Dive into the best online teaching practices as you discover tips and resources for academic virtual success for you and your students by reading on in this guide.
You were an early adopter of online learning, creating and uploading multimedia lessons for your students years ago. Or maybe you’re brand new to teaching in a digital format. Whichever sounds like you, remote classrooms are the new normal, and you need to nail it.
But online learning comes with a number of unique challenges. Not only do teachers need to change their approach to instruction, but they need to make sure their online students succeed by providing them with the necessary tools and ensuring digital equity. Teachers still need to communicate well and coordinate frequently with parents and fellow instructors. Educators need to grow their skill sets to make sure their students engage.
The following guide will help you and other prospective educators get started with online teaching, or find new and innovative ways to improve current digital lessons. Explore do’s and don’ts, resources, ideas, tutorials, and insight from digital learning experts by continuing on below.
Teaching online is not easy. It’s super time consuming. If it’s not, you’re doing it wrong. But if you get a little bit of formal training or do some research on your own, you’ll quickly learn that it can be the most fulfilling teaching you’ll ever do.
Angela Velez-Solic
The first step when moving to virtual teaching is to understand the technology. Here’s a look at some of the most common devices, applications, and services you’ll need to think about as you plan your lessons and prepare your students.
Laptops, Chromebooks, Desktop Computers
One of the two essential elements to online learning. Each student in your class will need access to one of these devices. For you, the teacher, the key will be to craft lessons that students can engage with regardless of which one they have or can use. For example, Chromebooks are great for access to internet-based applications — and they come with the lowest price tags — but they also have limited capability when it comes to software. Because you’ll likely have a class with diverse tech resources, make your lessons accessible regardless of device.
Reliable Internet Connection
The second essential element is a reliable (and hopefully high-speed) internet connection. This enables access to lessons, communication between teachers and students, and more. A hardwired Ethernet connection is preferable to Wi-Fi simply because it’s more dependable, but a solid Wi-Fi signal should be just fine.
Learning Management System (LMS)
A learning management system is a software program that delivers coursework to students, and provides a single coordinated platform for administration and tracking. For digital classrooms with exams, report cards, and more sophisticated projects and assignments, a decent LMS can be incredibly helpful. For simpler lessons or for younger classrooms, it may not be needed. Check out some of the most popular LMS options below to see if one might add value to your teaching.
Virtual Meeting Platforms
One of the great advantages of the traditional classroom is the real-time, face-to-face interaction between teachers and students. Virtual meeting platforms can help you maintain a lot of that value. Get the inside scoop on some of today’s best virtual meeting platforms below.
Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities
Online learning presents unique challenges for students with physical and/or cognitive disabilities. Fortunately, there’s a wide range of digital hardware and software products designed to facilitate effective online study for such students. If you have any students with disabilities in your classroom, or if you teach special education, learn how to integrate assistive technology into your virtual classroom.
Smart Devices
Tablets and smart phones provide an additional point of access to class lessons and related educational materials. They can be extremely helpful for assignments that require mobility, such as taking photos for an art or science project. Before you begin crafting lessons with smart devices in mind, make sure everyone in your class has access to one. And if someone doesn’t, make sure that student has a viable alternative in place.
Streaming Services
Streaming services provide students with access to a practically unlimited supply of videos, podcasts, and more – both live and recorded – to supplement their regular classwork. For example, YouTube has plenty of free documentaries that can supplement your regular online lessons.
Too many students in the U.S. have no access to the must-have technologies of online learning. For example, approximately 12 million American students don’t have sufficient internet access in their home. This poses significant challenges for schools in need of a quick and effective transition to online school. If you’re a teacher making the transition to online learning faster than you would’ve hoped, here are a few ways to get all of your students the materials they need.
1. Mailing hard copies home
This may seem like defeating the purpose of online learning, but some students don’t have a choice. If any of your students have uncertain tech capabilities at home, make at least some of your lessons available in the form of a packet or other offline work.
2. Laptop loan programs
Although funding can be hard to come by, some schools and districts are creating laptop loan programs to increase access to these devices. In ideal scenarios, each student gets a laptop or Chromebook to take home to use for online lessons. If your school or district has a loan program, see if your classroom qualifies.
3. DVDs and flash drives
For students with a computer or TV but limited internet connections, some old school tech can do the trick. Preloaded flash drives can give students plenty of computer-based lessons to work on at home. And DVDs can be great for pre-loaded videos and other visual media such as stories and lectures.
4. Fundraising
Additionally, teachers are raising the funds needed to purchase laptops and Chromebooks through funding campaigns on sites such as TeacherFunder, DonorsChoose, and AdoptAClassroom, as well as more traditional means, like artwork sales and car washes. In times when social distancing are the norm, online fundraising may be the best bet.
The bottom line here is that teachers and schools are coming up with new and creative ways to get classwork to the students who lack the basic necessities of online study.
As a teacher, you know that successful teaching – whether online or in a classroom – comes down to effective organization and communication. As you might expect, the way you organize your lessons and communicate with students, parents, and others will change with your transition to online teaching. Below are some tips, tricks, and best practices you can use to facilitate your online lesson delivery.
The goals of teaching online are the same as they are for teaching in a classroom, and so are many of the teaching skills and processes. But there are some important differences. In the classroom, you can approach students in-person and use direct-response techniques to deliver information, improve attention, and gauge comprehension. But online, the direct-response approach can be more difficult, therefore requiring lessons with more creative participation and communication. Here are a few strategies, tips, and tricks for dealing with students and lessons in the virtual teaching environment.
Get familiar with your tech
You know from your own classroom experience that nothing slows the momentum of a lesson faster than a technical glitch. This is especially true online, so make a point to get familiar with all of your online technology (platforms, applications, etc.) as soon as possible.
Do some extra planning
Working in the classroom you’re constantly face-to-face with your students. And that allows for making adjustments in your presentation throughout the course of a lesson. That’s something you lose online. So, be sure your lessons are particularly well-detailed and that all objectives are made crystal clear to your students.
Think visually
Without the animation and direct human interaction of the classroom, online lessons can be dry and flat. Combat this with visual stimulation. Think visual aids, props, animation, etc. Remember: catching the student’s eye will help hold their attention.
Use audio elements, too
Mix in some music and audio recordings (animal sounds, interviews with experts and historical figures, etc.) with your lectures. Same rationale as visual aids.
Check in with students along the way
It’s sometimes hard to get feedback from students while teaching online. Check in often with each individual student throughout the class process to make sure no one is falling behind.
Make it easy
In other words, make the individual student’s access to you as easy as possible. Set up a simple, centralized location for them getting in touch with you. And consider creating online office hours where students can “stop by” for a chat.
Do some face time
If possible, use a video conferencing application that allows you to actually see the student (and they, you) during your one-one-one meetings. Again, it’s that visual stimulation that keeps the student focused and engaged.
Give students a call
Not everything has to be online. There’s something about a one-on-one phone call that makes the student on the other e
Be prepared
Even more than in the classroom, time is of the essence. Don’t waste it. Make sure you’re ready to cover all of the topics and issues you need to before you begin your one-on-one.
Check in on the student’s wellbeing
Studying from home can be stressful, particularly during a time of sheltering in. Be sure to ask students how they’re doing apart from their schoolwork.
The educational needs and requirements of K-12 students, of course, evolve as they progress from elementary grades through middle school and high school. Below, we’ve provided some useful advice and information for teachers tailored to grade level, including a survey of online resources, and starting with advice for creating and carrying out online lesson plans.
Lesson Plan Tips for Teachers K-12
| Group Work | One-on-One | Homework | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Elementary (K-2) | Conduct a video read-aloud and make it (1) visual and (2) interactive. Record your lessons and upload them to YouTube. This allows absent students or those who may need more time to process to review the video as needed. | Every students needs quality 1:1 time each week. Focus on improvement areas and skills that students can apply across multiple subjects. Encourage every student to lead part of the session in some way… | Keep assignments fun and simple, and the workload light. |
| Late Elementary (3-5) | Connect students with one another in real time through your LMS or separate video meeting app. Always lead these meetings yourself and encourage parent participation. Keep to a regular daily class schedule, teaching subjects at the times they would normally be taught in the classroom. Have stated deadlines for assignment completion, but allow for work to be completed outside regular class hours. | Be sure to schedule plenty of one-on-one time in which you discuss the student’s general wellbeing and resolve any issues with the online learning environment. Continue to focus on general learning skills while transitioning to their application to specific subjects, particularly those subjects where improvement is needed. | Homework assignments can be increased, but make sure they’re fun and engaging. Be flexible when it comes to assignment deadlines and grading. |
| Middle School (6-8) | Require middle school students to be available and participate in lessons during regular class hours. Plan your daily lessons in much the same way as in the traditional classroom, with subjects taught in real-time, if possible. If not, be sure that daily lessons are posted each morning and assignments completed at specified times throughout the day. Encourage students to connect with each other in real-time and otherwise via video meeting apps and social media. Continue to moderate discussions during regular class hours, but allow students to take more of a lead. | Strongly consider setting up office hours where students can connect to you voluntarily on a one-on-one basis. Be sure to schedule one-on-one time with students who fail to connect during office hours. | Homework can be assigned with solid completion deadlines. However, be sure that students have access to all reference materials needed to do their work. |
| High School (9-12) | As with middle school, high school students should be kept to a regular, consistent class schedule, with daily assignments completed daily and longer assignments completed on-time. | Regularly scheduled office hours are a must on the high school level. Be sure that students are actively pursuing their post-high school plans and keeping up with the college prep and application process. | High school students should be expected to complete all homework on-time and at a similar workload level as when attending school in-person. |
Creating and communicating clear and concise student expectations in regard to their lessons, assignments, and behavior is more important than ever in the virtual teaching environment. Here are a few tips for helping students understand and meet those expectations:
Be proactive
Provide students and their parents with a clear, specific list of expectations at the start of online studies. Expectations should be stated in writing and reviewed with the class as a whole. Teachers should also review them regularly with the entire class as well as provide feedback to individual students and their parents regularly and at any hint of a problem.
Stick to a regular schedule
Expectations are best met through routine. Teachers should post daily coursework at the same specific time each morning.
Remember that there are different expectations for students in different grades
For example, elementary students should be required to complete all daily assignments, but not necessarily during regular school hours. Secondary students, however, may be required to complete daily assignments and submit their work online by a stated time at the end of the day.
Student attendance
Students should be expected to “attend” class based on a stated policy. How student attendance is handled will depend on your specific online program. In many programs, attendance is tracked through the recording of minutes spent on lessons and marking of each completed lesson, and by submission of completed assignments.
Teachers new to the virtual school environment typically have a number of concerns (and sometimes outright anxiety) about the technical aspects of online learning. This section is designed to address those concerns by providing an overview of the platforms, applications, programs, and systems commonly used in online education.
Virtual meeting platforms provide users with the ability to interact with others in real-time via the internet. There are tons of excellent virtual meeting platforms available, each with its own unique features, but they all provide the basic features needed to successfully conduct virtual meetings with practically anyone, including students, parents, as well as school faculty and staff. Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular:
BigBlueButton is an open-source VMP specifically designed for educators and that integrates seamlessly with a large number of popular learning management systems. A free version is available. Learn how to use BigBlueButton on its Video Tutorials page.
It’s no surprise that a VMP from Google is one of the most popular. It’s also no surprise that it’s one of the simplest to use. Up to 100 users can participate in an unlimited number of one-hour maximum meetings free of charge.
Popular VMP with tons of customizable features. The most affordable plan costs $12/month and allows for an unlimited number of meetings of up to 150 participants with no time limits. A 14-day free trial period is available.
If you’ve ever been in an online video conference, there’s a huge chance is was through Skype, the number one VMP in terms of overall usage. Both desktop and mobile versions are available, and using Skype is free.
The free version of Facebook’s VMP app is available with a strong set of basic features, while its advanced version is priced at $4 per person/month (with discounts available for educational institutions). You can learn how to use Workplace through its Help Center webpage.
Not strictly a VMP, YouTube Live allows users to live stream meetings and classes while interacting with viewers via live chat. You’ll have to enable YouTube Live first which may take up to 24 hours before you can use it.
One of best-known and most popular VMPs, Zoom offers a feature-rich platform that is easy to understand and use. It’s free version allows for group meetings (max 100 participants) up to 40 minutes long and one-on-one meetings of unlimited length.
As described earlier, learning management systems are applications that provide a centralized location for the administration and management of education programs, as well as the delivery of lessons and tracking of student work and progress. In short, LMSs are the foundation of most schools’ online presence. A LMS program is typically put into place by an entire school or school district for all of its classrooms, so teachers will likely be required to use the designated system. Teachers may, however, be able to incorporate other LMS systems, or particular features of those systems, into their individual classes.
Blackboard is a leading brand in the world of learning management systems. Its Blackboard Unite is actually a suite of programs and tools designed specifically for K-12 teaching and learning that includes a customizable LMS, virtual classroom, district mobile app, and much more.
Another very popular suite of programs that includes a feature-filled LMS. You can try Brightspace out free for 30 days and learn more about pricing options by signing up on its Discover Brightspace for K12 webpage.
Canvas offers a particularly robust variety of highly customizable features for K-12 teachers and students. You can try Canvas for free by signing up for a free Canvas account.
Cornerstone for K-12 Education
Cornerstone provides a range of features aimed at the K-12 sector, including a highly-configurable LMS, and collaborative learning and employee training options. Try out Cornerstone through its Request Demo page.
Another great LMS choice that allows you to try out its programs for free by creating a teacher account. You can also access a number of educational webinars through its Distance Learning Toolkit webpage.
Combining a number of popular Google apps (Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, etc.) Google Classroom provides a free, simple-to-use web-based service for schools and teachers to create and distribute lessons.
Moodle is an open-source LMS that features a wide range of services, including its own real-time video meeting tool and access to students through their mobile devices. Programs are available in a range of price options. Get a free demo of Moodle via its MoodleCloud Free Trial webpage.
Epic! offers instant access to more than 40,000 quizzes, videos, books, and more, all geared toward K-5 students. Free of charge to teachers and librarians.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Professional organization dedicated to high-quality early learning and teaching for children aged 8 and younger.
Great site with tons of interactive lessons, games, videos, and more for kids of all ages, but particularly for elementary-level students. You can sign up for a newsletter that provides daily tips and activities for kids currently sheltering at home.
Sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Literary Association, the ReadWriteThink website offers a huge variety of classroom, parent, and afterschool resources, as well as resources for teacher professional development. Resources are available for all grade levels, including thousands for elementary-level students.
Excellent website and blog offering free access to a range of planning, instruction, data tracking, and other useful resources for elementary teachers.
Argument mapping and debate site designed to promote well-reasoned online discussions. Particularly good for political and social topics.
Lesson Plan Sites – Middle School
Comprehensive list government agency websites that offer lesson plans in dozens of subjects and topics. Compiled and presented by Angelo State University. Lists are also available for kindergarten, middle school, and high school grades as well.
Excellent source for teacher tips, book reviews, lesson ideas, and more. There’s also a wide variety of articles by regular and guest bloggers on teaching specific subjects, students with special needs, classroom technology, and more.
PBS Learning Media – Middle School
Literally thousands of immediately accessible, high-quality multimedia resources (most with transcripts and supplemental materials) that can be incorporated into middle school lesson plans, all free-of-charge.
The Virtual Nerd website provides more than 1,500 lessons in middle school math, geometry, and algebra through Algebra 2.
Stanford Online High School website offering free access to a wide range of considerations and resources (videos, checklists, sample classes, etc.) for effective remote teaching.
Free mobile app and website for learning one or more of over 30 languages.
Excellent selection of high-quality planning tools and classroom resources (videos, interactive media, and activities) based on peer-reviewed science designed to supplement high school biology studies.
Great site with lectures, interactive resources, and over 7000 free videos covering the entire range of high school subjects that can be used to supplement lesson plans.
PBS Learning Media – High School
Comprehensive collection of online videos, activities, and games for high school lesson plans. Search by subject and resource type.
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Teachers union affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Its PreK-12 Public Education webpage acts as a clearinghouse for resources supporting K-12 teachers.
Provides free access to educational video programs along with corresponding printed materials for K-12 teacher development and students
Federal government site offering a wealth of classroom-ready lesson plans, teacher’s guides, and student activities for K-12 grade levels.
Founded by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, Edutopia’s mission is to improve K-12 education by conducting research and providing information in the areas of teacher development, technology integration, student assessment, integrated studies, and more.
National Education Association (NEA)
Well known to teachers throughout the U.S., the NEA is the largest national organization of professional educators in the nation. Its website provides an almost infinite amount of useful information and data for teachers at every grade level.
Dr. Angela Velez-Solic has been an educator for 22 years, beginning her career in the traditional classroom environment. She has spent the last 15 years in online learning as a designer, educator, faculty trainer and developer, training over a thousand teachers about how to teach online. Dr. Velez-Solic has recently created and directs a Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation at Rush University in Chicago. You can find her book, Teaching Online Without Losing Your Mind on Amazon.
It’s the environment that changes, not the teacher and not the students. The lack of face-to-face interaction changes everything, but that can really be the only difference – that you’re all not in the same physical space. As a result, however, student motivation might drastically change. Some who are motivated in class may be very unmotivated online and vice versa.
Get a learning management system if you don’t have one already. Create a standardized course template if you don’t have one already so that every class a student goes into has a similar look to the navigation. It eases confusion and anxiety for teachers, students, and parents. Also, get [teachers] some training. [Teaching online] is not simple, it is not self-explanatory. The skills needed to pull this off really need to be learned. If getting formally trained is not available, teachers can research “how to teach online in K-12” and read articles about some skills they might need. Watch videos. Listen to experts and those who have done this before.
Be present. Don’t do this through email, people. Find a way to interact with them, even if it’s to make silly videos on your cell phone. Get a YouTube Channel. Google “tutorials” if you don’t know how, or ask an adolescent to show you. Your students would LOVE to see you have a channel. You don’t have to be fancy. Just be you and teach them. Let this be a time that you allow yourself to experiment, and give students creative choices. The goal is to meet the learning objectives, but there are multiple ways to that end for each student. Have students do projects, but allow them to ‘create’ something to show you what they’ve learned in any way they want. Give them a little freedom. That will motivate them.