7 Things to Maximize Online Learning Effectiveness
Written by Academy Headmaster, Mr. Gregg Garner
COVID - 19 and Bam! They’re home. ALL DAY. And school… it’s online for now.
In the same way parents approach a new school year ensuring their student has all the right tools and resources… walking their kids to their classroom for the first week or two, learning the drop off protocols, familiarizing themselves with the faculty and staff, acclimating to the class schedule and homework expectation... so a parent has to ensure their kids have all the right tools and resources for the online effort.
Parents will have to walk their students through the online platform (Learning Management System, at our school Canvas), learn the Zoom participation protocols, familiarize themselves with the roles of the online faculty and staff (tech guys are your new besties!), and acclimate to the new schedule format and classwork expectations.
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Such changes are indeed a lot, but because the routine has changed up, naturally stress seems to show up. Giving this analogy was a bridge I wanted to conceptually build for you to cross that transition gap (from on campus to online) with a healthy mental approach that gives you a perspective based on your previous experiences - that these school starting stressors will come to a calm and a new normal will settle in.
As to assist in the transition, some Academy teachers and I have put together a list of seven things you can do at home to maximize your students' online learning efforts. Here they are!
Create a Daily Schedule
Make sure everyone in the family is on the same page as to who needs to be where and when. For example Timmy has class at 9, at his desk in his room, for 30 mins. At 10, Susie has class and will work from the porch for the duration of her class and classwork.
You can create a basic schedule, or a detailed one. A detailed schedule would have more than class and classwork times, with designated locations, but it would also have assigned breaks, meals, chores, and even times for play.
Designate a Specific Learning Place
Free of visual distraction such as other family members in view
A “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, or even one to put on the student's back to let others know they are working.
Consider ergonomics for healthy posture. Put the iPad on a stack of books and use a keyboard. Ensure the work area is well lit.
Ensure all supplies are stored near or at the designated study space.
iPad, keyboard, headphones, writing utensils (including stylus), and paper.
If you have multiple children, perhaps a labeled tub to contain all of these items could make it easy to store and keep track of.
Check your internet connection
If you have several location options for your students to work, make sure that every location has a strong internet signal, particularly for the Zoom classes.
Allocate times for your student to use our social forum, Workplace, for interpersonal interaction and have some fun!
Have your student attend the weekly “live check-in” with our teachers to ask any questions concerning content, including any questions related to completing an assignment.
Schedule breaks!
A 15 min brain break after 45 mins of working is a great recharge for the mind.
Snacks and meals can also break up the workload and keep energies high.
Recess! Give them some time for free play and just doing whatever they want for an hour amidst all the classwork.
Do these 7 things and let us teachers take care of the rest! Don’t stress about how well they’re doing their work. Don’t worry about whether or not they’re even doing it right. We’re here to serve your family and have created this system to have flexibility for this transition from on campus to online. So, take a deep breath, smile, and allow God’s peace to animate your next moments so you can have the joy of the Lord be your strength.
God bless you Academy Families!
Love,
Gregg & The Academy Faculty
