• Promising Practices Teaching Online 

     

    This section provides a guide to promising practices our teachers and staff have been learning since last spring. Emphasis has been placed on more intentional and effective engagement of students in an online learning environment. Also, we have paid close attention to feedback from both students and parents in aligning practices across the district. One such example is narrowing the use of external tools and providing easier access to the tools we do employ during remote learning.

     

    The image below outlines best practices and strategies in remote learning that will be used as part of a robust teaching and learning model driven by high quality standards-based instruction. This illustrates the alignment and provides an example of what it looks like and sounds like in teacher practice. Many of the components of powerful instruction that occur in the physical classroom also apply in the remote classroom, albeit in a slightly different way.

     

     

    Synchronous instruction, that is delivered in real time either in face-to-face or video conferencing formats, works really well for some students. Students can ask questions or the teacher can engage students in discussion and clarification of concepts and ideas in the moment. Students who learn best in this mode tend to be the students who learn best in face-to-face classrooms. These are students who frequently ask questions and will continue to do so when class moves to synchronous online/video conferencing.

     

    Other students will learn well from asynchronous instruction and engage differently when utilizing online resources. A teacher might use, for example, a video reflection from each student to give feedback on progress towards a concept or a discussion board to pose a question and solicit feedback from both students and the teacher on their thinking. Asynchronous instruction does not have to be isolating; it can and should be made interactive to engage more students in learning.

     

    SVSD teachers will be utilizing both synchronous and asynchronous models of instruction during remote learning to be responsive to student needs. The district is providing additional tools and professional development to our teachers and staff beginning in mid-August to support a more robust and rigorous online learning environment.

     

    Reference List: 

     

    Edutopia - Article on importance of relationships in learning
    Self Driven Learning Relies on Relationships

     

    Edutopia - Article on common problems and solutions with distance learning
    Solutions to Common Problems with Distance Learning

     

    Edutopia - Article on social emotional supports during distance learning
    Social Emotional Supports During Distance Learning 

     

    Edtechbooks.org - guidebook on blended learning
    K-12 Blended Learning Online Book

     

    Teachthought - Article on higher level thinking pertaining to online courses
    Promoting Higher Level Thinking in Online Courses

     

    Blog Post - When to use synchronous and asynchronous learning
    Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning

     

    Elearning Industry - Post on synchronous and asynchronous interactions
    Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning

     

    Educause Quarterly - Synchronous and asynchronous methods study
    Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning

     

    Blog Posts - Using screen casting to make thinking visible / formative assessment
    Make thinking visible through Screencasting
    Formative Assessment and Screencasting

     

    Edteacher.org - Screencasting how to and tips for teachers
    Screencasting Tips for Teachers

     

    Cult of Pedagogy - Contrast of remote versus face to face learning strategies
    9 Ways Teaching Remotely Should be Different

     

    Elearning Industry - Article on why video is important in blended learning
    Importance of Using Video in Blended Learning

     

    YouTube - Quick video tips from a teacher for using video in distance / blended learning
    5 Tips for Awesome Videos

     

    Vanderbilt University - Guide on video and cognitive load
    Why video for distance learning?