Hi WOL Friends!
We had a great time talking with Dr. Barbara (Barb) Davis, the Assistant Superintendent of Eastern Lebonan County School District (ELCO) and Past-President of PASCD. The World of Learning was able to support her students when they needed a Spanish teacher - THREE times.
It was the Fall of 2018 and Barb thought they were all set. ELCO had secured an LTS when one of their Spanish teachers was heading out for maternity leave. As the time approached for the LTS to start - the person backed out.
When I heard from Barb I was grateful that we had the staff to support their needs. The transition from a beloved classroom teacher to a virtual facilitator can be a difficult transition. Working with the HS Principal and our amazing Virtual Learning Specialist(s), like Lauren, we were able to support the learners and keep their instruction going until their teacher returned.
Takeaways
Barb’s background in Instructional Technology makes her suggestions especially relevant. Listen in for her important views on the differences between face-to-face and virtual instruction.
Over-communicate. Work closely with the district to help the parents and learners make the transition to a virtual platform. Online learning got a bad rap during the pandemic - when we hastily took in-person learning to an emergency online experience.
Make use of both in-person and virtual Information Sessions for students, district staff, and parents. A virtual session with the instructor(s) and administrative teams to answer questions and help everyone get comfortable is important.
Let students grieve. When the teacher they are connected with leaves for the birth of a child, an illness, or another job, students need time to let go of the relationship they valued. As adults, we need to recognize this and support the students in the transition.
When possible - have the teacher who is leaving introduce the virtual teacher and program to the students. It goes a long way to show the connection and teamwork between the old and the new.
AMERICANED_SUTTON
Lauren also offered some of the ways the WOL helps make the transition to Virtual Learning:
Work with the departing teacher to understand where the students are with their current content.
Make sure to understand students’ special learning needs and accommodations so that students may succeed. Share IEP and 504 information so that teachers can meet students where they are.
Scaffold students to be ‘good’ virtual students. Help them to navigate the self-directed nature of learning in a virtual setting.
At the WOL Institute, we create our courses using Universal Design. Our home page is user-friendly with icons and screen reader capable banners and graphics to make navigating asynchronous work easy.
Providing clear directions, due dates and expectations for attending live sessions sets the tone for success.
Making sure parents are connected to the student’s course work and teacher is key. We cannot overstate how important communication in the virtual setting is for student success.
NEW for 2023 - 24
The WOL Institute is excited to share some of our new features and offerings:
See our new course design and catalog of offerings on our web page.
Our Genius SIS provides real-time data on grades and promotes communication with both parents and the district. And our Support Center offers timely answers using a Knowledge Base and Ticket System to solve problems.
We are transitioning to a more competency-based learning design. Using the narrative storyboarding approach - students become the characters in their learning journey. You can see more in the video below.
We are beginning to create IPA’s (Integrative Performance Assessments) to authentically assess student progress. Olivia describes how we are beginning the IPA journey in these YouTube videos.
We look forward to hearing from you if you would like to see our courses and talk about how our programs might support your student’s learning journey.
Best,
Pat
Share this post