Wow! We are well into online learning for this 2020 school year and by now, I’m sure you feel as if you’ve heard just about all you want to hear about virtual learning. The coronavirus pandemic has presented many families with challenges, children across the country are learning from home. For so many, this is a new experience. It’s not easy for parents to turn their homes into classrooms. But there are some simple things that can done to insure a successful online experience.
Here’s a list of learning tips for parents, teachers, and students.
Tips for Parents:
- Provide a quiet place for your child to work without distractions
- Video games, toys, pets, siblings
- Earphones may come in handy to filter out extraneous noise
- Make a schedule and stick to it.
- What time to get up to start your day
- What time does school start
- Creating learning times and stay consistent
- Agree on times for play, games, when to watch TV, exercise, taking breaks
- A calendar with color coding can help with staying on top of deadlines and assignments
- Attaching a copy of the child’s schedule to their Chromebook and the refrigerator so they are able to see their daily schedule
- Communicate regularly with your child’s teacher.
- Set up a time each week to discuss your child’s progress
- Confirm assignments, receive instructions
- Talk about challenges you and your child might be facing
Tips from a high school student:
Online learning has been a new thing that a lot of people such as myself have had to take on this year. This way of learning is due to the result of our current issue, COVID-19. It is refreshing to be able to have a bit of extra sleep because your computer is a few yards away but there are some things that can make online learning somewhat of a challenge.
To have a successful online learning experience I encourage you to:
- Log in to your learning website every day for any work that could’ve been assigned.
- Log into your teacher’s Canvas website to review the “to do list “for assignments that are due
- I also suggest that you email your teachers for any questions. It could be a little more difficult to grasp onto concepts that are being taught online so make sure you are letting your teachers know of any questions or concerns you might have.
- Using the chat feature to ask questions during lessons is helpful if you are not understanding the lesson
- This is a new experience for teachers as well as for you so if teachers happen to make a mistake you should tell them about it, be understanding, and give them time to fix it.
For me, online learning has its highs and lows. Some days I feel like getting all of my work done and not letting anything distract me. Other days, I don’t feel like getting out of bed, I don’t feel like logging on and looking at a bright screen for a long time, and I get distracted easily, but I make sure to push through and keep the day going. Online learning is probably a challenge for most but we will get through it.
Calese
11th Grader Riverside High school
Tips from a Teacher for Teachers:
Some Helpful Suggestions for Teachers during Virtual Teaching & Learning
- Find and use simple resources
- Make sure you give specific instructions and have multiple ways that students are able to access instructions for their assignments.
- Break assignments up into smaller lessons.
- Provide interactive activities when possible.
- Record new lessons or concepts and information that students will be tested on for them to review.
- Provide students with weekly feedback through the chat or another school communication platform.
- Allow for student feedback using reflection questions as way to engage them about a lesson or activity that they liked or were having trouble understanding.
- Allow students to interact with their peers provide time for groupwork with set instructions.
- Try to find a balance and set boundaries between your work schedule and personal and family life.
- Make sure you have a system in place to communicate with families weekly outside of the learning tools.
Denise
Elementary School Teacher