K-12 Virtual Student Engagement

Education and the way things are taught have changed dramatically in recent years. Students are now expected to learn from a distance to a certain degree. It might be fully virtual or a blend of brick-and-mortar learning and distance learning. Whichever mode, the main goal remains the same: to ensure that students are learning. Our K-12 Virtual Student Engagement course provides steps for fostering teacher-student relationships, increasing clarity and engagement in a virtual setting. We describe the proper ways for planning, coaching, and demonstrating lessons across platforms and how to provide constructive feedback and assessment.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Describe ways to foster teacher-student relationships in a virtual learning environment
• List steps for increasing clarity in virtual learning
• Recall steps for engagement and lesson planning
• Recognize the fundamentals of feedback, assessment, and grading

Module 1 - Teacher-Student Relationships from a Distance

Module 2 - Teacher Credibility and Clarity

Module 3 - Planning Instructional Units

Module 4 - Feedback, Assessment, and Grading

K-12 Virtual Student Engagement Module 1

Teacher-Student Relationships from a Distance

Our first module discusses the importance of developing and delivering quality distance learning experiences for students in any location. We describe how to develop a classroom management plan for distance learning and how to identify student and teacher expectations.

• Identify Expectations
• Establish Norms
• Develop and Teach Organizational and Procedures Routines
• Characteristics of Teacher-Student Relationships
• Reaching the Hard to Teach

K-12 Virtual Student Engagement Module 2

Teacher Credibility and Clarity

Ensuring clarity with assignments and directions can be a bit of a challenge at a distance. This module describes how to ensure credibility and clarity in a virtual environment, as well as how to create valid and attainable learning intentions.

• Teacher Credibility at a Distance
• Unit Planning
• Teacher Clarity
• Create Learning Intentions
• Identify Success Criteria

K-12 Virtual Student Engagement Module 3

Planning Instructional Units

Designing assignments with engagement in mind is vital for any classroom, but especially in a virtual learning environment. In this module we learn how to design experiences that impact students’ understanding and how to create engaging tasks.

• Conditions for Engagement and Learning
• Scheduling to Promote Engagement
• Demonstrating
• Collaborating
• Coaching and Facilitating

K-12 Virtual Student Engagement Module 4

Feedback, Assessment, and Grading

In our final module, we discuss how to give effective, constructive feedback during assessments and while grading. Distance learning underwent dramatic changes during the pandemic in 2020. A lot of educators had to ‘make it work’ very quickly. We describe how crisis learning can make schooling better.

• Student Feedback
• Formative and Summative Evaluations
• Competency-Based Grading
• Crisis Learning
• Making Learning Better for Students and Teachers

No prerequisites required.

All materials included in course.

Internet Connection

• Broadband or High-Speed - DSL, Cable, and Wireless Connections

*Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Classroom pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.

Hardware Requirements

• Processor - 2GHz Processor or Higher
• Memory - 1 GB RAM Minimum Recommended

PC Software Requirements

• Operating Systems - Windows 10 or higher
• Microsoft Office 2019 or higher. Also, you could use a general Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
• Internet Browsers - Google Chrome is highly recommended
• Cookies MUST be enabled
• Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
• The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
• PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
• Adobe PDF Reader
• QuickTime, Windows Media Player &/or Real Player

MAC Software Requirements

• Operating Systems - Mac OS version 11 or higher
• Mac office programs or a Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
• Internet Browsers - Google Chrome is highly recommended
• Cookies MUST be enabled
• Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
• The Amazon Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
• PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
• Adobe PDF Reader
• Apple QuickTime Media Player