A Pocket Guide To Online Teaching

This pithy yet thorough book provides an evidence-based guide on how to prepare for online teaching, especially for those who are making a swift transition from face-to-face to online instruction. Guided by the Model Teaching Characteristics created by The Society for the Teaching of Psychology, this book covers important topics like: how to adapt to expected and unexpected changes in teaching, how to evaluate yourself and your peers, and tips on working smarter/optimizing working practices with the resources available. The features of the book include: Practical examples exploring how to solve the typical problems of designing and instructing online courses. Interactive "Worked Examples" and "Working Smarter" callouts throughout the book which offer practical demonstrations to help teachers learn new skills. Further reading and resources to build on knowledge about online education. End of chapter checklists which summarizes suggestions about how to be a model online teacher. This essential resource will provide support for teachers of all levels and disciplines, from novice to the most experienced, during the transition to online teaching.

Essential reading for online instructors, updated to cover new and emerging issues and technologies The Online Teaching Survival Guide provides a robust overview of theory-based techniques for teaching online or technology-enhanced courses. Covering all aspects of online teaching, this book reviews the latest research in cognitive processing and related learning outcomes while retaining a focus on the practical. A simple framework of instructional strategies mapped across a four-phase timeline provides a concrete starting point for both new online teachers and experienced teachers designing or revamping an online course. Essential technologies are explored in their basic and expanded forms, and traditional pedagogy serves as the foundation for tips and practices customized for online learning. The tips cover course management, social presence, community building, integration of new technologies, discussion and questioning techniques, assessment, and debriefing, along with new coverage of intensive or accelerated courses, customizing learning strategies, developing expertise, advanced course design, and assessment techniques exclusive to this new second edition. The theory and techniques of successful online teaching can be significantly different from those used face-to-face. With more and more classes being offered online, this book provides a valuable resource for taking your course to the next level. Understand the technology used in online teaching Learn specialized pedagogical tips and practices Examine new research on cognition and learning Adopt a clear framework of instructional strategies The explosion of online learning has created a demand for great online teachers. Increasingly, faculty who normally teach face-to-face are being asked to cover online courses—yet comprehensive pedagogical resources are scarce. The learning curve is huge, and faculty need a practical approach to course design and management that can be quickly and easily implemented. The Online Teaching Survival Guide provides that essential resource, with a customizable framework and deeper exploration of effective online teaching.

Online Teaching and Learning for Teacher Educators is the first book written exclusively by teacher educators for teacher educators in higher education, K-12 classrooms, and for candidates preparing to become teacher educators. Written as a practical, easy to understand and use guide, this book is designed to support and empower teacher educators from all settings as they transition into and advance their knowledge, skills, and dispositions in online teaching and learning. Readers will find ten informative and stimulating chapters, drawn from each author’s personal experience, that focus on the essential topics and emerging issues relevant to the ever-expanding and rapidly changing online environment unique to teacher educators. Topics covered include planning developmentally appropriate content and context in creative ways; establishing and engaging with collaborative communities of learners; optimizing opportunities for engagement, expression, exchange of ideas, innovation, and inspiration; incorporating meaningful assessments, rubrics, and feedback that promote thinking, growth, and reflection; and advancing awareness, application, and appreciation of ethics, equity, and efficacy. Plus, issues related to the challenges, choices, and changes associated with effective online teaching and learning, specifically for teacher educators, are highlighted. Every teacher educator, whether a seasoned veteran or aspiring newcomer, will benefit greatly from reading this outstanding book. We sincerely hope that our experiences will help you in your quest to become the best online educator that you can be.

Online Teaching Survival Guide: The Best Teaching Strategies and Tools for Your Online Classroom. The current coronavirus pandemic has abruptly changed multiple aspects of our daily routine. Social distancing, staying inside our homes, and various rules and regulations have disrupted our lives enormously. We were suddenly expected to adapt as quickly as possible to this new world, without having time to grasp this new reality, let alone prepare for it. The education system has surely gone through one of the biggest changes--from the well-known and familiar classroom surroundings, teachers and students have had to transfer to the online world. For the majority of teachers, this process turned out to be incredibly challenging. Online teaching is very different from traditional classroom teaching, and facing the vast world of online tools and teaching platforms can be shockingly intimidating. How do you prepare your material for an online course? How do you deliver the class to your students so they’re engaged and interested? What is everyone on about when they talk about hybrid learning, and flipped classrooms? These are just some of the questions that have been plaguing teachers all over the world. Many of them couldn’t wait for the crisis to be over, and to go back to their regular routine--but now it looks like online teaching is here to stay. Experts agree that online learning has many benefits, and some countries are even considering fully transferring to this type of teaching. The rest of the world is also preparing to incorporate online teaching into their education system to some extent. In both cases, teachers will need to step out of their comfort zone and dive straight into the alien world of online teaching. If you’re a teacher, or someone aspiring to become one, this prospect might scare you, especially if you’re not tech-savvy or haven’t had experience with online teaching tools. Luckily, there are multiple ways you can overcome this particular problem, and transfer your amazing teaching skills from the actual classroom to the virtual one. In Teaching Online, you will discover: The difference between classroom and online teaching, and how you can successfully apply real-life teaching methods to virtual media Types of online classes and courses you can combine to provide the best learning experience for your students A complete online-teaching glossary, so you’ll never again get confused by all the high-tech teaching jargon Simple, but efficient online teaching practices that will help you create engaging and highly educational learning content A comprehensive guide on online teaching tools, including class management and parent-teacher communication tools Numerous tips and strategies to ease you into the world of online teaching, from adapting class material to choosing the best online grading system Strategies for combining classroom and online teaching to help you create influential blended learning courses And much more. Being an excellent teacher in the classroom does not guarantee you the same amount of success online. Managing virtual classrooms and creating online content is tricky, and even the most experienced educators struggle with some of the challenges of online teaching. While online schooling was, until recently, just a prospect, it now seems like it’s here to stay. With Teaching Online, you’ll be able to gradually evolve and expand your teaching skills enormously. If you’re ready to provide the best online learning experience for your students, then scroll up and click the “Add to Cart” button right now.

Are you a K-12 educator who is teaching students over the internet with no face-to-face interaction? Online learning presents new challenges. Author Lindy Hockenbary does not sugarcoat the fact that online learning is different than face-to-face learning. She tackles the most common questions of new online instructors, including:?How do you engage learners in a virtual environment??How do you develop relationships with students whom you never see in person? ?What does classroom management even look like in an online class??How do you assess students when there is no way to know if they are looking up all the answers??How do you ensure clear communication since you cannot stand over a learner's shoulder and ensure a task is accomplished??How do you communicate with and support the families of online learners??How do you ensure equity when students are never in the same physical space?This book addresses each of these questions head-on by presenting key takeaways to guide online learning design. Lindy brings her experience as a classroom teacher and instructional technologist to create a clear picture of online learning strategies. Other classroom teachers, school leaders, and instructional technologists have contributed to the book to provide a well-rounded perspective on the topic of online learning. This book was designed with K-12 teachers in mind, but the majority of information can be applied to higher education/postsecondary learning environments as well.

In this valuable resource, experts share deep knowledge including practical “how-to” and preventive trouble-shooting tips. Instructors will learn about course design and development, instructional methods for online teaching, and student engagement and community building techniques. The book contains successful teaching strategies, guidance for facilitating interactions and responding to diversity, and assessments, as well as future directions for online learning. With many field-tested examples and practice assignments, and with voices from students, teachers, and experts, this book arms instructors and administrators with the tools they need to teach effective and empowering online courses. This one-stop resource addresses all of the core elements of online teaching in terms that are universally applicable to any content area and at any instructional level. “A rare book in education: one that is not only highly useful but also intellectually coherent and based on robusta>, transferable principles of learning and teaching. All educators—in online environments and in brick-and-mortar schools—will find this an invaluable resource.” —From the Foreword by Grant Wiggins “We now know we can get increased participation with online tools to make thinking more visible and switch the traditional delivery of instruction to personalize learning. While it is inevitable that online learning will become an important skill for everyone, the ideas, concepts, strategies, design elements, and tools in the book by Thormann and Zimmerman can also be applied to blended learning.” —Alan November, Senior Partner and Founder, November Learning “The authors of this book have created an excellent resource for anyone interested in becoming an online instructor or improving his or her skills in online teaching. The authors share a wealth of step-by-step activities, examples of assignments and teaching strategies that will guide both novice and experienced teachers as they expand their skills into the online realm. Even as a ‘veteran’ online instructor the book provided me with new ideas to try in my next online class.” —Sam Gladstein, Coordinator, Edmonds eLearning Program at Edmonds School District, WA “Cheers to Thormann and Zimmerman for providing a must-read for online teaching. This clear and practical guide takes the instructor from design to implementation of online courses. The authors remove the anxiety about online teaching for those thinking about on-screen instruction, and provide new thinking and examples for those already immersed in it. It is a great guide for those entering the field and a superb resource for those actively engaged in it.” —Anthony J. Bent, Chairman, Global Studies-21st Century Skills Committee of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Book Features: The building blocks necessary to create a successful online course. The know-how of long-time online instructors. Models for Skype conferencing with groups of students. Templates for course building, including sample assignments, activities, assessments, and emails. Detailed treatment of diversity in the online environment Joan Thormann is professor in the division of Technology in Education at Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. She edits a column on technology and special needs for Learning and Leading with Technology. Isa Kaftal Zimmerman is the principal of IKZ Advisors in Boston, Massachusetts, an educational consulting firm serving educators and stakeholders in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Demystifies online teaching for both enthusiastic and wary educators and helps faculty who teach online do their best work as digital instructors. It is difficult to imagine a college class today that does not include some online component—whether a simple posting of a syllabus to course management software, the use of social media for communication, or a full-blown course offering through a MOOC platform. In Teaching Online, Claire Howell Major describes for college faculty the changes that accompany use of such technologies and offers real-world strategies for surmounting digital teaching challenges. Teaching with these evolving media requires instructors to alter the ways in which they conceive of and do their work, according to Major. They must frequently update their knowledge of learning, teaching, and media, and they need to develop new forms of instruction, revise and reconceptualize classroom materials, and refresh their communication patterns. Faculty teaching online must also reconsider the student experience and determine what changes for students ultimately mean for their own work and for their institutions. Teaching Online presents instructors with a thoughtful synthesis of educational theory, research, and practice as well as a review of strategies for managing the instructional changes involved in teaching online. In addition, this book presents examples of best practices from successful online instructors as well as cutting-edge ideas from leading scholars and educational technologists. Faculty members, researchers, instructional designers, students, administrators, and policy makers who engage with online learning will find this book an invaluable resource.