Teaching in the Active Blended Learning Environment

Typically, blended courses or technology-enhanced courses have a technology component, but the face-to-face classes meet according to the traditional schedule without reducing time in the classroom. Technology is used to complement traditional classroom learning. On the other hand, an active blended learning environment supports the “development of subject knowledge and understanding, independent learning, and digital fluency (Power & Cole, 2017, p.668). In this article, I discuss two uses of active blended learning, a student-centered approach to teaching and learning.

Instructors at the University of Northampton overcame barriers to student engagement by using an active blended learning approach to facilitate the teaching and learning of a clinical skill. Modifications to the traditional face-to-face course involved the use of video-assisted technology, embedded into an online learning unit. The videos showed skill performances in real-time with dialogue through small segments.  Students watched a short video clip of the skill and selected the next step from a variety of options. Through a four-stage approach, the face-to-face teaching component was practical and collaborative with clear links to the interactive e-learning units.  Learning was therefore multidimensional, therefore, aligning positively and effectively with the principles of active blended learning (Power & Cole, 2017). To name a few:

• A student-centered and synergistic learning environment.
• Rich dialog and student interaction with the instructor.
• Integration and interconnection of the asynchronous and in-person components of the course.
• A move from traditional lecture-based delivery with a course redesign.
• Incorporation of active learning into the blended learning environment.
• Moving students from passive objects of learning to active constructors of their learning.

In a second example, educators at Queen’s University converted a large lecture class to an active blended learning class by using blended learning to achieve active learning in an introductory geography class. The course was taught and innovated eight times between 2010 and 2017. The active blended learning course was the result of teamwork with colleagues beyond the academic unit. Instructional designers pushed for shorter lectures and revisions to assignments and rubric design. Course development in the learning management system, student-response systems, video-recording and editing technologies, a variety of peer review technologies, and automated quiz and exam design combined to contributed to changes in the course.  The active blended learning environment was all about student learning on multiple levels and in many ways for “an immensely rewarding experience” (Godlewska et al., 2019, p 111).

• Collaborations with information designers, instructional designers, librarians, teaching assistants, and students played a critical role in designing the course.
• Students took responsibly for their learning with the instructor in a supporting role.
• Scaffolding active learning exercises lead to better integration of the course content, activities, and assessments.
• The large class was broken into smaller group-work-focused sessions and lectures and lecturing happened online.
• Technological and pedagogical improvements enhanced the instructors’ presence and facilitated student engagement.

In summary, active blended learning is an effective way of creating and sustaining student engagement. The separate components of a course are actively blended by the instructor to provide a richer and more engaging learning environment. This effective, student-centered technique represents a positive move from passive blended learning.

References:

Godlewska, A., Beyer, W., Whetstone, S., Schaefli, L., Rose, J., Talan, B., Kamin-Patterson, S., Lamb, C., & Forcione, M. (2019). Converting a large lecture class to an active blended learning class: Why, how, and what we learned. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 43(1), 96–115. doi:10.1080/03098265.2019.1570090

Power, A., & Cole, M. (2017). Active blended learning for clinical skills acquisition: innovation to meet professional expectations. British Journal of Midwifery, 25(10), 668–670. doi:10.12968/bjom.2017.25.10.668. 

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, June 30). Teaching in the Hybrid Environment [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/ 

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Teaching in the Hybrid Environment

Unlike the asynchronous and synchronous environments, the hybrid environment combines face-to-face course delivery with online delivery. Learning takes place in the classroom and online with online learning replacing some face-to-face instruction. For example, if a class meets in person three days a week, the instructor might replace one day with an online assignment. The key to teaching in the hybrid environment is making connections between in-class and online instructional content, activities, and assessments. Here are some strategies for teaching in the hybrid environment.

Design for the hybrid environment

Course design for the hybrid environment is slightly different from the face-to-face environment. When designing for the hybrid environment, integrate online assignments with in-class activities. Focus on how what happens in the face-to-face environment works together with what happens in the online environment to achieve the student learning outcomes. Allow students to engage with the course content in meaningful ways and to learn actively to gain deeper knowledge. According to Baker and Unni (2021, p. 25), “Hybrid learning approaches increase the opportunities for active learning strategies, group work, and learner-centered pedagogies.”

Define the instructor and student roles

The hybrid environment lends itself to opportunities for student-centered learning and instructor facilitation. Instructors move beyond a more traditional teaching role to the role of a course facilitator. In taking on the role of facilitator, think more intentionally about student learning. Explain the rationale for using the hybrid learning approach to students. In hybrid courses, the primary responsibility for learning falls on the student. The instructor’s primary responsibility is to create opportunities and foster environments that encourage student learning. Consider promoting active learning, engaging the students in collaborative activities, and encouraging student-to-student, student-to-content, and student-to-instructor interactions.

Teach students how to use the technology

As stated by Baker and Unni (2021, p. 24), “Using a hybrid model should not be a roadblock to the students learning experience.” With that said, try to prevent barriers with technology. Technological components are integral to hybrid learning. Be sure to use technologies that contribute to students' learning. The learning management system that is supported at your institution is a great place to start. In addition, provide tutorials, websites, and demonstrations for technology that students will use in the course. Consider designing a low-stakes assignment during the first week for students to gain experience and comfort with using technologies.

In summary, the hybrid environment provides opportunities to take advantage of the benefits of both online and face-to-face delivery. A hybrid course does not necessarily need to be limited to in-class and online environments but can include experiential learning that takes place in the community. Remember to design the course so students can make connections between what happens in the classroom and what happens outside the classroom. In the next article, we will discuss the blended environment.

Reference

Baker, D. M. A., & Unni, R. (2021). Comparing Factors That Influence Minority Students’ Attitude and Preference for the Hybrid Course Format: An Examination of Hospitality and Marketing Majors. Consortium Journal of Hospitality & Tourism, 23(1), 23–30.

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Cite this blog: Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, June 30). Teaching in the Hybrid Environment [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/ 

Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay

Teaching in the Online Asynchronous Environment

Most online courses are asynchronous and provide greater flexibility than traditional, face-to-face courses. In the asynchronous environment, the instructor and students are not required to be online at the same time. Teaching and learning do not happen in real-time. Typically, instructors prepare the course ahead of time with students being required to meet deadlines using a learning management system (LMS). In this article, we will explore some strategies for teaching asynchronous online courses.

Design the Course from a Student’s Perspective

Course design in the online asynchronous environment centers around modules. Modules are a way to break the course content into small, manageable chunks (e.g., by topic, units, weeks). Modules are ordered sequentially and contain all course instructional materials, learning activities, engagement and interaction, and assessments for a particular topic, unit, or week. Microsoft Word helps you design modules before developing them in the LMS. Create modules using the folder or learning module function in the LMS. 

In addition to using modules, the overall course navigation is important to student success. Strategically design the course using the organizational structure of the LMS to help students progress through the course. Separate yourself from the content and design the course to keep students focused on learning. Remember, students are alone without their instructor. The flow of the course should make sense to the students.

Be Present in the Course

In a face-to-face class, the instructor is expected to show up to class and teach. The same is true in the asynchronous online environment. The instructor’s presence is both social and instructional. Social presence refers to the instructor’s projection as a real person to connect and interact with the students. Instructional presence, also known as teaching presence, refers to designing and administrating learning activities, establishing and maintaining an active learning community, and providing direct instruction (Garrison, 2017). Social and instructional presence are beneficial to student learning.

Before the course begins, the instructor acts as an instructional designer to plan and prepare the course. As you design the course, develop a workload/time management plan that incorporates strategies for social and instructional presence. Establish a routine to spend a specific amount of hours within the course (e.g. participating in discussions) as well as on the course (e.g. grading assignments). Plan for regular interactions with students and course content with built-in flexibility for modifications. Besides helping instructors to plan in advance, when implemented, a workload/time management plan helps build students’ confidence in the instructor (Goldman, 2011).

During the course, the instructor plays the role of facilitator.Here are some ways to be present in the asynchronous online environment: Post your own personal introduction, monitor and response to email communication, post weekly announcement, monitor student progress, encourage lagging students, facilitate students’ learning activity, and provide students with meaningful feedback and support.

Engage Students in the Online Course

In the asynchronous online environment, students enter the course through the LMS platform and not the door of the classroom. Student engagement is influenced most by the instructor’s active interest and passion for teaching, the ability to identify the relevance of course topics to students, and the encouragement for a shared responsibility in the learning process (Orcutt & Dringus, 2017). 

Ensuring engagement with course content, other students, and the instructor helps promote learning. Through course content, instructors can share experiences and knowledge that guide learning. To encourage students to engage with the course content, create short audio introductions to each module, explain the purpose for learning activites and how it connects to the course learning outcomes, and build activities that promote active learning. In addition, give students opportunities to collaborate with each other. Using video discussion platforms, group projects, and peer-reviews can buld strong student relationships and community in the asynchronous online environment.

In summary, think of the asynchronous online environment like a classroom without walls. The strategies discussed in this article are meant to help you as you prepare for teaching asynchronous online courses. Refer to the June blog article for ten tips for designing, developing, and delivering online courses. 

References:

Garrison, D. R. (2017). E-learning in the 21st century: A community of inquiry framework for research and practice (3rd ed.). London: Routledge/Taylor and Francis.

Goldman, Z. (2011). Balancing quality and workload in asynchronous online discussions: A win-win approach for students and instructors. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 7:2, 313-323. 

Orcutt, J.M. & Dringus, L.P. (2017). Beyond being there: Practices that establish presence, engage students and influence intellectual curiosity in a structured online learning environment. Online Learning 21(3), 15-35.  

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, June 30). Teaching in the online asynchronous environment [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash

Teaching in the Online Synchronous Environment

Are you going to teach online? Will you teach synchronously, asynchronously, or a mixture of both? Learning and teaching occur differently in the online environment. However, synchronous offers the closest experience to a face-to-face environment. Students interact through a Web-based format, which operates like a traditional class, in real-time (O’Brien & Fuller, 2018). As such, this article provides strategies and tools for teaching synchronous online courses.

Through an investigative study, O’Brien and Fuller (2018) identified tools and techniques used in an online synchronous environment for engagement, assessment, and classroom management. Data were obtained through interviews and observations. Students and the instructor used various tools in a learning management system (LMS). The use of the whiteboard tool included writing, drawing, pointing, and application sharing. Discussion and collaboration tools included the chat box, polling, audio, and breakout sessions. In addition, students used emoticons, nonverbal communication using faces, thumbs up or down, step away, speed up, slow down, and hand-raising.

O’Brien and Fuller (2018) found that “the tools and the techniques used engaged the students throughout the sessions providing meaningful real-time interactions and opportunities to communicate, verbally and nonverbally, building on teaching, cognitive, and social presence” (p. 62). Whiteboard presentation slides were the foundation and structure of the online class sessions to drive discussions and generate interaction with and among students. The breakout session tool was used for engagement among students in small collaborative groups. Students used the microphone and the whiteboard to exchange ideas and complete tasks. The instructor moved from one room to another to observe the student interactions and to assess students. In the synchronous environment, the instructor’s role shifted from leader to facilitator. Students were active participants in their learning./p>

Similarly, Pineda, Cano, and Peralta (2021) suggested that the online synchronous environment should foster the three presences (social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence) from the Community of Inquiry (Col) model to ensure an effective online learning experience. The Col model is a theoretical framework to explain the processes and dynamics of learning and teaching in online environments (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000). Using the Col model, Pineda, Cano, and Peralta (2021) proposed a framework for teaching English in synchronous environments.

The framework provided a practical guide through three phases: introduction, development, and closure that helped instructors plan, carry out and finish synchronous sessions. The introduction phase took place before the start of the synchronous session. Some logistical strategies included setting up the video conference room and establishing the date and time of the session. Pedagogical strategies involved defining the session’s objectives according to the course learning outcomes, searching for and preparing learning materials, and determining student interactions (i.e., pre-, while- and post-activity structure). The development phase took place once the instructor and students were online in the synchronous session. The instructor entered the session at least 20 minutes before the start time to welcome students, fix any last-minute issues, and record the session. Some pedagogical strategies included guided discussions of the topic and promotion of interaction among students. Lastly, the closure phrase took place after the synchronous session. Instructors provided a summary of the session, linked the session topics with pending topics and activities from the course, made the session recording available, and announced the date, time, and topic for the next session.

In summary, the synchronous environment offers similarities to the traditional face-to-face environment through active learning and incorporation of the Community of Inquiry model. Active learning involves students in their learning with instructors as facilitators of students’ learning.  Learning takes place through the interaction of three elements: cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. The previous blog article explored three pedagogical principles and frameworks for the design, development, and delivery of online courses. In the next blog article, we will discuss the online asynchronous environment.

Check out some best practices for teaching synchronous courses on the Center for Teaching Excellence website at the University of South Carolina.

References

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6

O’Brien, A., & Fuller, R. (2018). Synchronous Teaching Techniques from the Perspective and Observation of Virtual High School Teachers: An Investigative Study. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 14(3), 55–67.

Pineda, J. E., Cano, L. H. T., & Peralta, M. A. (2021). An Inquiry-Based Framework for Teaching English in Synchronous Environments: Perceptions from Teachers and Learners. International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching11(1), 38–58.

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, May 31). Teaching in the online synchronous environment [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Hatice EROL from Pixabay

 

Intentionally Designing, Developing, and Delivering Online Courses

All told, the rapid change of courses to different teaching and learning formats during COVID-19 created challenges across the education landscape. As you prepare to teach during the upcoming summer and fall, visit the Pedagogy Before Technology Blog for articles on different teaching modalities. This month’s blog article explores three pedagogical principles and frameworks for the design, development, and delivery of online courses.

When designing, developing, and delivering fully online courses, start with pedagogical principles and frameworks such as backward design, seven principles for good practices, and universal design for learning. The backward design framework encourages faculty to identify student learning outcomes from the outset (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). Faculty begin course design with the end in mind and work back toward the beginning. The three stages of backward design are (1) identify desired results, (2) determine acceptable evidence, and (3) plan learning experiences and instruction. Faculty first determine what will be learned and then decide on assessments, activities, and content. Slavych (2020) provided a tutorial for online course design with the backward design framework.  The focus was on communication sciences and disorders courses; however, the information in the tutorial is transferable to any course. Stage 1 involved consideration of what exactly the students must be able to do based on 3 domains: transfer, meaning, and acquisition. Considerations of types and methods of assessment to best capture achievement of the learning outcomes happened in stage 2.  Stage 3 involved consideration of what and how to teach to facilitate students' achievement of the learning outcomes stated in stage 1.

Although Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education were created for face-to-face learning environments, these principles also apply to graduate education and technology-enhanced learning environments. These seven principles include encouraging contact between students and faculty, developing reciprocity and cooperation among students, using active learning techniques, giving prompt feedback, emphasizing time on task, communicating high expectations, and respect for diverse talents and ways of learning. 

Tanis (2020) investigated the importance of the seven principles for teaching and learning. Participants included college faculty and alumni from the same graduate program where faculty taught. The participants completed a 45-item Likert survey and two open-ended questions. Faculty-student communication created a sense of online community that was initiated through emails, introductions, photos, and faculty and student biographies. Student-student communication and collaboration provided opportunities for students to share experiences, resources, ideas, and engage in learning as a community. High expectations were important for student engagement in class content. Respect for diverse learning preferences included various ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge such as written assignments with student-selected topics, oral presentations, and discussions. All of these principles are important to promote student engagement and learning.

Another framework recommended for online course design, development, and delivery is universal design for learning (UDL). Universal design for learning is designed to optimize learning for all students, based on scientific evidence of how learning occurs (CAST, 2021). Within the UDL framework, there are three guidelines: (1) multiple means of engagement, (2) multiple means of representation, and (3) multiple means of action and expression. Engagement, the “why” of learning, refers to how students engage with the course content, the instructor, and other students, in addition to how motivated students are to learn. Representation, the “what” of learning, refers to the ways that you present course content to your students. Action and Express, the “how” of learning, refers to how students demonstrate what they have learned in your course. Providing multiple options for engagement, representation, and action and expression is essential to the design, development, and delivery of courses.

As such, the process of course design, development, and delivery is essential for online courses. Check out these ten tips.

Design: Planning Your Online Course

1. Consider the course learning outcomes first. (Refer to Backward Design)
2. Provide opportunities for collaboration and active learning. (Refer to Seven Principles of Good Practice #2 & #3)
3. Give all students equal opportunity to learn (Refer to Seven Principles of Good Practice #7 and Universal Design for Learning)

Develop: Building Your Online Course

4. Use your university’s quality assurance standards for evaluating online courses (e.g. Quality Matters Rubric, Exemplary Course Program Rubric, Online Learning Consortium Quality Scorecard).
5. Prepare assessments, instructional materials, activities, and interactions that align with the course learning outcomes.
6. Let your course learning outcomes drive technology selections.
7. Use templates to build your syllabus, schedule, and course.

Deliver: Teaching Your Online Course

8. Make student interaction with the instructor and “your presence” part of the course. (Refer to Seven Principles of Good Practice #1, #4, #5, & #6)
9. Create instructor participation and workload management plans.
10. Use existing instructor support services.

In summary, good teaching is good teaching no matter the modality for teaching and learning. Teaching fully online courses requires additional considerations than face-to-face teaching.  Backward design, the seven principles of good practice, and universal design for learning are the cornerstones to designing, developing, and delivering online courses. 

References:

CAST (2021). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39, 3-7.

Slavych, B. K. (2020). Designing Courses in Communication Sciences and Disorders Using Backward Design. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 5(6), 1530–1541. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_PERSP-20-00053

Tanis, C. J. (2020). The seven principles of online learning: Feedback from faculty and alumni on its importance for teaching and learning. Research in Learning Technology, 28, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v28.2319

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, April 30). Intentionally designing, developing, and delivering online courses [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Photo by Maya Maceka on Unsplash

Teaching During COVID-19: First-Person Stories from Educators (Continued)

Teaching and learning continue during the pandemic. Last month, we read about the experiences of three educators. This month’s blog article provides more first-person stories from educators answering the same questions:

1. How did you redesign your teaching and learning environment during the coronavirus pandemic?
2. Share your challenges and celebrations with teaching during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tina Marie Devlin, Instructor /Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior / University of South Carolina

Before the pandemic hit in 2020, I was teaching in a face-to-face environment with over 100 students. I also utilized Blackboard as well to post announcements and assignments. When the pandemic hit, we transitioned to an online modality at USC. I communicated with my students extensively via Blackboard and email that we would continue to meet 2x/week at the same time via Blackboard Collaborate, but attendance would no longer be mandatory. I completely revised my syllabus and continued to update it throughout the Spring 2020 term (I called it a "Fluid/Flexible Syllabus"). I spent the first 2 classes after we transitioned online asking students about their emotional well-being and how they were coping with such a huge shift. I continued to post online Announcements about "seeking counseling services" on and off-campus if the students needed it. I focused on the student's needs instead of course content for the remainder of the Spring 2020 term. I continued to teach online in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. I am more flexible and understanding of student's needs during this time. If students are not emotionally and physically ok, then learning will not happen.

The celebration I can attest to is that I am more comfortable using Blackboard. I had to learn very quickly how to use Collaborate which is a great tool for students and instructors. I continued to maintain positive relationships with students during the pandemic. I implemented activities throughout the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 terms that allowed students to connect with me and their peers every week in a digital space (this has been very successful and beneficial). One challenge experienced is that when technology is not working (slow internet speed, outages in one's community), you cannot teach online or do anything. I experienced major internet issues in Fall 2020 in my neighborhood/community which impacted teaching and my full-time job. Also, it is a challenge to devote 100% to teaching when working a full-time, demanding job (which is my situation). Sometimes student emails are not always answered quickly, or I may miss an email or two or I may not have time to design robust learning activities. Like so many of us, we are juggling many things right now and we are also dealing with our pandemic fatigue and stress.

College Instructor / University of South Carolina

Fortunately for me, all of my courses have always been taught asynchronously. The pandemic did not alter the way the courses were designed or structured. However, the pandemic did cause me to be more student focused. Instead of taking one or maybe two courses online, students were now challenged with taking multiple courses online. I developed a lot of empathy for students. In addition to learning new course content, they were also responsible for learning new technology and new methods of learning.  In addition to making sure my students understood the content of my course, I was also charged with assisting them with time management and planning.

The challenge I faced personally was balancing my home life with my work life. I had two children who were also home participating in e-learning. The celebration was working with CTE and having the ability to assist faculty to build and design their courses.

Middle School Teacher / 7th Grade / Math / Columbia, SC

I had to redesign my teaching by increasing independent learning experiences as opposed to whole class lectures and group activities.  Self-created and online teaching videos, tutorials, and assignment checklists were utilized.  In order to engage students, I had to check in often to make sure students were focused on the content.  This involves constant questioning through chat, surveys, google forms, edPuzzle videos, etc.  Without being able to actually see students, this was crucial to keep students focused. Group work was done in virtual breakout rooms. The group activities that I count on to help students tie math concepts together, were not as effective since many students were not comfortable unmuting their mics and speaking out loud with their classmates.

This year has certainly been challenging without being able to see and interact with my students.  I feel alone quite often while speaking to and staring at students’ profile icon, which is usually an animated picture.  Many factors were out of my control, such as students not turning on their camera, or walking away from their computer.  I knew that while logged in, they were missing important information, which I would have to repeat, several times.   Although this year was a struggle for us all, students, teachers, and parents, I do feel that I have been able to help students a little more during one-on-one tutoring sessions.  Since it was online, I was able to focus on student's needs without the distractions that could come from a classroom full of energetic middle schoolers.

Sheila Gfell, Middle School Teacher / 8th Grade / Math & Algebra I / Columbia, SC

The greatest change that I had to make was finding ways to make virtual students participate in class. The students wanted to sit silently on their computers and not interact with anyone. I used breakout rooms a few times every week, directed questions to virtual students, used applications like Jamboard and Classkick so that their work would show in real-world time. I would have a student in class write on the board for a virtual student. The virtual student would explain how to solve a problem while the face-to=face student would write it for them. We also used Screencastify, students and teacher, Flipgrid, and other apps to help students feel as though they were part of the class.

Challenges were realizing that learning would look much different and be more difficult even for the brightest students and finding a way to overcome that obstacle. On top of that, there were logistical problems such as shortened class time. Outside of being virtual, only having 42 minutes a class period was the biggest obstacle. Giving homework was nearly impossible to do after students had already spent 7 hours on their devices and yet we still have to achieve as much as we did before. The demands made on teachers were overwhelming. Finish teaching this class, wash the desks down, get students in the room, start the meet on your device, start the meet on the panel, have a DPA to prove attendance, take attendance and teach in 42 minutes. On top of that, let's continue to observe and evaluate teachers with the same rubric as before while asking teachers to teach dual-modality with no training and expect students to learn the same amount of material. In my humble opinion, these standards were impossible to meet.

Donnie Brown, Middle School Teacher / 8th Grade / South Carolina History / Columbia, SC

I had to create lessons for in-person and online students. I was not able to give handouts which I believed in the lack of participation from many students. I also was not able to plan field trips to take students on to bring history to life. I believe in trying to bring history to life and felt my hands were tied many times this year because I couldn't take students anywhere nor could I pass around items I had since they were online students.

Middle School Teacher / 6th – 8th Grade / Theatre Arts / Columbia, SC

Instead of hands-on activities that Theatre arts has always relied upon, we had to completely shift to an examination of others' performances and technical design. The students have not been able to fully act since March 11th, 2020. Our focus has gone from Stage performance to some attempt at acting for the camera.

Elementary School Teacher / 3rd Grade / Sumter, SC

Due to the pandemic, I've had to redesign my teaching and learning environment so that it would be conducive for learning. For example, for virtual students, I had to make sure the assessment or activity that I used was digital and easily accessible. Google apps such as slides, docs, forms were used to create surveys, informal and formal assessments, etc. When we phased into the hybrid model, I continued using the digital assessments for all of the students. The difference was that the virtual students had to use the virtual manipulatives as opposed to the hybrid students would have their own set of manipulatives that they could use in a socially distanced classroom. In a nutshell, the use of technology has increased and varying forms of how students share their learning have been a little different.

One of the challenges that I encountered while teaching during the pandemic was having to start the school year teaching virtually. At the beginning of every school year, I looked forward to decorating my classroom and preparing to engage in in-person ice-breaker challenges to get to know my students. But this year has been different. I had to brainstorm creative ways to build relationships with my students through the computer screen.  Another challenge was finding ways to collect accurate assessment data of the student and not their parents or older siblings.

Amid the challenges, there were also celebrations. Some of the celebrations include being able to collaborate and share "teaching hacks" and strategies with other educators all around the world. Also being able to have more than 80% of my students return to the classroom expressing how excited they were to be back in school and to be in my class in person.

Micah Vaughn, Elementary School Teacher / 4th Grade / Self Contained (All Subject areas) / Sumter, SC

While teaching during the coronavirus pandemic a lot of the teaching methods had to revert to a digital model. We started off the school year virtual. Most paper activities that I would normally do with students had to be digital. Starting off the school year virtually I had to stress (this year more than ever) the importance of constant parent communication; considering it was a few months before I would have been able to see any of my students face to face. The learning environment has changed in the ways that we are able to work collaboratively together. Most of the activities were done independently or while practicing some sort of social distancing. Teaching during the coronavirus pandemic you had to be extra prepared and ensure that you had a backup plan just in case technology issues. At the beginning of the transition, it was really trial and error and revamping things to make it better for students, parents and myself.  Social Emotional Learning/ Morning meets has been a consistent part of our day to ensure students are ready to start their day.

At the beginning of the pandemic, it was very challenging not being able to physically be in the classroom with all 21 of my students. Teaching from a screen was a struggle but I could not let my students see my sweat. There were a few tech issues, but we kept pushing through to ensure that the students were still learning and engaged as best as possible. Another challenge was that we were not able to properly access students like we would normally to gather legit assessment data (considering that we are not sure if students are actually completing the assigned tasks). On a positive note, 90% of my students were logged on each day and the parent communication overall was great which made thing better. Now that we have most students face to face it is great to see how much they have grown from the start of the year.

Read here to see 15 mistakes to avoid when teaching with technology: http://ow.ly/viVG50EDFun

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, March 31). Teaching During COVID-19: First-Person Stories from Educators [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Photo by DICSON on Unsplash

Teaching During COVID-19: First-Person Stories from Educators

Whether you refer to your teaching modality as remote, virtual, e-learning, synchronous online, asynchronous online, hybrid, or blended, we can all agree that teaching during the pandemic is different from previous college semesters or K-12 school years. Read first-person stories from educators answering the following questions:

1. How did you redesign your teaching and learning environment during the coronavirus pandemic?
2. Share your challenges and celebrations with teaching during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lamar Thomas, Financial Literacy / Middle School (6-8 grades) / Sumter School District

For the most part, I redesigned my teaching and learning environment. At the start of the year we were fully virtual so as a teacher that liked to walk about, I had to get used to sitting in front of my computer screen and teaching. Mainly I changed the way I interacted with students. I went to a more discussion-based learning style to keep students engaged. Using online resources like polleverywhere.com, Thinglink, and interactive simulation games from ngpf.org and Kahoot.com have allowed me to adapt. Google Classroom and Google Meet have been a lifesaver. I prefer using technology for my course. We are currently hybrid and I am still able to have a synchronous class of face-to-face students and virtual-only students. Allowing both sets of students to learn at the same time was big for me.

Early in the process, our instructional teacher told us to keep it simple and use the technology we were comfortable with. I followed that advice and I have been able to stay stress-free for the most part. As teachers, we are used to changes and challenges, but I want to celebrate the fact that we have overcome them all. There is nothing we cannot do as teachers and no challenge is too big for us. I want to celebrate the way that the Sumter School District has supported its teachers and I know that it has allowed me to flourish in my classroom. From the hours of training, we have available to the constant wellness checks we receive. That support has made teaching during a pandemic that much easier.

Aisha Haynes, Computer Applications in Business / Spring 2021 / University of South Carolina

For my course (covering Microsoft Excel), some assignments could not be completed on a Mac (because the course covers Excel for Windows). I made sure that all assignments could be completed on a Mac with a 100%, therefore, I had to change some of the assignments. I was also more lenient with late work. Typically, late work is not accepted unless there are extenuating circumstances. One student told me that one of her good friends had died from COVID the day that an assignment was due. I provided her an extension to complete the work. I also extended many assignments for the entire class because I know that students had a lot going on during the pandemic.

I am finishing up a very challenging semester (an 8-week course) with my students. Many of my students are first-generation college students, work full-time, and have children. Some of my students were coming back to school after being out of school for over 20 years. Many were older than the typical college student (over 50 years old). One of the challenges was the course being 8 weeks in length. Many did not get the hang of the course until about week 4. COVID caused some of my students to work long hours (over 60 hours a week) and have less time to dedicate to the course. Overall, the students in the class did very well! I am very proud of them. They worked hard. They did not give up. They stuck with me and I stuck with them. This semester (Spring 2021), I was more of a mentor, cheerleader, and coach to my students than in previous semesters. It was a challenging yet rewarding semester!

Christie Martin, Mathematics / 6 Grade / Small Private School / Undergraduate & Graduate Courses / University of South Carolina

The pandemic hit mid-spring semester of 2020 and the impact of a swift change to a virtual environment was felt differently by educators. For me, it was felt differently between my classes. At that time, I was teaching a 6^th-grade mathematics class at a small private school where the students did not have a school-provided computer. I was also teaching two undergraduate courses and one master's level course. The four classes each provided their challenges to make a quick adjustment. It is also important to note that having two children, one in third grade, and the other in Pre-K being sent home as well, created new teaching responsibilities at home.

~ Read Christie’s full personal reflection ~

In the next article, you will hear more first-person stories from educators on teaching during the coronavirus pandemic. If you would like to share your story, please use the COVID-19 Teaching Stories form to answer the two questions above.

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2021, February 28). Teaching During COVID-19: First-Person Stories from Educators [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/