In online teaching, simpler is usually better! Most online students start out feeling overwhelmed – perhaps as early as week one of your course. Usually, they’re juggling work, family, and a range of other commitments. As they already feel time-poor and harassed, they often see online learning as complicated and frustrating... (more…)
Twitter is a seriously overlooked professional tool for online teachers. It's so much more than a time-wasting distraction for teenagers. Use it the right way, and it becomes a career-boosting tool. Online teachers can increase their visibility, develop their networks, and get access to a whole world of teaching opportunities that are simply not available locally. So ...
Online teaching presents a unique professional challenge. You may interact with hundreds of students (and a handful of colleagues) every week. You may send dozens of emails, and return piles of carefully graded student work. But it’s very difficult to know whether your efforts are actually making a difference, isn’t it? (more…)
Inspiration for online teaching can appear in surprising places. Who says it should be confined to conferences or journal articles? When you teach online, the words of celebrated thinkers can offer plenty of food for thought. And Albert Einstein provides a perfect example... (more…)
This quick reference guide involves zero black magic. But many new students are convinced that referencing is the work of the devil. They take one look at all those rules about dates, commas, italics and brackets - and flip out. Right away, referencing starts getting weird. (more…)
In the middle of a busy day of online teaching, the calming sound of a trickling stream may be impossible to imagine. There’s no room for restful imagery today. Instead, you furiously multi-task between multiple student demands, administrative responsibilities, and a large pile of unmarked work waiting to be graded.... (more…)
When you teach online, you’re always looking for ways to make your job easier, and your students’ experiences more satisfying. Humor is an online teaching tool that can help you achieve both of those goals. But this tool is more powerful than it looks. It pays to think carefully about how you’ll use it... (more…)
Online training courses have long been plagued by a high student drop out rate. This issue keeps plenty of online teachers up at night. It’s an ongoing challenge to keep learners interested, on track, and motivated to complete their courses. And there are many strategic ways to do that.... (more…)
How Many Challenges Does An Online Teacher Have to Face? The challenges involved in online teaching sometimes seem too numerous to count. It’s not surprising. Every online teacher faces many obstacles – and often several on the same day... (more…)
Online teachers draw from a deep well of teaching skills every single day. From the very second you fire up your computer in the morning, you’re furiously multi-tasking. And you’re often using several specialist teaching skills at the same time. (more…)
Teaching online for the first time?
This guide will make you look like a professional from your very first class…
Online teachers are often completely invisible.
That means we miss out on a whole world of new opportunities.
Here’s the solution.
Online learning is challenging at the best of times. Students have many demands on their time and energy, and study must be fitted in around those. But a pandemic adds a new level of anxiety and overwhelm to the online study experience. As ...
Maintaining online student engagement is an ongoing challenge. Much has been written on the topic, with a range of innovative suggestions offered, such as gamification, real-time interactive activities, or flipped learning, for example. But there’s also a simpler, more “organic” approach you ...
