4. Boost Student Engagement in Online Learning

Summary: Listen in for a variety of strategies to boost student engagement in a virtual setting. This was a big challenge for so many in the spring: students, teachers, and families alike. Now we have more than a weekend to prepare ourselves for the road ahead, though, so let's jump in! Key Points: I share 5 core pillars to help you keep your students engaged, and activities or examples under each pillar. Student Relationships: By building and maintaining strong student relationships, you are in tune with what your students and families need. This can help you adapt your activities and lessons to feel more meaningful and relatable to your specific learners. Providing Feedback: Students (and families) need to know that their efforts are on track, or what they need to adjust specifically, so they can continue feeling successful. This can make a huge difference in work completion and academic growth. Student Ownership: Helping students feel as though their learning is relevant RIGHT NOW, and not just something they should learn now to possibly use at some point in the future, is so powerful for boosting motivation and desire to learn and participate. Interaction and Excitement: In addition to using feedback to help your students stay engaged, we also need to acknowledge and respect the fact that they miss the human connection that comes with being in a brick and mortar classroom. If your students know your live sessions will include ways they can connect to you and their classmates, unrelated to academics, they will look forward to coming and joining the sessions. User Experience: When kids and families can't easily navigate what you're putting out there, it will very quickly become frustrating and lead to disengagement. It's important to acknowledge that visually appealing and well-organized resources will have greater engagement from your audience, in this case, students and families. Links and resources: This episode includes Instagram shout outs to the following educators or organizations: @therouttymathteacher @isteconnects @panickedteacher @teachinginroom6 Join our conversations in the Apple Blossom Teachers Facebook group Follow me on Instagram: @appleblossomteachers For more about me and what I do, check out my website. Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss an episode! And, if you're enjoying the show, please leave me a rating and a review. Thanks!