Remote teaching: Juggling oh-so many balls in the air
Remote teaching and learning is the new normal. While in many countries schools have opened their doors and welcomed children to study in their familiar classrooms, the possibility of remote learning is lingering in the minds of educators and school leaders as the new wave of Covid-19 lurks around the corner. Can remote learning be successful?
One of the keys to success in remote learning is staying up to date with everything that goes on during a remote school day. This does not only refer to students and parents, but to the teachers as well.
While most teachers are quick to agree that it’s best to try to compile all learning activities in one online platform for the students, many are still struggling with keeping up with the ever-growing piles of students’ tasks and assignments pouring in through numerous channels. You have email, snail mail, file share, instant messaging, text messages, phone calls, video calls, school and home communication tools, e-classroom, e-grading books, and all sorts of other digital platforms in use.
On top of that, the assignments the students send to their teachers are the final products of their learning. How can teachers follow the learning process of their students when they can’t physically see their students learning: going through phases of trial and error, practicing a new skill, or applying recently learnt knowledge?
It is not easy to keep all the balls in the air. Since you can’t walk around the classroom and see your students working, monitoring and supporting students’ learning is challenging. Regular communication with each student is essential, but so is finding the best possible tools for teaching and learning remotely — tools that can make up for the gaps caused by teachers and students not being able to learn and work together in the same classroom.
Have you found yours?
- Jenna Silveri
P.S. In remote teaching and learning Qridi is the best thing since sliced bread! In Qridi the process and progress of learning, including tasks and assignments, are clearly visualized for teachers, students and parents. See our user feedback from last spring.