Contrary to what many may think, teaching is a challenging profession! More so now due to a sudden shift to teach online. Teachers had very little time to redesign the entire curriculum and also train themselves to use the new virtual environment effectively.
Mistake 1: Too Much Passive Screen Time
First of all think carefully as to what it is that you want to achieve and then make a list of all the apps you would need to download that will help you accomplish your goals. Distance learning can become ‘app-centric’ where students spend most of their time watching instructional uploads, answering MCQs and regurgitating what they saw instead of talking about concepts with teachers and peers.
Rather, it would be nice if the students are engaged in active screen time. They can use the conferencing and other tools to collaborate with other students and teachers on projects and presentations. This will also provide them with socializing opportunities.
Mistake 2: Too Little Time for Dialogue and Discourse
As in a classroom, adequate time must be given to students to come together with peers and interact with each other or teachers. Clearly identify expectations, break the class into small groups and provide students a mix of independent and small group time virtually.
Mistake 3: Conflating Work Completion With Learning
Just work completion is not learning. Some students complete the task at hand quickly and then have little or nothing to do for days. Others who find it difficult ask for parental help which in turn could be very challenging for working families. Effective learning experiences come from conversations between peer and internal self-reflections to clear doubts.
