iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

Isolating? Boring? Not so fast. We debunk four myths about distanced, online learning, speaking with Athabasca University's president Neil Fassina.

"Let’s just cut to the chase—2020 has been an extremely tough year thus far. And we’re only a quarter of the way through.

With the swift shift to remote learning, educators and education entrepreneurs alike are quickly learning that trying to replicate what happens in classrooms on an online conference call comes with a lot of ups and downs. It’s not at all an easy shift to make overnight, particularly for those who aren’t used to sitting on a computer recording or listening to lectures.

Heck, I don’t even like doing that."

Why do we ask students to complete certain requirements before they graduate?

Whether schools require completion of core coursework, fulfillment of athletic or community service commitments, or achievement of certain test scores, there is an important idea that drives these choices: we believe certain experiences, knowledge, and skills are essential to success in the world beyond high school. Ideally, the requirements we designate reflect the core competencies that students need to succeed in college, career, and citizenship.

In that case, I have a proposal:

High school students should be required to take an online course before they graduate.

As teachers consider their routines for this upcoming year, I encourage them to take the ideas and values that guide the design and facilitation of their in-class work with students and adapt them for the online environment. For example, most teachers use flexible grouping strategies in the classroom based on the objectives of a lesson. They may provide whole group instruction, work with small groups, and conference with individual students. Similarly, teachers hosting video conferencing sessions will want to consider whether whole group, small group, or individual sessions make the most sense given the purpose of that session.

With schools and local libraries closing due to COVID-19, you maybe worried that your child’s education has stopped. But that doesn’t have to be the case, as there are tons of online (and predominantly free) learning resources available.

The online learning resources we found cover all of the major topics taught in school, such as science, English, math, history, typing, art, reading, music, coding, and physical education. Although they aren’t meant to replace your child’s in-school curriculum, they are more than capable of engaging your children’s brains, teaching them new things, and keeping them productively busy until schools can resume normal function.