As we’ve discussed previously, cheating is a concern even with online learning. Technology is an essential tool for the modern classroom, but with technology comes many more ways for students to take advantage of the system, especially since students can know more about the technology they are using than their teachers. For many, it is hard to envision a scenario where students complete online exams without using their smartphones, tablets, and other devices to look…
Studying is a part of every student’s school experience, but it doesn’t have to be done alone. In fact, studies show that students benefit greatly from participating in study groups with their peers. There’s all sorts of research documenting how students can learn from each other, but that learning doesn’t happen automatically, and some worry that it’s not likely to occur in a study group where there’s no supervision and distractions abound. Recent findings should…
Students always have questions, but they rarely ask them, especially at the beginning of the year. They might feel awkward or embarrassed to ask questions, or perhaps it’s just inertia. Whatever the cause, the vast majority of student questions go unasked, and for teachers this can be wildly frustrating. Teachers can’t answer the questions students don’t ask, and in many cases, the unasked questions represent anxieties and uncertainties that negatively affect students’ performance in class…
Deciding whether to allow students to listen to music in the classroom is a modern teacher’s dilemma. Every single time students need to write an essay or work on a problem, they say, “Can I put my headphones on? I think better that way!” But is that really true? Does music help or hinder concentration? Let’s take a look at the thoughts of three different high school teachers and their takes on letting students listen…
According to folks who spend a lot of time hosting web meetings, there doesn’t seem to be any gray area–it can be either incredibly rewarding, or endlessly frustrating. As technology improves, web conferencing applications enable hosts to extend the benefits of live classroom interaction into online spaces, while also allowing students to meet together online as they collaborate and grow in their knowledge and skills. When it all comes together, it’s a beautiful thing–but web…
What does the first day of school with online learning look like? Your impulse may be to think about replicating the first-day activities from in-person learning, but what works face-to-face doesn’t necessarily translate well online. Here are some Zoom teaching tips for the first day of online school. 1. Create a good first impression. We all know first impressions matter, perhaps even more so than anything else the teacher does in the course. To start,…
Let’s not beat around the bush–online learning is tough, and many students and parents are unsure of how to structure their school days. Adopting good habits as early on as possible will set your child up for success. Then, with the right routines established, older students should be working more and more independently as time goes on. Here are 8 online learning tips to help families make the most out of online learning. 1. Be…
As school districts in Massachusetts submit their fall proposals to the state, many parents are coming up with their own contingency plans. Normally, students would be wrapping up their summers and preparing to return to school at the end of the month. But these aren’t normal times, and we’ve never seen a back-to-school season like this. Homeschooling pods are being discussed as a viable alternative to returning to schools or enrolling in online education. This…
It’s common practice for teachers to use deadlines and late penalties as deterrents for students who request extensions or turn in late work. One teacher, however, provides a peek at how and why she morphed from a rigid to a more flexible deadline/late penalty policy and what she observed as a result. When Brenda Thomas began teaching online in 2015, her policy was to deduct 10% of the grade for each day an assignment was…
Are you ready to make a truly inclusive classroom? To do so means challenging the status quo, removing curriculum barriers, and presenting educational goals in interesting ways to engage all learners and serve all students equally. Inclusive learning provides all students with access to flexible learning choices and effective paths for achieving educational goals in spaces where they experience a sense of belonging. In an inclusive education environment, all children, regardless of ability or disability,…
