Best Simple Tips for Better Online Teaching
Best Simple Tips for Better Online Teaching
Today, technology surrounds us. We have photos, games, communication, research, and more—right at our fingertips. Technology has drastically changed how we do just about everything, including how we teach and learn.
Kids today know how to get a device to work better than their parents do, and as technology continues to advance, it will continue to shape their world. Online teaching is also moving into younger educational institutions. K-12 schools are seeing more opportunities for online teaching and learning every day.
Due to the Pandemic restrictions, there are not enough classroom teachers available and some schools are forced to going back to online teaching and learning. This is especially the case in remote areas, where there are not enough kids to warrant hiring a full-time teacher. That's where online teaching and learning come in very handy.
What Is Online Teaching?
Online teaching can be defined as the provision of education or training from any location by any device. Online teaching has the ability to provide access to information from virtually any distance, so a teacher can easily transmit the information. How do I become an online teacher? It is no secret that online teaching is increasing, and for the most part, the idea is changing the way we teach and learn.
In recent years, online teaching and learning have become one of the fastest-growing industries. For a moment, let's see how education has changed and transformed into online learning: More flexible.
Nowadays, we teach our students from any location, on any device. Students from around the globe are allowed to access online education for their learning needs.
The best way to think about online teaching is how we teach in today’s age. We are using technology in various ways, from documentaries to educational films, virtual field trips, and much more. In today’s society, teachers realize that students can learn just as well (if not better) on a computer than in a traditional classroom.
In a lot of ways, it has become easier for teachers to be less formal. We are now able to modify projects, experiments, and lesson plans. We are able to document our lessons in a way that allows us to reach as many students as possible and be more interactive in our teaching. As a result, students are becoming more involved and want to give back to their teachers through learning.
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Advantages Of Online Teaching
First, a common and easy-to-understand advantage of online teaching is that students are not out in the “real” world learning from the teachers. Instead, online teachers are accessible.
Teachers can give homework, test and ask questions 24/7. They can track data on student's progress. Students can go to school, learn at their own pace, and track their progress. With an online teaching platform, there are also no extra costs for travel, eating out, fancy school clothes, and hiring a teacher.
Teachers can be connected to students all the time. They can share their ideas with students, help with homework, answer questions, and give classroom help with the assistance of software applications. For example, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps like Blackboard, Google Classroom, EverFi, and O2EI are amazing tools for teachers to use.
Technology has enabled great opportunities for people of all ages to learn. With technology, you can learn at any time, wherever you are in the world. The educational world has already changed drastically with technology, and online teaching will continue to be a better option for students, especially for their parents, siblings, or friends to learn from.
There is freedom of learning at your own pace. Teaching online can help you save time. You can learn at your own pace and have access to everything, anytime, and from anywhere.
Learning on your own time is far more convenient than when you need to be in front of a class or have a specific class time to learn. When you're learning online, you can work at your own pace, when you want to, and how long you want to study.
Disadvantages Of Online Teaching
Many teachers, especially in younger educational institutions, are afraid of using online teaching to improve teaching. There are so many disadvantages of using online teaching as a teaching resource. One of the biggest disadvantages is the possibility of data theft. Using technology in the classroom and online environments is a great way to improve instruction and keep students learning.
However, if a student uses a teacher's personal device or computer to look up information in any learning-related or confidential area, a student may potentially be breaking the law. Also, if a teacher uses any learning tools to take notes, send messages, grade homework, or speak to a student outside of class, they risk losing their trust.
Regardless of how good of a teacher you are, technology brings its own unique set of disadvantages. As a teacher, you want your students to learn as best as possible, but to do that. You have to make sure they understand the concept.
Unfortunately, teachers can spend a lot of time getting kids involved with the subject matter and the class in the way they understand best, which takes time away from the actual lesson.
You can’t walk into class every day and expect students to learn everything you are teaching. This is especially difficult in kindergarten or first grade, where kids are learning to be independent learners. It’s also difficult to take time off when kids want to learn or have questions.
Clarify Goals In The Class
We can already see how technology is impacting today's classrooms and education methods. Whether it is changing the way classrooms are set up, the way students learn, or even just how we communicate, technology will play a major role in the future of education. Knowing the “why” will help us better understand how it can improve our student's learning experiences, both online and in the classroom. When class decisions are made, what are the main goals?
Set and communicate clearly all the course goals. Assign the tasks and create the assignments necessary to meet the goals. Have the students write a summary of their expectations before the class. Assign monthly homework to ensure they are doing the work. If there is not enough time, have them write a summary or reflection.
Assign reasonable and fun assignments. Students need assignments that make them laugh. They can’t learn from them if they are too serious or boring. Offer choices. Students can choose to read a few paragraphs to learn how to write a longer one, or they can choose to share their work with other classmates.
Create A Classroom Setting That Helps Students Feel Connected
Students have become “disconnected” from their education. They're constantly distracted by the news or sports that distract from the actual task at hand. Kids today love to be stimulated with new information, whether it be a lesson, video, game, or anything that keeps them active and happy.
So what do you do? Build a classroom setting that supports them, engages them, and encourages them to learn in their own way, using the technology that's at their fingertips.
Get students talking about their learning with video messaging. While schools still use technology extensively, they still use it to connect students with their professors rather than with each other. And that's where video messaging comes into play.
From inspiring videos to pictures, this is a great way to attract more students to your website. One of the best things to do is take action by writing posts. Writing posts and taking pictures can help you add the extra dimension that will help attract the right students to your class.
Your classes should be easily readable and useful. You can take this to new levels by encouraging students to discuss their interests and state their feelings. Use videos, pictures, and games in a classroom setting to enrich students' lives.
Use old-fashioned tools such as posters, moustaches, puppets, and even your feet to help your students be as creative as they can. This will help you bond more with your students and make them want to participate more.
Be Attentive To Everyone
While the ability to keep tabs on students remotely is a great thing for teachers and students, it can also become a potential source of conflict. It's easy to lose control of the classroom, to focus on your computer screen instead of the kids in the room. One needs only to look at Facebook to see how easily students are connected through social media.
Every child in the class can instantly message the teacher about what they did during class, request homework help or tutoring, etc. While social media is great and can bring so many wonderful opportunities to a classroom, it's equally bad for keeping you on your toes. If you're going to teach, you need to be attentive to all your students, no matter where they are in the world.
Teaching and learning is a process and should be taken as a professional process that should always remain focused. If teachers are not attentive, they can easily focus only on their student's needs and not pay attention to what is happening around them. For some, students can be a handful and others a breeze to take care of. I would think that is also the case in an old-fashion classroom setting.
Pay attention to everyone's needs and maintain your professional focus on the lessons being taught. Understand the students. It is a fact that every student has their own way of learning and an individual approach to the lessons. Having a firm understanding of the students and using their language will help guide their education and improve their understanding of the lessons.
Seek And Use Feedback
There are some basic lessons that you should always follow when you are working with children, including questions you should ask them while you're teaching. When working on a lesson, make sure that you have enough time to get their attention. Ask them what's on their mind and then go from there.
One thing that you can do is to take a small group and explain a new concept. Allow them to ask questions and to help you figure it out. You must know your audience.
Also, make sure that you ask the right questions at the right time to get the right answers. The same goes for one-on-one tutoring. If you're tutoring an individual, talk to them about it first because you don't want to go into class on the first day and give them the wrong information.
Online teaching is constantly being changed by technology, as are learning outcomes and learning methods. The best online teachers understand how to adjust their teaching style to meet the unique needs of each learner.
These needs can come from
- Extreme interest in a subject,
- Huge gaps in knowledge,
- Different learning styles, and more.
The best teachers have learned to understand the learning process to adapt to the learners and even what they are learning. By doing this, they can get the most out of every class.
Utilize Technology To Help You Save Time And Energy
Technology has changed many aspects of the way we live, including the way we teach and learn. Use technology to streamline your teaching and learning. Mobile devices and technology can be used to create group work and help students learn online. In fact, some colleges are even beginning to institute online courses or even degree programs.
As more educators get online, more opportunities will be available for online teaching and learning. Keep your eyes and ears open, and be ready for changes that are happening every day.
Take notes from best practices in education. This is a tip that you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other teacher giving away. The best teachers use the best practices and techniques from other teachers when learning how to teach.
Online Teaching And Learning Tools
Of course, technology isn’t for everyone. Some prefer a “hands-on” style of teaching, such as PowerPoint presentations or chalkboards to explain and explore a topic in their classroom. Other students need a more active learning environment. Many students can learn best and retain information better when engaged in the learning process.
Whatever the case may be, you should be aware of some of the best ways to use technology in your online teaching. Whether you’re an avid internet user or not, there are plenty of resources that can make your life as a teacher a little easier.
Use online tools like NetBase and Wistia to get videos in front of your audience without any development, uploading or hosting hassle. Even FreeSciVerse will help you organize all your data while saving time.
Technology will continue to be a huge teaching component, and it will evolve, so use it wisely. When you give your students time to learn new concepts, the online world offers a faster learning process and a better learning environment. You can access the world wide web anytime, anywhere.
Conclusion
We want the most effective way of teaching our students, and our schools, universities and colleges can use the best technology possible. You can use simple, inexpensive lesson planning tools to track your student's progress and prepare them to do assignments on a subject.
Your teachers can use a wide variety of worksheets to help supplement their curriculum. You can use Google's cloud storage to store documents and save them online. A video conferencing system will allow you to connect virtually with your students so they can work together on assignments.
I trust you enjoyed this blog post on the Best Simple Tips for Better Online Teaching. Would you please stay tuned for more articles like this to come? Take care!
JeannetteZ
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I would love to hear from you. Please leave me your questions, experiences, remarks, and/or suggestions about the Best Simple Tips for Better Online Teaching in the comments section below. You can also reach me by email at Jeannette@WorkFromAnywhereInTheWorld.com.
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