COVID-19 Era And The Looming Future of Tackling Courses Online: Adapting To The Transition, Instead of Resisting It
When most high school students are taking their lessons online this semester, is there a way parents can help them make this transition period any easier?
When you don’t have a teacher guiding your child through solving differentials and integrals, tackling AP Courses may somehow seem even more daunting than it was before. The majority of students and parents, in particular, are concerned about the lack of personal interaction, feedback, and support which often comes with online learning especially when all of the teachers are now only approachable during allotted class timing or via email.
Many students around the world dread the prospect of beginning online lessons over zoom and being interrupted by their families and playing into some of the many scenarios internet meme culture has given us. Yet, there is a lot that can be done by getting your children to adjust and make small changes; be it rethinking our learning spaces, optimizing a learning environment, or adjusting and shifting their schedules.
The guiding philosophy of online learning is not simply to mimic an in-person learning environment. Online learning is also about experimenting with a wide array of digital learning tools, programs, and platforms to make learning equally effective.
Here are 3 key survival strategies that will help your children adapt to some of these concerns and perfect the art of online learning:
- Setting goals and paying attention to details
Students should create regular ‘’to-do lists’’ and break down their tasks to get through their workload during the school year. Check-in with these goals weekly so that they can take better accountability for their own learning when there might not be a teacher to constantly monitor them. If your child is having trouble making a to-do list, help them make one every Monday.
Given the new influx of new digital information and communication from schools and teachers, your children should also be able to manage and organize their digital and online space as well. They should try organizing their digital space by backing up important information, clearing out the unnecessary backlog, and even employing browser bookmarks and compartmentalizing their digital space into specific folders. If possible, students should get back into using those planners, bullet journals so that they can try their best to be productive and efficient learners during the school week!
2. It is all about planning, scheduling, and timing
What is the key component of a successful online learning experience when your teacher isn’t there to tell your child what to do? The simple answer is self-monitoring and time management.
Make a thorough and effective schedule to separate study time from leisure time, especially when your children are now studying from their bedrooms. College Info Geek recommends Calander apps such as Time Page and My Study Life to improve organization skills due to online learning and working from home. Some of these apps can even help children time block and dedicate specific time frames for dedicated tasks.
In order to compensate for the lack of in-person office hours with teachers, it is important that your children know the times and days they can contact their teachers. Teachers may not be available 24/7 to help them because they have their own schedules and working hours. Try to get your child to make a list of drop-in times, live instruction hours, and virtual office hours to ensure that they know when they can schedule this crucial one-on-one time with their teachers.
3. Equipping children for online learning
It is important to remember that the virtual classroom is no less a learning environment than a classroom in a school, where the norms and expectations are probably more demanding. Some parents have even taken to setting up a homeschool environment that works best for their children. The Huffington Post recommends optimizing a child’s learning space by personalizing their desks, setting up their screens properly, and adjusting their upholstery. One of the most helpful tips is to establish a personalized workspace for children so that they can appreciate their new learning environment more.
Commonsense education has revitalized the need for digital citizenship lessons, especially now during the Coronavirus pandemic, where understanding online communication and learning tools are crucial. In order to better adapt to online learning and have a good experience, your children can benefit more from having a more coherent understanding of their digital footprint. In this way, they will recognize and learn about their role and presence online, particularly their responsibilities, values, and limitations. Commonsense education is also providing school students, regardless of age, with lessons to take charge of their digital presence and ownership so they are better equipped for online learning.
Is E-Learning Our Way Out?
Goldie Blumenstyk of The Chronicle of Higher Education said that the pandemic marked a ‘black swan’ moment for online learning.
Yet, the prospect of being unable to help or assist your child when they are stuck on an important homework question at night and being unable to reach out to their teachers is difficult.
E-learning platform Myntor delivers 24/7 instantaneous AI-powered support to assist students with their online assignments and help them identify their weaknesses and areas of improvement. Myntor students are passing AP Calculus AB in 25 days (5x faster than traditional school). The platform is able to provide immediate child-centric feedback and walkthroughs to help children understand various problems and “hold their hand” through difficult problems.
Overall, rather than agonizing over the perceived decline in quality and toll that online learning could have on high school education, for the time being, it is essential that parents and students accept the status quo and use our existing resources and tools to improve adaptability. It is important to pay persistent attention to time, important details, as well as organization so that the transition period is as smooth as possible.
When there is so much talk of finally embracing a ‘new normal,’ will we put that thought into action when it comes to education?
