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Center for the Study of Education Policy

Center for the Study of Education Policy

Learning Technology Center of Illinois

Summary of "Best Practices to Transition to Online Learning Today"
Offered March 18, 2020 by Learning Technology Center of Illinois (LTC)

Click here to view recorded webinar

Summary of the Webinar

  • No New Tools!
    • Stick with tools your educators and students know.
    • If you absolutely have to try something new, LTC recommends:
      • Flipgrid
      • Padlet
  • Tell Parents How You Will Communicate With Them
    • Tell them how often you will communica te with them.
    • Tell them when you will be checking email or platforms and stick with it- put this on your email signature… “I’ll be online from… and respond…” 
    • Try to narrow it to one main channel of communication, even if you post the information on different platforms.
  • Post a Short "Hello" Video Every Day Where Students Can See Your Face
    • Keep it short.
    • Keep it positive.
    • Let them see you are experiencing the same thing they are.
      • Flipgrid allows them to reply.
  • Don't Try to Recreate Your Actual School Day - This Isn't a Normal School Day
    • Kids are stressed.
    • Not all are used to online learning.
    • Many activities will take twice as long online as they do face-to-face.
    • "Plan for your slowest student".
  • Lessen the Workload
    • Online learning takes twice as long.
    • Two subjects per day.
    • Some households will have multiple kids impacted at different grade levels.
  • Create Daily or Weekly Checklists so Kids Know Exactly What to Do
    • Many kids cannot self-manage their schedule on their own.
      • They thrive on routines
      • They are at home with built-in distractions
  • Don't Focus on the Technology
    • Use it, but try to keep kids off of screen as much as possible.
    • Remember that for some, the only connection they will have will be via smartphone.
      • Example: write it on paper and then snap a picture of it to share.
      • Print friendly documents for offline learning.
  • Phase in...Everything
    • Don't try everything at once.
    • Start with what you know...
      • Lessons you are working on.
  • Incorporate the Home
    • Descriptive writing on a room, pet, etc.
    • Math related to household items, etc.
    • Assign jobs such as play a game, do a puzzle, bake a cake, and post a picture of what you did.
  • Be "Mostly" Asynchronous
    • Allow flexibility for those that can't be online at the same time.
    • Try to plan 2-3 times a week where you will be "live" to offer a check-in or a hello.
    • Offer "office hours" where kids can see you are online.  Set rules for kids and parents letting them know when they can and cannot contact you.
  • Create C hecklists for YOURSELF
    • Create a schedule for yourself that includes specific times to check email, be available to students, grade papers, etc.
    • Build in breaks where you step away from technology and care for yourself.
    • This list is just for you, but may be something you share with family members that are also working from home.
  • Give Yourself, Your Colleagues, Your Administration, and Your Students a Break
    • These are unprecedented times and we are all figuring it out as we go.
      • Monitor morale and workload of your students, adjust if necessary.
      • Keep in  mind some older kids will become caregivers for younger siblings.
    • We are ALL experiencing this change.
  • Best Practices to Transition to Online Learning

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2024-07-30T14:56:59.405228704-07:00 2024