Nikki Swaine teaches a live language arts lesson to 5th graders during COVID19 shutdowns using Google Meets.
How can we ensure our students are receiving the highest quality learning experience regardless of where it takes place?
Most teachers accustomed to a brick and mortar classroom have entered a whole new world this year when it comes to hybrid learning. If this is you, I know it can be unsettling as you explore uncharted waters. My previous experience as a classroom teacher and more recently as Write Bright Founder, however, has shown me there are huge benefits to hybrid learning. It’s partly the reason Write Bright taps into a blended approach - something it’s done well before Covid19 came along. I truly believe that with the right kind of structured resources you can deliver an outstanding blended learning experience without making your life more difficult.
If you need reminding of some of the benefits of blended learning - here are my thoughts:
Teacher friends, I know you’ve got this. We are in this together as we continue to educate students regardless of where they are learning. Write Bright is ready for both classroom use and virtual learning, and I believe now more than ever we need to be sure we are using proven methods that we trust.
When "good or great" pops into students' heads, tell them to choose a better word. Remind students to never use the same "great" word twice in the same writing piece or it will diminish the wow of the word!
Delivering an outstanding blended learning experience to your students doesn’t mean re-writing the lesson rule book. It’s about employing the teaching strategies you know already work and combining these with trusted resources.
One of my all-time top tips for successful blended learning is don’t get rid of the things you already love!
For example, if you find yourself delivering the school day online, still deliver a whole-class morning message if that’s what you’d usually do in the classroom. It will welcome your students to a new day of learning in a familiar way and get their minds warmed up and prepped for learning. Students like (and need) routine in the virtual world just like they do in a physical classroom, and they will look for it and be much more ready to engage if there is familiar structure.
Here’s a simple idea to give your school week additional structure regardless of where your students are learning.
Monday Mindfulness - encourage students to share one thing they’re grateful for on that particular day. This works great as a whole class discussion or in a secure online class chat group.
Tuesday Math Mayhem - give your students a fun math puzzle to solve
Wednesday ‘Would you rather…?’ - a light-hearted activity that’s always a winner!
Thursday Spelling Bee - choose different students to take part in a quick spelling contest
Friday Funtime - Can you students solve the riddle of the week?!
Happy teaching! 😁