How To Get Started In Online Teaching

Online education is here to stay. For some time, adults have been able to earn a college degree entirely online. Similarly, there are an increasing number of online schools serving elementary and secondary students. And still more schools and school districts are choosing to offer one or more online classes. The trend includes but is not limited to private and charter schools. Public school districts are turning to online teaching to offer specialized classes, to serve groups of students with particular needs, and to compete in today's educational environment that both promotes and depends on technical literacy.

Schools that want to get started in online teaching need three things: curriculum suited to the online environment and aligned with state standards; software for administering the online classroom; and teachers who are comfortable with online teaching. Schools that sign up to use a comprehensive eLearning platform like the IQity Learning Management Suite can get software and curriculum in a format that is very easy for teachers to use.

Content for Online Teaching

Online education is changing the way that students are taught. For some students, online classes can enhance learning and increase the chances of success. A student can progress at her own pace in an online class, whether that means she needs to spend extra time on some concepts or move more quickly than others and have access to extra material to challenge her. In addition, online courses can incorporate videos, dynamic graphics, and interactive components that illustrate a concept better than a textbook or lecture could.

On the other hand, online education is not changing what students need to learn. Whether classes are offered in a school building or over the Internet, lessons need to be aligned with state standards and students need to perform well on state achievement tests. The IQity Learning Management Suite comes with Reactor, a learning object repository that allows teachers to select lessons already aligned with state standards and easily import them into the electronic classroom. Giving gifted students more challenging material is simple, as is providing extra support for students who are struggling with the subject.

The Online Classroom

Besides curriculum, online teaching requires administrative software, commonly called a learning management system, which facilitates the administrative aspects of running an online classroom. Students need to be enrolled in the class, teachers need to be able to make and grade assignments, students need to be able to turn in homework and ask questions. IQity's Learning Management System is part of a comprehensive platform that works seamlessly with its award-winning curriculum and teaching tools to make online teaching easy.

Administrators control enrollment of students into classes. Teachers control the Classroom tab, where they add content to the class, make and grade assignments, and monitor student participation. The student simply enters the classroom to have access to lessons and assignments.

Besides making class management easy, Iqity offers a secure messaging system so students can email their teacher for guidance and feedback, and a Liveboard they can use for group assignments. The teacher can also use the web-casting tool to lecture to the class in real-time, using the LiveBoard like a classroom whiteboard to illustrate points.

Tech-Savvy Teachers

In order to offer online classes, schools need willing teachers, but that does not necessarily mean the teachers have to be computer experts. Teachers comfortable with basic computer skills will be able to use the IQity Learning Management Suite without difficulty. In fact, schools are well advised to choose a simple-to-use system like IQity rather than an open source software that allows teachers to reprogram its code, but can be intimidating to those without programming expertise.

Teachers who use email at home will have no trouble using the IQity message system. Teachers who can search the Internet will find it easy to search Reactor for standards-aligned content. A few clicks of the mouse are all that's required to transfer lessons from Reactor to the online classroom in IQity. An online tutorial is offered to teachers using IQity for the first time, and nearly all find it intuitive and friendly.

Taking the First Step

To see how IQity can help your school get started in online teaching, schedule an online demonstration led by an elearning expert.