Distant Learning Do’s and Don’ts
Today we invite teachers to explore online learning possibilities. This is the first in a series of messages to help teachers and administrators do just that.
There are many web-based tools and apps available, and admin/teachers are encouraged to investigate what they offer.
Of course, we particularly recommend using Educeri lessons with Google Meet and Google Classroom when possible. Nonetheless, we would like to share recommended strategies that have been shown to work as well as ones that don’t work for distant learning/virtual classrooms.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Distant Learning
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Guide students through Concept Development and Skill Development. | Avoid unstructured lessons. |
| Continue to use Checking for Understanding questions regularly. Use a chat if possible. | Avoid the tendency to just present a lesson without any interaction, whether by email or chat. |
| Make sure your lessons have clear learning objectives. | Avoid random activities with no clear learning objectives. |
| Give explicit instructions. Every assignment should be clear with an appropriate length of time for completion. | Avoid short deadlines for completing work. |
| Try to communicate consistently through one main online tool. | Avoid mixing up too many online tools. |
| Answer emails during your “office hours’ and be there for support. | Avoid responding to every email immediately at any time. |
| Encourage student feedback on how they are learning — workload, preferences, and pace. | Don’t use too much of the same approach. Avoid repetitive worksheets and homework. |
| Be proficient in using digital tools. | Don’t use new tools that can lead to tech difficulties until you are comfortable with them. |