Best Practices in Online Education
Are American high schools becoming obsolete? Bill Gates said that, “The poor performance of our high schools in preparing students for college is a major reason why the United States has now dropped from first to fifth in the percentage of young adults with a college degree.” Our school system needs to redesign the educational system to meet the needs of the 21st century. In order to insure that all students are given a challenging curriculum that prepares them for college or work so that they can support a family. He suggested that the new three R’s are rigor, relevance and relationships.
In Pasi Sahlberg’s article, “Why Finland's schools are top-notch,” he said, “Some aspects of the American school system are not helpful in improving education quality and equity.” He gives three suggestions that make the schools in Finland effective that are not being done in American schools. First, Finland has built a school system that strengthens educational equity that offers a curriculum that focuses on the whole child rather than academic achievement. Secondly, teachers have time during the day to collaborate with teachers that allows for professional development. Third, playtime is scheduled throughout the day for the children as well as having shorter schooldays than in the U.S.
Bill and Melinda Gates’ foundation is doing research to measure what makes a good teacher. The goal is to have great teachers in front of every single student by measuring student test scores and having peer and principal observations of the teachers. Effective teachers can’t approach their class with one-size fits all approach. They need to create a climate of excitement in the classroom that engages all their students. It is equally important that the students feel the teacher care about them individually. Sharing best practices with other instructors is also beneficial in making a good teacher.
Here in the U.S. the peer review process can be a daunting task. Tom Daccord in his article dated October 9, 2014, “Can we change the PD culture of communication?” said, “Could we in the United States create school cultures in which instructing colleagues on how they might improve performance is not a rare and emotion-laden event, but rather an accepted and valued mechanism in the development of desirable professional practice?” To encourage our own personal development we must be ready to accept the challenge of facing all peer reviews in a positive way.
According to Gates, “Technology is the key to turning our educational system around.” Technology provides the opportunity for repetition in learning that results in a positive outcome of understanding the material covered. There are many benefits of technology on both students and teachers. It allows teachers to spend more time with their students. Studies have shown the use of technology increases motivation and self-esteem as well as improved technical skills and accomplishment of more complex tasks. There is more opportunity for both teachers and students to collaborate with peers and utilize outside resources that are readily available to facilitate team learning.
My list of Best Practices for Online Teaching
In Pasi Sahlberg’s article, “Why Finland's schools are top-notch,” he said, “Some aspects of the American school system are not helpful in improving education quality and equity.” He gives three suggestions that make the schools in Finland effective that are not being done in American schools. First, Finland has built a school system that strengthens educational equity that offers a curriculum that focuses on the whole child rather than academic achievement. Secondly, teachers have time during the day to collaborate with teachers that allows for professional development. Third, playtime is scheduled throughout the day for the children as well as having shorter schooldays than in the U.S.
Bill and Melinda Gates’ foundation is doing research to measure what makes a good teacher. The goal is to have great teachers in front of every single student by measuring student test scores and having peer and principal observations of the teachers. Effective teachers can’t approach their class with one-size fits all approach. They need to create a climate of excitement in the classroom that engages all their students. It is equally important that the students feel the teacher care about them individually. Sharing best practices with other instructors is also beneficial in making a good teacher.
Here in the U.S. the peer review process can be a daunting task. Tom Daccord in his article dated October 9, 2014, “Can we change the PD culture of communication?” said, “Could we in the United States create school cultures in which instructing colleagues on how they might improve performance is not a rare and emotion-laden event, but rather an accepted and valued mechanism in the development of desirable professional practice?” To encourage our own personal development we must be ready to accept the challenge of facing all peer reviews in a positive way.
According to Gates, “Technology is the key to turning our educational system around.” Technology provides the opportunity for repetition in learning that results in a positive outcome of understanding the material covered. There are many benefits of technology on both students and teachers. It allows teachers to spend more time with their students. Studies have shown the use of technology increases motivation and self-esteem as well as improved technical skills and accomplishment of more complex tasks. There is more opportunity for both teachers and students to collaborate with peers and utilize outside resources that are readily available to facilitate team learning.
My list of Best Practices for Online Teaching
- The syllabus has clearly stated objectives and student outcomes of the online course. Expectations are clearly stated. It has the grading policy including the weight distribution percentages for assignments, tests and participation.
- A rubric for grading is required, that has examples and criteria spelled out so student’s sense fairness in the grading of assignments.
- Contact information is also available that encourages student and faculty interaction.
- Announcements and updates are posted that keep the lines of communication open.
- Navigation of the online learning environment is properly functioning and easy to use so students can successfully find the course materials.
- The teacher must facilitate interaction and cooperative learning through activities and a variety of multimedia web presentations. When students engage in activities, including creating content, the interaction increases their learning.
- Discussion boards are included that create a community with online students. Teachers are also involved in the discussion to answer questions, offer additional discussion topics and have a presence.
- Monitoring student’s activities by the teacher to insure participation by all students.
- The instructor will support the needs of all students by offering quality materials for the visual, auditory and tactile learning styles of the student to enhance favorable outcomes. PowerPoint slides or video should be used to delivery content each week.
- Offering students feedback regularly so they feel the instructor is interested in their progress and is encouraging them to take on the challenges of the technology with a positive attitude.