Online Learning for Elementary: Tips and Tricks for Teachers' Success During COVID-19

Many schools have recently decided to move learning online for the beginning of the school year. Even if your school decided to start in person, it may not be long before doors close again and virtual learning starts. In this post, I'll provide tips that will help you teach successfully online. The below info is great for ALL ages--including elementary. (Also, I'm not affiliated with any of the recommended products below--I just think they are great!)

If you think online learning is too complicated for elementary aged students, I beg you to think again. We often hear complaints about how much time young students spend with devices or how well they can work them by the age of 4--and why is that? They learn so quickly how to use technology. There's no reason why they can't use it to learn.

Tip 1: Don't shy away from asynchronous learning.

Synchronous learning (where you are essentially Facetiming or Skyping your students) is most like an actual classroom. That being said, it isn't always engaging, and you can't simply look around the room and see who is engaged. While synchronous learning has its place--which I'll discuss below in this post--asynchronous offers more capabilities, especially if you live in an area without high speed internet or have students who do not always have access to the internet*. If you think your students can't handle learning without you, think about how many games they play for hours by themselves. Which brings me to my next point...

*I'm from rural Alabama and routinely visit my parents and work from their home there, so I am very familiar with the woes of slow internet (there isn't even cell signal at their home!). Synchronous learning platforms require a lot of bandwidth which low speed internet such as DSL do not have. When doing synchronous learning, having every participant except the speaker turn off their camera can help. Using asynchronous activities allows students to utilize internet when they have access or when speeds are better for them.

Tip 2: Make learning a game.

Research has shown that making online learning interactive is more effective. Create interactive PowerPoints (here's a quick how-to guide) so that your students are essentially playing a game. Use fun graphics and sounds to celebrate correct answers. If you're interested in purchasing more powerful software to make even more interactive slide decks, here's a list of great software. With elearning software, you can branch your instruction where clicking in different places on a slide takes the student through different learning pathways. How's that for differentiation?!

Unless you are actively assessing reading, you'll need to narrate your slides. Even if your students are old enough to read, you may have some struggling readers who need the extra support.

Tip 3: Make AWESOME videos.

Have you heard of Blippi? If not, check him out here. These are basic Youtube videos that kids love--and you can make your own! There are so many great video editors out there for free or low cost subscriptions (Animoto is one great example). Search for apps on your device or use Windows Movie Maker or iMovie. Research recommends that your lectures or videos be no longer than 5-10 minutes, and with younger audiences, I'd stick closer to the 5 minute mark. Keep in mind you can always make more videos!

You can also use Snapchat filters using Snapcamera. (Yes, you can make yourself look like a puppy while you Zoom!) Apps like ManyCam, ChromaCam, and CamTwist can let you add cool backgrounds and elements to your live sessions, making them more entertaining and fun. While these are great for synchronous sessions, you can also use them on your recorded videos. Pull up Zoom and present through the application (it's free) to no one. Record your screen using Screencast-O-Matic or Screencastify. It's that easy.

Tip 4: Do a screencapture for providing instructions on how to work the technology.

Use Screencast-O-Matic or Screencastify to record a screencapture of you using the technology is an easy way to teach kids the how-tos quickly and easily. Narrate each click you make. Upload the video to Youtube (which most kids already know how to use) and post the link in your LMS. And by the way...

Tip 5: LINK EVERYTHING!

Most kids know how to point and click on a laptop or simply click on a touchscreen. Make use of narrations and images to indicate what the younger students should click on. To further help...

Tip 6: Send tech how-to instructions to parents.

Though you should do your best to provide instructions that your students can follow, parents may want to know how to help. Send detailed, step-by-step instructions (and link those videos you made!) to the parents so they can help their child if needed. I also recommend showing parents how to turn on the accessibility software screen reader, which will help their younger children and struggling readers navigate the computer and LMS. In case you don't know how either, here are links to various devices:

Screen reader for MacOS

Screen reader for Windows

Screen reader for iPad

Screen reader for iPhone

Screen reader for Android Devices

Tip 7: Incorporate lots of low-stakes quizzes...and allow re-dos.

Research has shown that short, low-stakes quizzes or self-checks help reinforce learning online. Learning Management Systems (LMSs) like Blackboard, Moodle, Brightspace, etc. allow you to determine how many times a student can take a quiz. I encourage you to allow re-dos. Many of these programs will reorder questions and answers so that students cannot simply memorize a multiple choice answer pattern, making the redo more effective. Allowing re-dos can support students in learning the content and lower anxiety (which we all need now).

Tip 8: Consider not releasing all the content at once.

In your LMS, you can set new content to release upon completion of previous content (often called adaptive release). Use this feature to motivate your students to complete a module before moving on to the next. It's true that some students may get stuck, and in that case, you may need to provide some extra help and prodding--which may involve a synchronous session (tips on that below). Another way to prod students is...

Tip 9: Offer incentives and rewards!

Think about why students play so many games online. Sure, they are fun and boredom busters, but often, students care about earning points, collecting items, leveling up, etc. They will spend a lot of time, and let's face it, mental work, to continue progressing in a game. Build your virtual class off of these concepts! This goes back to tip 2 of making learning a game. Offer rewards for who has the highest Kahoot point total at the end of the 9 weeks. Offer learning badges for completing various activities in the course. Rewards could be getting a homework or assignment pass, or you could even mail your students real items.

Tip 10: Make the best of your synchronous time.

This includes giving students time to talk to each other--they don't get to do that in this COVID-19 virtual world. Play learning games together to combine learning, fun, and social activities into one. Use your SnapCamera filters for more fun.

Even in your synchronous time, you need to limit lecture time to 5-10 minutes. Every 5-10 minutes, do an interactive activity. This will let you formatively assess your students and will make sure they are still there paying attention! Plus, it's just more fun for all involved. View my post here for ideas on interactive synchronous activities.

FINAL TIP: Be flexible!

This Flexibility and grace are paramount. Be flexible with your students and their parents--this is all new to them. It's stressful and sometimes it's scary. It's also hard. Allow revisions, be kind with missed deadlines, and remain supportive. Also, be graceful and forgiving with yourself--it's ok if things mess up, it's ok if it doesn't go as planned. We are all learning and doing our best in this new world.

In conclusion...

es. I want to be honest with you--making your curriculum work for online learning is going to take work. Making good videos will take a lot of time. BUT you will always have these materials to use in the future. You can use them in the classroom post-COVID, for homework, or sell them on Teachers Pay Teachers. Keep in mind that this work is not just for this year, and that you are learning as well, just as your students are.

Post your comments here or contact me with questions or other topics you'd like me to cover. Future posts are in the works on how parents can help their students, as well as other online learning topics.