There are many tips, techniques and strategies for effective online teaching. For the purpose of this presentation, we chose to focus on three strategies that we feel have the most impact on learning and lead to successful learning experiences for students.
Japanese Vocabulary Activity.The following VoiceThread is a great example of an assessment that requires students to do more than just match vocabulary words with their meanings. In this activity, students identify the Japanese word, say it, and match it to it's correct meaning. Not only can the teacher check for vocabulary understanding, but she can also hear each student's pronounciation of the words.
Characteristics of an Epic. In this example, the teacher uses clips from Star Wars and Finding Nemo to put into context the meaning of an epic. Students are invited to identify characteristics of an epic discussed in the lesson while they view the modern media clips.
Introduction to the Iliad. In this example, the teacher uses VoiceThread in a unique way to grab his students' attention before reading the Iliad. Not only does he preface the story with many unique and interesting facts, but his enthusiasm shines through in his voice as he talks about the story. Based on the questions posed by the students in this VoiceThread, it is clear that they are engaged and their interest is piqued!
Art Portfolio – In this example, a student provides a detailed critical evaluation of her own work. It is a multimedia portfolio that captures the student’s thoughts and understandings about their own work. In addition, the teacher provides valuable feedback to the student.
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AuthorLive
AuthorLive is a synchronous online environment that provides a space where students and teachers can interact together within Moodle. Teachers schedule sessions and students easily login to Moodle and attend the scheduled lecture. Sessions are automatically recorded and can be accessed, on-demand, at a later time. Students and teachers can use audio,video and text to communicate while sharing media.
The use of videos can have a huge impact on student learning in a course. Highly effective videos that pin-point specific concepts and are short and direct. These short clips allow students to view and review the concept until they have gained a true understanding of the material. The short length helps students stay focused and remain engaged.
This activity demonstrates how the information in a typical worksheet can be transformed into a variety activities that engage students, utilize higher order thinking skills, and accommodate multiple learning styles. View the worksheet below. Then view the sample activities that ask students to synthesize and create the same information using free multimedia tools.
Delivering quality simulation experiences can provide an engaging learning experience. By incorporating thoughtful planning and effective use of online tools, students are able to benefit from simulations in the distance learning environment.
Westmoreland Intermediate Unit - Greensburg, Pennsylavania
