Flipped Upside Down: COVID-19 and E-Learning

COVID-19 has forced much education to quickly adapt.  While some teachers are happy about the remote learning transition, many are heartbroken that they will not see their students in person. COVID-19 has forced education into the online space, with little time to adjust to the needs of families or teachers.

E-learning can be a challenge but is more suited for educators during uncertain times such as a pandemic. Not seeing students in person, means not knowing if they truly understood the material and can lead to issues in later modules. Technical issues can come up, with little support for parents, students, or teachers; causing frustration. Even worse, students may use technology for non-educational purposes and miss out on important learning opportunities.  

Handling The Challenges Of E-Learning

With truly embracing e-learning, teachers can minimize these drawbacks. Adapting traditional classroom methods of teaching for e-learning can be easier than you think.  Platforms such as Google Classroom has the ability to build in multiple-choice questions or short answer responses, while Zoom can offer a quick check-for-understanding with the use of reactions or polls!

There are many ways to deliver and assess e-learning.  Teachers can teach in real-time by using platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, or record lessons with apps like Loom or Screencastify.  PlayPosit even has built-in checks-for-understanding during videos. Apps like Flipgrid offer a collaborative way for students to demonstrate understanding. All in all, it is important to offer options for students to learn and to present information.

Using video conferencing apps like Zoom help deliver online classes in real-time. If learners prefer, you can also use Google Classroom to post research assignments and papers. It is worth the time it takes to learn multiple platforms, as it will help students of varying learning abilities to understand and synthesize content.

Even considering the drawbacks, e-learning is highly beneficial and necessary in the 21st century. E-learning makes reaching every student, easier. Many online educational platforms scale with the student’s skills. Additionally, e-learning allows students the chance to practice computer, tablet, or phone skills, which are necessities to success in today’s world.

Staying Connected While E-Learning During The COVID-19 Crisis

Sometimes the main challenge a student might have is staying physically connected. Having a back-up plan for technical problems is always a good idea. Writing a simple “If the internet goes out, then we will do x, y, and z,” will ease stress, and get students to have a task that can be completed off-line. While students who use the internet can be more difficult to manage, keeping class interesting and using various teaching techniques can cut down on unwanted behavior.

Now, more than ever, parent communication is needed during e-learning.  Parents feel overwhelmed and out of their depth with much of the new technology, they are required to learn. Getting parents involved may be tough. Luckily there are platforms like ClassTag that can help bridge the gap between school and home.  E-learning for families can be an easy adjustment with proper support.

 Just like a brick-and-mortar classroom, being adaptable with e-learning is necessary to have a successful school year.  While the way we teach might evolve, the needs of a student have not changed. To be successful, we must remain lifelong-learners, and familiarize ourselves with e-learning. Thankfully, there are many resources out there to help teachers adjust to e-learning, including YouTube videos, free tutorials webinars, and social media communities. 

ClassTag Is Here To Help Your E-Learning Lessons Succeed

All in all, e-learning is just the latest phase of education. As always, teachers will meet this new phase of e-learning with the same determination and perseverance they have in a traditional classroom. Resources and websites exist that will help with this transition, including ClassTag.

We here to help you to connect with your student’s families to ensure that they get the most from their online education. We also provide a robust professional learning community with terrific user-support on Facebook!

Best of all, ClassTag is ALWAYS free!

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