Relationships are the basis of learning. When students feel connected to their teachers and peers, they are more likely to thrive. How can teachers make these connections within a remote learning environment?
For education consultant Laney Lowell, this is the central question facing educators who have moved instruction entirely online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s important to cultivate a community of learners,” says Lowell, an author and international speaker who promotes professional learning at the Orange County Department of Education’s Leadership Development Institute in California.
Related content: This is the biggest mistake educators make with remote learning
Building community is always important for educators. This is even more important for success in an online learning environment where teachers and students do not meet face-to-face every day. If students don’t feel valued as part of a community of learners, they’re less likely to participate in remote instruction.
Lowell hosts a podcast called “Lemonade Learning” with fellow educator and consultant Brianna Hodges. Based on the ideas they discussed on the podcast and Lowell shared in the interview, here are five effective strategies for building a community of learners online.
Involve students in norm setting.
Just as in-person, teachers must establish ground rules for acceptable behavior for online learning. Involving students in this process helps build a sense of community.
“When students help develop these norms, they feel more ownership[of the rules]and are more likely to not only follow those norms, but actually help enforce them,” Lowell said. say.
Take advantage of activities to get acquainted.
“In fact, I believe that online and blended models may help us understand our learners better than traditional face-to-face instructional models,” Rowell says. “Just being in a room with someone doesn’t necessarily make you want to get to know them.”
The key to building community in an online environment, she observes, is “a thorough and intentional effort.” For example, teachers can use apps like Flipgrid to have students create short videos introducing themselves to the class. Doing this in an asynchronous format gives students the space to be creative without being distracted.
Provide frequent opportunities for discussion, sharing, and collaboration.
Use discussion boards, chats, breakout rooms, and other online forums to facilitate online class discussions. Teachers may find that students who are hesitant to participate in class discussions in a traditional classroom are more likely to participate online. Have students use Google Docs, blogs, and videos to share their work with the class and comment on each other’s work. Use digital collaboration tools (Google Apps, Microsoft Teams, or any number of applications) to help you collaborate on projects.
“When kids work together to create something new, that’s where the real magic happens,” Hodges says.
Be open to your teacher’s presence.
Students need to feel supported, Lowell said. Children need to feel that their teachers are there for them throughout the learning process. “We don’t want kids to fall into this asynchronous abyss where they feel the teacher’s presence on Zoom but feel completely alone the rest of the day,” she explains.
In addition to frequently sending emails and calling students who need intervention, teachers can asynchronously create short daily videos to welcome students and introduce topics. You can establish this presence. “Videos are affectionate and can make kids feel like you’re there with them,” Lowell says. “They can watch the video over and over again. Maybe they’re having a rough day and want to feel like you’re there.”
Videos don’t have to be big productions. “I was standing in line at a coffee shop, and I pulled out my phone, recorded a quick video, and said, ‘Here’s my deadline for this week. If you have any questions, let me know.’ “It doesn’t have to be perfect,” Hodges says. The key is to make sure your students feel your presence when you can’t see them in person every day.
Encourage peer-to-peer support.
Another way to build an online community is to have students answer each other’s questions. For example, teachers can create discussion threads or Google Docs where students can post class questions and help each other. “When you build and maintain a community, students often answer each other’s questions before the teacher answers them,” Rowell says.
She points out that encouraging peer-to-peer support has many benefits beyond establishing a sense of community. It helps students feel empowered, which makes it an effective motivator. Teachers also no longer have to answer students’ process-related questions, allowing them to focus on more effective instruction.
“Avoid constantly trying to rescue,” she advises. “Put a sticky note near your screen that says, ‘Can someone else do this for me?'” In other words, can a colleague explain it as well or better? Could you please create a video tutorial to explain it to those who are struggling? ”
Lowell concludes: “Teachers across the board find that when they foster a collaborative online environment, students learn from each other and teachers respond to fewer questions and emails. In my experience, they enjoy teaching online. We found that teachers spend the most time building community, guiding learning, and providing quality feedback.”
Dennis Pearce, former editor of eSchool News, is now a freelance writer. For the past 20 years, he has worked as an education journalist covering issues such as national policy, school reform, and educational technology. Dennis has taught high school English, math, and SAT prep. He graduated with honors from Yale University. Comments are welcome at dennisp@eschoolmedia.com. Latest posts by Dennis Pearce (see all)
Source link
