Skip to main content

Why Teachers are Slapping Classroom Content Online

The Coronavirus caught teachers off guard.  Schools closed suddenly and in some cases gave teachers just a few days to make the transition from classroom to online learning, leaving them between a rock and a hard place.  Some teachers were fortunate enough to be given some basic training but then they were expected to go out and perform online miracles to keep their students learning.

Experienced teachers, trainers and lecturers usually have their course materials 'in their heads' and effectively deliver classes, lectures, and training sessions using prepped notes or worksheets as supplemental materials.  Under pressure from national and district authorities, teachers have had to forego best practices for modifying classroom sessions and some have been slapping content onto virtual learning platforms to cover the rest of the curriculum for the academic term.  

However, teachers need proper, structured training to do online learning well. Converting teaching content and materials into electronic versions takes considerable time.  In the absence of training many teachers are improvising and practicing by trial and error as they convert traditional classroom activities into virtual learning environments. 

This blog is intended to help me (and you) to gather e-learning resources, to create a roadmap for online learning, and strengthen our virtual classroom skills by undertaking practical course building exercises together.

I hope that you will join me on this extraordinary journey because in spite of all the uncertainty caused by covid-19, we educators are expected to Teach.On.


Check out my next article:












Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tech-Savvy or Digital Literacy: Which applies to you?

Tech Savvy and Digital Literacy are not the same thing. Many people think that having the most sophisticated or expensive cellular phone and computer, or having your security system, car and washing machine connected by Bluetooth are all signs of being technology savvy.   But in truth being tech savvy really means that you have the ability to use any accessible technology to be more productive and efficient.  If you can use your computer or mobile devices to manage client calls, projects, meetings, social networking, research, blogging, bill payments, banking, shopping AND handle domestic chores - then you are tech savvy . Digital literacy on the other hand is not just about technical know-how, it is about more about knowing how to use technology in a responsible way.   One researcher at Deakin University describes Digital literacy as "the ability to identify and use technology confidently, creatively and critically to meet the demands and challenges of...
Post a Comment
Read more

I Trashed My Course Conversion Scheme - Here's Why

In July 2020, I embarked on a professional learning journey to convert one of my face to face courses into an online course.  I took the time to carefully craft a road map to achieve this feat with all the enthusiasm of a naive, excited, undergrad taking on a first time internship experience and expecting to apply all the things I studied at university. For initial conversion I selected an academic course named Caribbean Travel and Tourism so that I can learn the rudiments of building an online course using materials meant for face-to-face learning.  But as I began to follow my plan, and started to think about how to use existing materials to teach the course online, my bravado faltered.  How can I possibly preserve the rich and sometimes heated interactions and in-class discussions that derive from hot topics such as the impacts of mass tourism on small island states, cultural and heritage effects on tourism, or the economic dependence of tourism in some Caribbean coun...
1 comment
Read more

Which Works for 2020 & Beyond: Micro Certifications, Vocational Qualifications, or a University Degree?

We all know that the effects of the Covid crisis are profound and that all forms of learning have been affected, especially amongst the most vulnerable social groups.  Ironically, during the lockdown, half of the top ten in-demand occupations in five English-speaking countries required no more than a high school diploma (OECD, 2020).   Research from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that when the large scale lockdowns were implemented globally, the occupations that saw an increase in job postings tended  to  include–but  were  not  limited  to – health  care,  food production  and  distribution,  law  enforcement,  critical  infrastructure,  public  safety  and  manufacturing  of personal protective equipment.  Whereas a degree was preferable for some positions, a two‑year associate’s degree was sufficient. In many cases, a high-sch...
Post a Comment
Read more