating.
Building a classroom around online expectations, virtual learning experiences, and meeting student needs will help ensure you are setting yourself and your students up for a successful online experience!
Refer to the Job Aids section at the end of the training for additional resources that may be of help; and for all referenced resources in this module.
Lesson 9 of 22 complete
Lesson 10 of 22
As educators, it’s important that we build classrooms that facilitate a space of growth where communication happens naturally and effectively.
One of the most important uses of an effective communication strategy is to provide instructive feedback to help facilitate student improvement.
Effective communication online will likely look different than it did in the traditional classroom environment.
Let’s examine how having a communication strategy and philosophy of feedback is so important when teaching online.
Lesson 10 of 22 complete
Lesson 11 of 22
It can be easier for students in the online learning environment to go unnoticed due to the nature of the different types of online interactions which make up the online learning experience.
In both an online and on-ground campus, it’s important to set the expectation for students to “raise their hand for help.”
Though raising your hand in an online environment might look different than in the traditional classroom, there are tools and strategies that create the space for students to raise their hands both publicly and privately.
Hand Raise Equivalents (in Online Learning):
There are many ways to communicate with your students when teaching online, including these four methods:
Every student group is different, and there are multiple ways to interact and communicate which can be tailored to the specific student group.
Here are four things to consider when determining the best modality for your students:
Now that we’ve covered meaningful communication strategies, let’s switch gears and talk about ways to build a safe environment that promotes participation.
Lesson 11 of 22 complete
Lesson 12 of 22
In a virtual classroom, students can’t walk up to your desk to ask for help. Because of this, it’s important to develop a process for 1:1 communication.
A process could include things such as: best way to contact you (phone, email, etc.), how to contact you (email address, phone number), how to schedule a 1:1 call, and virtual office hours.
Make sure this process is known by both students and parents to help minimize frustration and maximize your availability for students who need help.
Three things to keep in mind as you plan your interactions with your students:
It’s important to establish regular check-ins with your students to ensure each student is able to benefit from 1:1 interactions with you as their teacher.
As you build out these check-ins, consider the individual situations of each student to determine the frequency and type of support you might need to offer different students.
Take time to develop the type of support each student might need on an individual level.
Three Factors to Consider:
In addition to creating a safe place for participating, it’s important that our students are offered feedback that encourages growth and improvement opportunities.
Let’s jump into learning about ways in which we can provide rich feedback!
Lesson 12 of 22 complete
Lesson 13 of 22
Effective feedback on student work is critical for the growth and development of learners of all ages and types.
Transitioning to the online modality may impact the way you are able to assess and provide meaningful feedback to your students. Regardless of the modality or methods used, here are four recommended best practices in providing student feedback:
If you’re going to take the time to provide feedback, make sure it’s positive and impactful for the student. Instead of simply saying “great job!” or “correct,” consider providing students with rich instructive feedback.
For example, “Correct! This is a great example of ‐‐‐‐,” or, “Great job with this paper. You provided a lot of specific details and it was written very well.”
Think about the best coach or mentor you’ve ever had. What qualities made them a great mentor? More than likely, they spent time building rapport, asked questions, provided ideas/feedback, and overall showed genuine investment in your success.
Especially during difficult times or times of change, students will look to important adults in their lives for guidance, encouragement, and sometimes, even hope.
Take the time to positively impact your students’ lives by creating a dynamic of coach and mentor when possible.
Rich, positive feedback can act as a gift to students. When we care about their success, we provide them with specific tools and opportunities to improve.
As you build your class, keep coachable moments on your radar to create spaces for students to grow.
Lesson 13 of 22 complete
Lesson 14 of 22
As we’ve learned through this module, communication and feedback are strong contributors to student success. As educators, there are very specific ways in which we can utilize communication and feedback to help our students continue to grow and improve!
Additional and all referenced resources in this module can be found in the Job Aids section located at the end of this training.
Lesson 14 of 22 complete
Lesson 15 of 22
The idea of working from home is appealing to many people, but few classroom teachers ever imagined being asked to facilitate learning from their own living space, a request that comes with many challenges and rewards.
Let’s go beyond the classroom and highlight some ways to help you to create a positive balance between your health, social life, and professional life.
As you explore this module, make note of the things that might work for you and challenge yourself to implement something new that will help keep you balanced.
Lesson 15 of 22 complete
Lesson 16 of 22
Part of the challenge of maintaining a work/life balance when newly working from home is the lack of traditional cues that signal us to transition in and out of work time.
Without the benefit of an audible bell schedule, visual cues from student behaviors, and other indicators we’ve grown to depend on, our days can grow long and work can begin to impact us and our families negatively.
Particularly with work as important as ours, it can take some time, and trial and error, to find a balance.
In this module, you’ll gather some important tips to help set yourself up for success.
You can only take on so many tasks in a day before your stress meter pegs out.
As an online educator, you will need to be mindful of creating healthy boundaries with students, monitoring your workload, and taking time to recharge your battery.
Online educators can use several strategies and techniques for managing the demands on their time, which can support a healthy workload.
Here are just five of them:
We know that research suggests that students should take regular breaks, but do we apply that same wisdom to ourselves?
Taking breaks and allowing yourself the time to energize and refocus is important for sustained positive impact in the classroom and in life.
Strategies for Taking Breaks:
Let’s reflect on healthy practices.
Think about what rejuvenates you. Is it family fun time, bike riding, sewing, painting, crafting, playing cards, skateboarding?
Whatever adds to your positive energy are all good practices to help you maintain a healthy balance in your life; don’t let your energy sources get away.
Review this short Ted Talk about the importance of self-care for teachers.
Narrator comment: the Ted Talk video will open in a new tab if you elect to watch it. The video is 9 minutes in length. The speaker is Kelly Hopkinson, recorded on July 16, 2018, on the TEDxNorwichED series.Learn to shine bright‐ the importance of self care for teachers.
All work and no play can lead to stress.
Finding what keeps you balanced and happy is vital in life. When you have a positive mindset and are open to future opportunities, that flows over into your classroom and how you relate to your students; you become a mindset model. Which is exactly where we are going next.
Lesson 16 of 22 complete
Lesson 17 of 22
Mindset is an important aspect of approaching any significant task or pursuit of a significant goal.
How can we leverage mindset with our students and ourselves as we all undergo change and adjust to our new environment?
As the teacher, you have a special ability to demonstrate and reward expressions of favorable mindsets for your students. Growth mindset, the idea researched and popularized by Carol Dweck, at its core states:
“Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset.
They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts).”
As you develop a curriculum in your online courses, this practice reflects the scaffolding method of helping students learn in a growth environment.
While you might not be there physically, you can create leveled assignments that will eliminate frustration and keep students engaged.
Regardless of your level of prior experience teaching online, it’s likely that some elements of your online curriculum planning and execution may not go exactly perfectly.
Though it is disappointing when this happens, and may feel unfamiliar if you are a veteran teacher in the on-ground environment, making mistakes is part of life and a valuable part of learning.
How you respond to adversity in front of your students is a powerful demonstration of your expectations for them and should be approached with an open mind.
As you become an online instructor, pay attention to your own growth mindset.
It takes time to develop skills. A good mantra is “not yet, but in time.”
Keeping a growth mindset can be developed by learning new skills. Teaching online courses provides many opportunities to expand your own instructor toolkit.
As you grow as an online educator, it is important to have people to support you and to find ways you can develop your professional skills. Ready to learn about your networks?
Lesson 17 of 22 complete
Lesson 18 of 22
Earlier in this module, you learned about the value of keeping a balance in your life.
Positive networks are like stored energy.
You don’t have to be the life of every party or have ten thousand Facebook friends. Social networking sites can provide a variety of opportunities to connect with like-minded people of all sorts which can, in turn, help you feel better both personally and professionally.
Professional networks can be a tremendous source of support and energy, particularly in times of transition and change.
While we may traditionally think about conferences or workshops you can attend, really your network is at your fingertips—literally.
Explore the five options below for networking professionally.
Take a moment to think. Who are your people? Your tribe?! It’s important to keep them close when a little extra encouragement and support is needed.
It is not just kids that want to hear “Well done! You were awesome!”
Even as adults we like to be recognized for a job well-done. A personal network is your inner circle, your support. This group of people helps you and supports you in achieving your goals.
Want to learn how to use a new app? Ask your students or a teenager; they have the skills and knowledge. Networks are not just people you work with.
You can tap into your networks to learn a variety of skills. Remember, your networks are not just your support, but your teachers as well. Let’s network here. Ready to learn about some apps and programs?
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Lesson 19 of 22
At times, you might feel alone as an online educator, but you don’t have to.
Being mindful of the available networks you have—social, professional, and personal—will help you stay in touch and maintain a good balance in your life as you develop new skills and reach new milestones.
Refer to the Job Aids section at the end of the training for additional resources that may be of help; and for all referenced resources in this module.
Lesson 19 of 22 complete
Lesson 20 of 22
It’s easy to worry about what you don’t know, but you are not in this alone.
In this module, you will learn about valuable apps to keep you and your students in touch, tools you can integrate into your online classroom that will help you manage your time more effectively, and some tricks of the trade from seasoned veterans to get you started.
Technology-based tools are great ways to turn a flat screen into a three-dimensional world and many of these great resources don’t cost a penny—a win/win for all!
Get your tool bag ready; we are about to fill it up!
Lesson 20 of 22 complete
Lesson 21 of 22
Close your eyes for a minute and imagine walking into a store and being given limitless free access to books, magazines, pictures, articles, and videos.
It’s an educator’s dream and yet it’s also reality!
Finding informational resources you and your students can use does not have to be time-consuming or costly. Open Education Resources (OER) puts hundreds of thousands of informational products into your hands.
See the Job Aid section (located at the end of this training) for links to specific resources to help you get started or add to your library.
Besides information, there are many free applications and online tools available to you.
We will learn more about these in the next few sections, but how great would it be to let an animated boy and his robot* teach your students while you are grading?
These applications certainly don’t take the place of a teacher; they are teaching tools to help you integrate diverse learning strategies as well as manage your time. Honestly, a lot of them are just plain fun!
Narrator Comment: use the ENTER/RETURN to select the link below.
The video will open in a new tab, and closed captioning is available.
Here’s a sample video of the boy and his robot.
Take a minute and think about the ways you connect with and teach your students. Online tools can help you to virtually cross the distance to communicate with your students.
These tools can also help you to tap into the diverse learning preferences of students and layer the ways in which students learn (e.g., audio, visual, cognitive, tactile).
You wouldn’t use a hammer to paint a ceiling, or a paint brush to drive a nail. The same rule applies to tools used in the online classroom. There are different tools for different jobs. Let’s take a look at some and what they do.
Lesson 21 of 22 complete
Lesson 22 of 22
Think about the value of staying connected with your students, providing varieties of learning modalities to keep students engaged, and working collaboratively so students feel their success is important.
There are numerous applications and tools you can use in the online classroom to make these experiences a reality.
Online classrooms can come alive. You have the power to make it happen!
Lesson 22 of 22 complete
Congratulations
Thank you for completing the 2020 national education partners (nep): Transition to Online course. Please download your certificate below.
Narrator comment: additional text has been included within the Job Aids section for clarity purposes.
The Job Aid content is a list of references that can be accessed to help you through the transition to online teaching.
It’s a Learning Process
Online teaching and learning is a learning process for all teachers, at all levels.
Use these modules to help prepare you for your class transition to the online format, gain some vital skills to create a classroom that keeps students excited about learning, and create a positive and meaningful experience for you and your students.
Clear expectations remove the need for students to guess what you want and better assure their ability to be successful. Clear expectations remove the need for students to guess what you want and better assure their ability to be successful. It’s important, when creating clear assignment expectations, to use measurable verbs. Rubrics are a useful thing to create as they show how you will grade student work and remove the guesswork for both students and instructors.
The following resources should help you develop a more effective and comprehensive communication and feedback plan when interacting with students in an online teaching scenario.
Setting the right balance can be a challenging and daunting task. The following resources should help you jump-start a workable plan for your own life.
Select the following link to access, download, and print your Certificate of Completion!
link to certificateYou may close this window now that you have completed the training.
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