Tutorials And Tech For Collaborative Education
Uprooting your classroom to move it online can be a terrifying prospect. Now, it’s one that educators across the world now face amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Distance learning is a new experience for many. Today’s teachers now need to adapt their existing learning environment or design a new one. Recently, the move to online learning came with little time for preparation. You probably discovered that not all traditional teaching methods work in a virtual environment and there is a learning curve as you trade your physical classroom for a digital one. The common factor across the board is EdTech. Technology should help you deliver effective lessons, not hold you back. If you’ve made compromises on quality, you may want to review the online teaching tools and resources in your arsenal. If remote education is new for you, this guide will show you where to start and what tech and resources are available to support your online teaching.
Online Teaching Tools And Resources
Online education gives your students more freedom for self-directed learning at their own pace. But you don’t necessarily need to build your learning materials from scratch to facilitate this. There are many ready-made educational resources available online to help you. You can start with free education delivery resources from tech and education leaders. Microsoft, Google, and Pearson International Schools, for example, have published free guides to help you navigate the new waters.
Next, equip yourself with the right tools to properly support their students in these uncertain times. Now, find out what online learning tools you should employ as you move to online learning.
Assessment And Feedback
Online assessments, marks, feedback, and reports are essential elements of distance learning. These components drive student Learning and Development and must be included in your processes. However, when you were in the classroom, you likely had assignments planned and knew exactly how you would assess the work your students completed. With teaching online, you’ll face new challenges:
- Which assessment formats can be used online?
- How often should students be assessed?
- How should feedback be given?
There is no single correct answer to these questions, but you need tools that are the right fit for your virtual classroom. For example, when you need to assess a student’s current knowledge or see their processes, select a tool that does exactly that. Some tools collect evidence of learning over time. Some online programs can even automatically grade a student’s assessment so all you need to do is leave feedback.
Note: Providing feedback in an oral format via videos or sound recordings is a popular option.
Lesson Delivery
Beyond simple slideshows, consider how technology can be used to enhance your students’ learning experience. Many online platforms offer high-quality educational content you can use to supplement your teaching. Couple this with tools that can directly embed videos, assessments, and even games into your existing slides, and you can easily create engaging and interactive learning experiences.
Online teaching facilitates the freedom to diversify lesson delivery. Screencasting tools, for example, allow you to record both your computer screen and a video of you speaking so you can talk through content in real time. The right distance education toolbox can help you deliver tutorials, explainer videos, or simple lesson recaps that students can access at any time.
Classroom Management
One of the most powerful tools you can use when teaching online is a Learning Management System (LMS). An LMS is where you and your students come together online, along with all of the learning materials and assignments you have set them.
A good LMS should have features that allow you to set assessments, quizzes, or homework tasks to grade students remotely. These features allow you to track your students’ performance and make teaching decisions based on solid data.
Before you consider implementing technology to help with your learning and classroom management, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is this tool user-friendly?
- Is it compatible with current tools?
- Is it sustainable?
- Is it accessible?
If a tool or app meets the above requirements, it can help improve your instruction processes.
Communication
It’s important to set up spaces for students to be social. School is not just about learning; it’s about forming relationships as well. An online space where students can share their thoughts and ask questions creates a more collaborative learning environment.
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The tools you use to communicate with students must allow effective communication, facilitate discussion, and keep students interested in learning.
Live communication tools, such as real-time chat or video conferencing, provide an effective way to replicate in-classroom socialization. If you’re tech-savvy or know somebody who is, you could even build a virtual classroom iOS app, which would enable customized and real-time communication to help you support your students and receive continuous feedback on their progress.
Conclusion
Teaching online for the first time can be overwhelming, so overwhelm yourself. Introduce new educational tools and resources one at a time and see if your students are engaging with them. If they aren’t or a tool is hard for you to manage, try something else.
The right tech can enhance your online teaching and support you in the process. But there will be a learning curve. Nobody is expecting you to have all the answers immediately, so make use of the world of online tech resources until you find what works best for you and your students.
