National Online Learning Day is celebrated on September 15 as a way to showcase online learning possibilities open to all students, regardless of age. Today, more than ever, students have the capacity to learn almost any subject anywhere and at any time. It’s also a chance to raise awareness about the potential for online learning across all modalities—as a complement to the traditional classroom, when using a hybrid model, or in a completely virtual setting.
As a part of National Online Learning Day, we first and foremost want to recognize and thank teachers for their perseverance, patience, and dedication. This year educators have gone above and beyond to ensure that learning is attainable for all students who’ve found themselves in difficult and unpredictable circumstances. We know it hasn’t been easy making the transition to remote teaching, but we’re here to support you. We have many valuable resources to help you make the best of this challenging situation. For example, we’ve made available our three-part webinar series on how to ease the transition to remote teaching https://vhlblog.vistahigherlearning.com/best-practices-for-remote-teaching-webinar-series.html. Additionally, you can find numerous articles with tips and tricks for dual-modality instruction and assisting students who might be new to distance learning.
We’d also like to take this opportunity of National Online Learning Day to highlight the positives of remote education. We talk about this in our webinar Taking Advantage of Remote Teaching and Fostering Authentic Exchange. One of the benefits discussed is how students’ individual settings help to foster authentic exchanges like giving a tour of their home or describing their neighborhood as they look out the window. Furthermore, learning remotely pushes students to take more individual responsibility for their participation in class. While group work is still possible and beneficial, students may feel more comfortable partaking in individual speaking activities because they’re in a more relaxed environment.
So, while the challenges ahead can feel overwhelming, by concentrating on the positives, you can leverage online learning to your advantage. This September 15, on National Online Learning Day, take time to congratulate yourself and your fellow teachers on all you’ve accomplished in such a short time.
