It can be tempting to think that all students today know how to properly present themselves when engaging in an online space. However, that’s not the case. At the beginning of any course it’s important to ask students to meet some basic expectations when it comes to their digital persona. First, students should check their profiles. Are their names written correctly? If there is the … Continue reading Teaching Students How to “Show Up” Online
Who have you not connected with recently? Who needs a check-in? Who needs an update? Who needs to hear that they haven’t fallen off your radar? Body language makes up a huge amount of our unnoticed communication, but it doesn’t exist online. As a result, when you’re teaching in an online space, the unstated is truly the unstated. The wave hello from across the playground, … Continue reading No News is Not Good News
In a previous post, I mentioned that communications plans can be a great tool for educators who want to set and maintain clear lines of communication with learners and their support networks. These plans don’t need to be complex. They’re just tools to help you clarify your message and ensure it’s delivered consistently. While these plans can certainly be elaborate, I typically recommend taking a … Continue reading Developing a Communications Plan
A recent poll conducted by the Daily Mail has suggested that Gen Z, views the Thumbs Up emoji as ambiguous, passive aggressive, and rude. This interpretation isn’t uniform across all age demographics. However, the article has gotten me thinking about the emoji more generally, and whether it’s time to retire it from online learning environments altogether. I note this, because what the article didn’t highlight, … Continue reading Thumbs Up! Love or Lose?
Today, the bulk of our communication seems to take place online. If you work for a school or organization with entrenched communications policies, this post isn’t for you. However, if your organization provides no guidelines for communicating with learners and their support networks, read on! In this post I’ll provide four tips for ensuring the lines of communication are clear for students and boundaries are … Continue reading Four Tips for Facilitating Clear Lines of Communication
One of the biggest complaints I hear about learning in online environments is that it’s impersonal. Real relationships are hard to form. No one really knows one another. These statements can be true, but the same thing may be said of any classroom setting. The fact of the matter is that if learners aren’t given opportunities to get to know one another, they will find … Continue reading Celebrating the Small Stuff
In the future I hope to use this space to highlight specific Truth and Reconciliation resources, but like many of you, I am still at the beginning of my journey towards understanding. What’s more, I agree with the many voices who are noting that before reconciliation there must come truth. We can’t reconcile what we don’t acknowledge or understand. So in honour of Truth and … Continue reading Teaching for Truth and Reconciliation
Learners of all ages tend to have similar complaints about online learning. One of these complaints is that online learning is impersonal. It lacks the opportunity to have fun with other learners in the classroom. This is a legitimate issue, but it’s not one that is insurmountable. In fact, it’s fairly easy to remedy with a little bit of time an effort. Read on to … Continue reading Finding Time to Play Online
Whether you’re teaching in an elementary school setting or a post secondary setting, it’s important to gain a basic understanding of your learners. Taking the time to send out a simple questionnaire is all that it takes to reap a wealth of knowledge that can be used to tailor your teaching approach. Plenty of great sample questionnaires can be found online. However, it’s been my … Continue reading New year, new learners? Don’t forget to ask these questions.
Whether you are teaching in the classroom or online, developing a short video introduction to share with learners is a great way to break the ice and alleviate some of the stressors that present at the start of a new academic year. This video shouldn’t be long or complex. Don’t overwhelm yourself or your viewers. Instead, aim for short and sweet! Draw on sales and … Continue reading Make a Great First Impression
Laptops & Learning 