Learning on the fly. That is where we are when going to school means opening up the assignment du jour on the dining room table. While the kids may be more comfortable with educational technology, they do not know the course content. The teacher understands the course content like the back of her hand yet may struggle to translate a classroom lecture into online content. The result is chaos in the online school environment, kids frustrated with communication from the teacher, and an instructor ready to quit teaching altogether. What can be done? Can we learn how to keep distance learning engaging since this is the new normal, at least for a while? Gildshire hears about the problems from both sides! Can we solve the problems, some of the issues, or a few of the concerns? Why not take a crack at it because at least a year of vital education is at stake?
How do you make virtual learning more engaging?
- The kids need a single, dedicated online hub to go to every day to find assignments. Keep announcements and peripheral instruction somewhere else.
- Simple communications! That is your goal. It starts with set limits on when the students can reach you. Via text during school hours, but via email after school seems to be a plan that works for students and teachers alike.
- You will need to host “learn your tech” days with each class to walk through stumbling blocks, such as submitting assignments or even signing on in the morning.
- Make a special effort to be clear and concise in your directions. When writing out instructions, avoid a hideous wall of text. Use numbered lists in short paragraphs with helpful subheadings.
- Get rid of hard-to-read fonts and unnecessary decorations. Remember that a page with plenty of room is a page that will be read and comprehended.
How do I keep my child engaged in distance learning?
Parents feel like they have been thrown into the deep end of the pool with no lifeguard in sight. It is hard enough to raise a child to become a decent member of the society in which we live without keeping track of the online school password, as well. The Beatles said it best. Help, I need somebody! Here are some thoughts to help students and parents alike make sense of distance learning, using materials readily found online.
The website travelandleisure.com offers virtual field trips that allow students to learn and discover the world! They allow parents and students alike to digitally walk through some of the most renowned museums around the globe. Young learners can visit the Guggenheim in New York City on Thursday before lunch, and then The Musée d’Orsay in Paris Friday afternoon.
PBS Kids has an online platform with games and stories that aid in almost everything that can help distance learning kids to stay on track. From problem-solving to math and science. From reading to reading comprehension and tackling emotions. Your child can engage with the games in a focused way in the learning space that you have created for them at home.
How do you keep students motivated in distance learning?
Interact with them daily. You created a great learning environment, but that is not enough. Follow up is so important! Ask what they learned that day, and then take the time to look at the video offerings that brought them to that point in the learning process. Because if your child stays isolated with learning materials, the subject matter will fail to take root in his or her mind. If it cannot apply in the real world, then it can be discarded. You can help your young learner to see how it does apply to the real world.
You can see that the question of how to keep distance learning engaging is a job that needs a team. The teacher, student, and parents are all on the team. Together, you can help education to thrive, even in these uncertain times. That sounds like an essential worker team to Gildshire.