Instruction was divided into units around themes, eras, and content, as well as the development of skills involving reading, critical thinking, inquiry, writing, and historical understanding. Instead of merely memorizing facts for an assessment, I was pleased to see that students proudly articulated the skills (e.g., using evidence, managing time, and finding their own voice) they had developed and used so far.Īspects of my traditional classroom were still present. A few weeks into the course, I conducted the first notebook check with them.
I was still able to build connections with my students that resulted in one relatively quick victory. Since I was more available in the evenings, a virtual format would work best. I (Jordan) was also experiencing some life changes at home that required more flexibility in how and when I met with and supported students. We wanted to improve educational outcomes for students in our virtual history class options (we had already been offering several virtual courses at the time, including six in social studies). We started the pilot for a couple of key reasons. Neither of us had any idea that what we were experimenting with would prove so crucial to students, staff, and families alike by the spring semester. As the administrator working with virtual coursework, I (Eric) helped provide the resources and supports from scheduling to approvals at the site and district levels, as well as building the course into the master schedule. In the fall of 2019–20, I (Jordan) started piloting a remote course in world history that replicated the work I had been doing in my classroom for years. As the teacher for this virtual class, I (Jordan) have reflected on this essential question: “In the vast space of the world wide web, how can we construct walls that create our online classroom?” These metaphorical walls are necessary for creating a sense of familiarity and proximity among students and, ultimately, a sense of safety. Engagement is rooted in class culture and interaction with other humans and does not flow from content alone.Īlthough we have a solid grasp on what that engagement looks like in a traditional classroom, we have also found opportunities to build culture online. We have found that students in remote and virtual learning experiences need and crave connection. Our experience with a pilot of a virtual class that began in the fall of 2019 demonstrates just the opposite. Eric Shinseki, “If you dislike change, you’re going to dislike irrelevance even more.”Įducators often express the concern that technology and virtual instruction may make the job of a classroom teacher obsolete.
Although change is necessary, it is often initially experienced as loss and greeted with fear and trepidation, yet we know change remains constant.
The shift to remote instruction is not the first societal change in the way we educate students. We are both history teachers at heart, so we find value in looking to the lessons of the past with an eye for challenges and successes. As we near the end of this school year, now is a good time to reflect on how we’ve been educating students within the context of additional technology tools, increased expectations from virtual instruction, and greater familiarity with-and honestly further scrutiny of-platforms, devices, and delivery. Virtual teaching and learning processes preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have evolved significantly during it.
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