What Does it Look Like Online? - Getting Started with Blended and Online Learning

First Week of School F2F Teacher First Week of School – Online Teacher Teachers usually spend some time setting up and

decorating their classrooms by hanging up posters, arranging furniture putting pictures on their desks, etc.

An online teacher should also spend some time setting up his or her classroom. This just might look a little bit different. Online teachers can set up an announcement page or a series of announcement pages introducing themselves and their content to their students. This might include pictures of themselves and/or their families and some marketing of the course. What should students expect to learn? Why will this be important to them?

Teachers usually cover the class rules and expectations some time in the first week, whether these are

determined by the teacher, the students, or some combination of both.

Online teachers should also cover rules and

expectations. These should address grading and late policies, academic integrity, and behavior specific to the online environment. Students should know proper Internet etiquette, known as “Netiquette.” Here is some helpful information/resources on Netiquette:

 Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/netiquette-guidelines.

 Study Guides and Strategies:

http://www.studygs.net/netiquette.htm.

 Yale University:

http://www.library.yale.edu/training/netiquett e/.

 University of Kansas:

http://ntpd.pharm.ku.edu/nontrad/Netiquette/

 Common Sense Media:

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators Teachers may have the students engage in ice-breaker

activities to get to know one another to establish a positive classroom climate and prepare students for collaborative work assignments.

This should also be done in the online classroom. Online teachers can do live or synchronous ice-breakers virtually with students using collaboration tools or can use the discussion area to have students get to know one another in an asynchronous environment.

Examples of Online Ice-breakers:

 Two Lies and A Truth. Ask participants to list three interesting things about themselves. (I own two iguanas; I once shook hands with Tom Cruise; and I love to waterski.) Two must be lies and one must be true. Other participants must vote to determine which interesting thing is the truth. The participant with the most incorrect votes wins. Alternatively participants could be

put into small groups and find out through teamwork what the truths and lies are. Another alternative game is three truths and a lie.

 Miscomm-puter-unication. Ask the participants to share their most embarrassing mishap using a computer. Share your own experience, for example, replying to the wrong person in an email. This will loosen them up and cause a few to chuckle before embarking on a whole new way of thinking…using technology instead of paper and pen.

 Six degrees of separation. Ask each participant to find out how he/she is linked to another participant through 5 others because they have some kind of connection. The solutions needs to be posted and should look like this: me >

Jeffrey > Donna > Patricia > Hans > Sherry with an explanation of the connections. In finding the answers, participants have to interact and ask a lot of questions to each other. It may easily take a week. A shorter variation of this exercise may be to ask participants to find one other person they have some kind of

connection with. (a participant they did not know before).

 What’s on your reading list? Ask participants to make a picture o f some of the books they have recently read or are currently reading. By sharing the books you are reading you tell something about yourself.

The teacher can also ask students a few questions about themselves and ask them to post the answers. It is important to ask students to respond to the posts of at least 2-3 other students to promote interactivity.

Some times a teacher will implement some type of diagnostic assessment to help them determine what knowledge and skills the students have coming in to their class.

Several of the online content vendors provide

diagnostic assessments. In addition, teachers can create their own assessments in the iLearnNYC platform.

Teachers should think about how they will use this data.

Will they use it to assign content? Group students? How will this data assist in personalizing the education of this student?

The first week of school a teacher often distributes textbooks and other materials to students.

Some of the online content providers do have

supplemental materials. Will these be used in class or assigned to students to take home? The teachers should make sure that students have the required materials and explain the procedures for using them.

Teachers might provide students an overview of their textbook or create a textbook scavenger hunt.

It is important to orient your students to the online course as well. Where will they find content? How do

they submit assignments? Where will they go to find discussions? What is the best way to navigate through the course? It is important that the teacher becomes familiar with the content by reviewing the course.

Some teachers send home an introductory letter to parents the first week of school and may gather contact information or other relevant student data.

It is important for online teachers to also think about parent engagement. Teachers should think about how they will introduce themselves to students, how to provide an explanation of the online course, and how they will communicate with parents throughout the student’s course experience. It may also be helpful to provide parents with tips and strategies for supporting their children if they are working on their online course from home. Parents should be aware of the number of the Help Desk in case students have difficulty working from home.

Teachers might post important notes, points, rules, due dates etc. in their rooms for quick student reference.

This can be done in the online classroom as well. You can use the announcement page and calendar in the learning platform. It is also helpful to create a

“Frequently Asked Questions” document and post it in the discussion area.

Daily/Weekly Activities F2F Teacher Daily/Weekly Activities – Online Teacher Teachers typically take attendance daily in their classes. An online teacher needs to “take attendance” too. Even

if they do not see their students on a daily basis or they do not all access the course at the same time or from the same place, the teacher needs to monitor whether they are “showing up.” When was the last time they logged in? When was the last time they submitted an assignment? How much time are they spending in the course doing their work? If students are not “coming to class” or seem to be “arriving late,” the online teacher will need to take action which might include

conferencing with the student, parent, guidance counselor, and/or a school administrator. It may also involve working with the student to develop a learning plan with specific, achievable goals.

Teachers often have to work hard to try to motivate their students to be successful in a class.

Online teachers will have to work to motivate their students too. Some students may find the subject matter engaging or find the self-paced environment and/or the technology engaging, but many students will need support and motivation just like they do in the face to face classroom. Online teachers can use course

email to connect and communicate with students. They can use the announcement pages and content

development tools to engage students with current events or design contests for student participation.

Teachers can help students set and monitor goals using the calendar and grade-book tools. They can provide feedback and answer questions promptly. They can create digital “Walls of Fame” highlighting quality work examples and recognizing students for their hard work.

Teachers may utilize cooperative learning in their classrooms.

Online teachers can utilize cooperative learning in their classrooms as well. Lessons can be designed to require interdependence and individual accountability.

Students can be asked to work together synchronously or asynchronously using a variety of technical tools including discussion areas, online collaborative workspaces, and synchronous web and video conferencing software.

Teachers often use discussion to engage students and content on a deeper level in their classrooms.

Online teachers can use discussion in their classrooms as well. The iLearnNYC platform provides a discussion area. Teachers can start and facilitate discussions with their classes. They can also have students create and facilitate discussions. Discussions can also take place synchronously using the iLearnNYC platform’s collaboration software.

A teacher might want to deliver a lecture or invite in a guest speaker.

In an online course, this can be delivered synchronously utilizing collaboration software. It can also be recorded (audio or video) and posted in the course.

Class debates are often used to engage students in developing and supporting arguments.

Debates can be run asynchronously in the online discussion area. Synchronous debates can also be held using the collaboration tool in the iLearnNYC platform.

Teachers may want to create different centers for students to rotate through different activities.

This can be done synchronously in the iLearnNYC platform collaboration software which allows an instructor to set up online breakout rooms. It can also be done asynchronously in the iLearnNYC platform by creating student groups and establishing different learning paths.

Teachers may use a variety of strategies to differentiate instruction in the face to face classroom.

The online classroom allows for differentiation in a number of ways. Students can be assigned specific

learning paths utilizing grouping and conditional release tools. The teacher can program the iLearnNYC platform to redirect students to content within the course if they do not achieve a certain score.

Teachers might use different types of pre-reading strategies prior to having students start a new unit or chapter in their textbook.

These types of activities are also helpful in an online class. Online teachers can conduct unit or module kick off sessions, asking questions to stimulate prior

knowledge, make connections, and establish a purpose for reading. Images can be used to have students make predictions about what they will read or learn. The teacher can pull our key words and create a virtual Word Wall. Pre-reading or survey activities can be designed for online units.

Teachers will answer student questions, usually when they raise their hands or come up to the teacher before or after class.

Online instructors will answer student questions in a variety of ways. Students may send questions in emails or chats or post questions in the discussion area the online instructor will answer in writing. If the online class is using the iLearnNYC platform tool, the software allows students to virtually raise their hands and teachers can call on the students to hear and respond to their questions.

Teachers typically spend time outside of class assessing student work.

Online teachers will also asses student work. Work submitted in the Dropbox or online assessment area can be returned with specific feedback and assignments can be set to allow for multiple submissions so that students can learn from their instructor’s specific feedback and revise and resubmit their assignment, thereby achieving the required level of mastery.

Student work and the corresponding feedback are retained in the system so there are no lost papers.

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Context: This is a subject area certified teacher who meets face to face with students on a daily basis and has daily computer access.

Monday

In Class Outside of Class

 Teacher conducts 3-5 minute goal setting sessions with students in which he/she discusses student progress including strengths and challenges. The conference should address the goals from the previous week. Were these goals met? If not, what might the student do differently? What supports might the teacher put in place? Goals should be set for the current week.

 Students are working at their own pace independently in their respective courses before and/or after their conference.

 Teacher answers questions on an as-needed basis.

 Teacher responds to student emails.

 Teacher assesses student work submissions.

 Teacher moderates class discussion area.

 Teacher plans for mini-lessons.

 Students work online remotely as needed.

Tuesday

In Class Outside of Class

 Teacher reviews student work and progress.

 Teacher pulls students individually and/or in small groups for personalized mini lessons which might include re-teaching concepts some students are struggling to master, reinforcing content, or enriching content for accelerating students. Teacher may use or define other resources as needed.

 Students are working at their own pace independently in their respective courses before and/or after their mini-lesson.

 Teacher answers questions on an as-needed basis.

 Teacher responds to student emails.

 Teacher assesses student work submissions.

 Teacher moderates class discussion area.

 Teacher plans for whole class activity.

 Students work online remotely as needed.

Wednesday

In Class Outside of Class

 Teacher facilitates a whole class activity such as a science lab, simulation, or cooperative activity which will support student mastery of standards and/or competencies.

Since students are working at their own pace,

 Teacher responds to student emails.

 Teacher assesses student work submissions.

 Teacher posts a follow-up to the class activity in the discussion area and monitors and/or facilitates this discussion.

the activity may be one that does not require pre-requisite knowledge, the teacher may select an activity based upon content everyone has completed, or the teacher may ask

students to read something or to complete a particular lesson the day before in preparation for the activity.]

 Teacher plans for mini-lessons.

 Students work online remotely as needed.

Thursday

In Class Outside of Class

 Teacher reviews student work and progress.

 Students are working at their own pace independently in their respective courses before and/or after their mini-lesson.

 Teacher answers questions on an as-needed basis.

 Teacher responds to student emails.

 Teacher assesses student work submissions and identifies exemplars.

 Teacher moderates class discussion area.

 Students work online remotely as needed.

Friday

In Class Outside of Class

 For the first 15 minutes of class, the teacher has students share quality exemplars of their work using a Smartboard, projector, or paper copies. [It is helpful to select assignments that allow for choice and multiple, higher-level responses. This is a great way to recognize students for their hard work and to help all students understand the level of rigor and quality expected.]

 For the remainder of the class period, the teacher monitors students as they work, answers questions, and conferences with students regarding the quality of their work.

 Students engage in peer review of their work utilizing rubrics.

 Students continue to work in their courses at their own pace independently.

 Teacher crafts announcement page and adds calendar items for the upcoming week.

 Teacher responds to students emails and monitors the discussion area.

 Teacher assesses student work submissions.

A Day in the Life of a Blended Learning TeacherSample Schedule 2

In document Getting Started with Blended and Online Learning (Page 77-84)