At Lincoln Learning, online teaching is what we do best. No matter the reason you may be teaching online, we have some tips to help both you and your students succeed with remote instruction.
Best Practices for Assigning Work
When assigning work to your online class, clarity is always key. Remember that your students are still individuals with different interpretations of your instructions. Use these tips to keep everyone on the same page when it comes to assigning work and submission expectations.
- If students are working asynchronously, present the day’s agenda in one clear list with integrated links. Students and parents won’t get lost jumping from site to site if they can always return to the agenda to pull up the next video lesson, interactive activity, or reading.
- Understand the technology you are asking students to use. You know your students and how they respond in front of a computer. When you send instructions, write them as you would for a substitute teacher. Use a step-by-step approach and test your instructions to make sure they work.
- Consider incorporating a 5- to 8-minute video explaining your lesson so students can see you and hear your voice. These videos also will help explain expectations to parents.
- Ask for parent input. This is new ground for everyone, and parents are going to be able to tell you what is and isn’t working. Keep an open mind when you read parent feedback.
- Work with your colleagues to create a workload that is consistent and manageable for students. Consider staggering assignment due dates or providing students with a time range for submissions.
- Stay organized and be very clear on how students are supposed to submit work. Tracking participation becomes chaotic if some students post in the comment section, others share a Google Doc, and others email a response.
For more information about Lincoln Learning Solutions or our online teaching services, visit our webpage or leave a comment below.
