CONSIDER THIS:
"No one reading program is best for all children. Successful teachers of reading have developed activities that differentiate among their students according to their current level of readiness to read."Sousa, D. (2006) How the Brain Learns, Corwin Press
This method of differentiation is key in the developing of online curriculum. There is no "one size fits all" in teaching and learning. Here are ten tips for using your online curriculum successfully...
"Where do I start?"Tip 1
When starting out with an online curriculum it can be a good idea to view it as a resource. Online curriculum is designed for young students therefore contains age and grade appropriate materials. Utilizing the curriculum as a resource will give you a way to meaningfully engage your student in age appropriate research. Perhaps you could be detectives for the day and give each other a subject area to research within the curriculum.
"I have never taught and have no idea what is taught at this grade level:"Tip 2
Give yourself time to become familiar with the content. Most online curriculum have what they call a "scope and sequence" section which gives you a summary of what will be covered in the grade level. The scope and sequence is a general over view so will not overwhelm you. It is also a good idea to look ahead a grade level to understand where the content is leading.
"Some of the things my student has covered and is bored covering them again."Tip 3
Give your student the role as teacher and have him or her create a learning experience for you with the material. This will give you the opportunity to see how well your student has "mastered " the material. Teaching others shows we are at the "mastery " level of learning.
"I can't get my student to work - I 'm so frustrated with this whole online curriculum!"Tip 4
Don't take your frustrations out on the curriculum! The curriculum is not going to teach your student by itself! It is merely a tool to supply information and ways of delivering it. You will still need to think of innovative ways to engage your students and excite them about the content they use to learn a new concept. Remain upbeat about content.
"The program doesn't fit my students learning needs exactly."Tip 5
If a lesson or content doesn't look like a good fit don't use it in that form. Don't be afraid to pull what you need info wise and re-packaged it to suit your learner. Pull out some math equipment, art supplies, books or whatever you feel will help make sense and give meaning to the material being covered.
"My student cannot get past a particular lesson "Tip 6
By all means please find a lesson that re-engages your student and perhaps re visit the content of the skipped lesson at a later date. Most online curriculum is designed in such a way that content will be covered again in a different way. It is always a fun idea to look through the lessons to find engaging content that best suits your student.
"We are getting behind in our progress. What should we do?"Tip 7
When we get behind we often want to "fix" the situation. It is tempting to try and catch up by merely having your student do the end of lesson assessments. This is not a good idea as not all the content is covered in these assessments. If you are feeling behind take a breath and look at what your student has achieved. Focus on the areas of need and cover these first. Let your student choose content of his or her liking when lessons you have chosen are done. Assessments are not intended to be a teaching tool. Request assistance from a teaching professional if you are unable to gather some forward momentum.
"Are you having fun yet?"Tip 8
It is very important to have tons of fun when teaching your kids. So much of what you are teaching can be hands on and exciting. Afternoons spent gardening, playing and living can support learning in such a positive way. Learning takes place in all the most unexpected places.
"Who is working for whom?"Tip 9 & 10
This is tip 9 and 10 because it is so important! You are not working for the CURRICULUM. The curriculum is designed to work for YOU! You are working towards delivering a meaningful program that excites your student to learning! Online curriculum is a tool to help back up your journey and ensure you some direction in content coverage.
Author Info:
At 2Think2Learn.com we are excited to offer support for all the programs we provide. Understanding the beast and not letting it take over your program is important. Curriculum alone does not teach people. Food teaching practice, good curriculum, passion and drive teach people!
Curriculum, curriculum and more curriculum! Who needs more of the same. There is no lack of online programs just little support in using them effectively. Visit us at http://www.2Think2Learn.com for more tips on how to succeed with online curriculum!
Margit Barreras
1 comment:
Wow! Terrific post! I wish more people understood how easy and user-friendly online curriculums can be. We use Time4Learning, and although there was a learning curve when we first began, I soon began to relax as I realized there was actually a homeschool curriculum that handled the "dirty work" like lesson planning, testing, and record keeping for you. Now I don't even want to THINK about homeschooling without T4L. Hooray for online curricula!
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