Not long ago, teaching primary and secondary students without access to a classroom would have seemed an impossible task. Now thanks to Covid-19, teachers around the globe have rallied together to make sure that students don’t miss out on their education. The new style of learning we find our students exposed to raises many questions. What are the benefits of online teaching? Is it effective? And could it be better than traditional classroom teaching?
Online teaching is a new experience for most and therefore an opportunity for education staff to develop an adaptive style of teaching. Research by the University of Exeter has shown that the recent shift to virtual learning has boosted teachers’ confidence using educational technology and has encouraged them to think more creatively when devising their lesson plans.
Though the shift to online teaching may be the largest shake-up the education sector has experienced to date, there will be many more points in a teacher’s career where they will need to adjust their teaching techniques. By embracing these changes, teachers can upskill and future-proof their careers. Here are the benefits of online teaching:
It’s an opportunity to get creative
No longer being in the same room as your students will present new challenges and you’ll have to adapt your teaching style. Though many teachers, teaching assistants and support staff will miss the in-person interaction with their students – welcoming them into the classroom each day and watching them work together in teams – this shift to virtual learning is a chance to develop online teaching best practices and a wider skillset. Think about how you can use different tools and teaching techniques to provide a more diverse learning experience.
Teachers will be challenged with the fact that some students have access to more resources than others – some will have iPads and others will not have a printer, and a selection of students won’t have access to an outdoor space. This is a push for educational staff to create a more inclusive learning approach.
You can focus on good behaviour
Though monitoring and reprimanding misbehaviour - such as not paying attention in the virtual class - will be difficult, teachers can shift their focus to praising signs of good behaviour. The ‘catch them being good’ approach is a suitable behaviour management strategy for secondary teachers and will help to keep students engaged in the virtual lesson.
Make use of education software
A recent study revealed that 96% of teachers believe education technology facilitates learning. Online teaching platforms give access to activities that can be more engaging for visual and kinaesthetic learning and promote information sharing. Since the beginning of March, Google Classroom doubled the number of people accessing their free online learning platform to an impressive 100 million active users and this education software allows teachers and students to collaborate on a single document. This proves that online teaching can replace classroom teaching to some degree.
As education software becomes more sophisticated and helps to further facilitate learning it becomes increasingly important for teachers to familiarise themselves with the technology. Read about our advanced online classroom software - Bramble.
Online teaching is effective
If it were suggested several months ago that every classroom across the country would shift to virtual classes many people would questions whether this style of teaching could be effective or if it would disrupt our students’ learning. IBM found that online learning courses are five times more effective than in-person courses because they empower the student. Being in control means that students can learn at their own pace and therefore suggests that in some cases online teaching is more effective than classroom teaching. Additionally, online teaching can make it easier to track student learning and enables teachers to give accurate and timely feedback.
Although taking your teaching online can result in a more effective learning process, home-based learning amplifies the need to set clear expectations in the classroom – just one of the top behaviour management strategies for primary teachers.
Find an online teaching job with Teaching Personnel
Taking your teaching online is an opportunity to educate students while they are away from the classroom and it’s a chance for you to upskill by developing new teaching techniques. Register for online teaching here or find out why teachers and education staff work with Teaching Personnel.