E-Learning Procedures during Covid-19
E-Learning and Covid-19
There are a few positive things that have happened during the COVID- 19 pandemics. First, parents are more appreciative of teachers. They are having to plan activities and help with their student's E-learning assignments. I have personally received emails and have read social media posts, regarding the difficulty parents are having with their students being out of school. They realize how much planning and effort it takes to keep students actively engaged. An article was written by Caroline Bologna for the Huff Post, clearly details how parents are appreciating teachers. In April Bologna interviewed Chance The Rapper, “These teachers are really helping us raise our kids, and they’re doing it times 30 ― a bunch of people’s kids at once. That’s something you understand but don’t fully appreciate until you’re with your kids 24/7”( Bologna, 2020 para. 2).
The second positive element, happening during this pandemic, is that students are able to retain more information. According to the world economic forum website, an article written by Cathy Li and Farah Lalani, students retain 25% to even 60% more of the things being learned online. This is a large improvement compared to the 8% to 10% of their retaining abilities while in a normal classroom setting. “e-learning requires 40-60% less time to learn than in a traditional classroom setting because students can learn at their own pace, going back and re-reading, skipping, or accelerating through concepts as they choose” ( Li and Lalani, 2020 para. 14).
As teachers, we have had to adapt more so than ever before. It is my opinion that I have worked harder and more diligently than I have had too in my classroom. I always have used the flipped classroom concept but I still relied heavily on being able to be a hands-on facilitator. The hardest part for me as a math teacher, wasn't the delivery of instruction, it was having to deal with students' lack of time management. In a normal classroom setting, I am able to do daily reminders and issue punishments for late and missing assignments. However, in a virtual e-learning environment, I had to actually contact parents and get them involved.
As I rewatched my first introduction video I realized I had left out a few important necessary elements. Turner and Hicks (2020) give specific reasons and characteristics that should be included in a video text. One such characteristic is responding to the needs of an audience and making things easily understood ( p. 85). So I thought about a video that could help parents and students navigate how to find assignments for my math classes. The new introduction video is an informative “How to” step by step visual tool. My hope is to help parents understand how to use the digital platforms the students and I use on a daily basis. Turner and Hicks (2020) suggest that “ Videos can also simply include a series of images that are linked together in a timeline to scroll across a screen. Programs such as Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, or web-based tools such as Animoto or WeVideo, offer this kind of timeline setup” ( p. 82).
I created an infographic and then I made an iMovie to help me create a new video introduction on E-learning during Covid-19.
I wanted to watch your video but it unavailable because it is private. I think you did an excellent job describing what parents have figured out regarding the importance of teachers due to COVID-19. I, too, left out many elements in my first introduction video. I used Turner & Hicks (2017), recommendation to make it more appealing by using different lighting in my video to make it more "visually appealing to my intended audience (p.85). I also panned in and moved the camera. I think my 2nd video was much more successful. I truly love your approach to this assignment. I very much wanted to be able to see the video. If you get it working, please message me so I may view it. I am very interested.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Turner, K.H., & Hicks, T., (2017). Teaching Adolescents to Read and Write Digital Texts: Argument in the Real World. Heineman Publications.
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ReplyDeleteI wish I could see the video as well. Please let me know if you figure out a way to make it public. I would love to hear more about how flipped learning works for students in your class. I have always hesitated because of connection issues/lack of internet for some of my students.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be neat to take this concept a step further in a math class and maybe have students create instructional videos as an assessment at the end of a unit. You could have them create the video for next year's class and highlight those that are well-done by sharing them with other students online. I have considered doing the same with vocabulary units in my class. Turner and Hicks (2017) suggest using tools such as PlayPosit or EDpuzzle to embed questions into the videos (p. 100). I think this would be a fun way for students to "play teacher" for a day while also also giving you a chance to assess their knowledge of the unit.