Tag: education

5 Tips for Students about Remote Learning

On By Luke SheltonIn education2 Comments

As schools make the transition to teach online, I have seen a lot of articles talking about what teachers can do to enable students to succeed. These articles are important, and it is true that teachers have to adapt to the new environment. Just as important, though, is to tell students what is different when trying to learn online, and what can they do to “take responsibility” for their learning. computer-1185626_1920What we know is that students who are classified as “self-motivated” or “self-directing” tend to do better in an online classroom than those who are not. So here are five things that can help students stay engaged with their class and also help them find the resources they need.

  1. Ask Questions.

Whether your class is working synchronously (all together at the same time, like on Skype, Zoom, GoToMeeting, etc.) or asynchronously (using message/discussion boards or forums), there should always be a means for you to ask a question. This is a very important step for remote learners, because unlike in rooms where teachers can read body language or “take the temperature” of the room to see if students are following, they can rarely tell when you have a question in an online environment unless you tell them. Great news! In most online settings, students have more freedom to ask questions without judgment from their peers. Instead of asking in front of thirty people who are not interested in your question, you can directly ask the teacher and those who do not share your question can skim right past it.

  1. Talk to teachers “outside of class”

In most cases, teachers teach because they want to help learners learn (let’s face it, it isn’t for the money). If you are struggling with a concept or question, feel free to reach out to the teacher outside of the course. A great way is to use their school email address. This way you can get more personalized in-depth help than you can if you are asking in the middle of a synchronous class session. You also ensure that your teacher can see your question, whereas they can sometimes be lost if a teacher is monitoring a very active forum or chatroom. Pro Tip: try to ask your question in-class first, if possible. That way, if anyone else has the same question then it is answered for everyone. If you have highly specific questions, or your question wasn’t answered fully, feel free to reach out to your teacher.

  1. Remember your school content resources

Most schools have a way to view textbooks and even library books online. These resources are becoming even more available as systems shift to support more online learners. Go to your school website and see if there is a “Library” or “Textbook” section. You should be able to access a lot of material to help you if you are stuck on a concept or if your teacher has asked you to do research. Remember, the school librarian is your friend: if you need help using the school’s library website, reach out to the librarian and ask!

  1. Remember your school support resources

Just as the library and textbooks are usually available in some form online, so are support services. In primary and secondary schools, this means that students should still be able to talk to school counselors or college application advisors. In college, this means that student can still interact with student success specialists and counseling services. These are going to become more important as online schooling continues. If you ever feel lonely or depressed, please reach out to support services for your school. They can help you find a means of connecting with others or find programs designed to meet your specific needs. Learning from home can be lonely, so it is vital that students remember that these services are available to them!

  1. Make friends with classmates

Find people in your class, grade, cohort that want to succeed but also want to connect with others. As I said above, learning online can feel very isolated. Having these friends can help keep you engaged in class, and also make you feel like other people (other than those you live with) care about you and your well-being. Both of these factors are very important.

 

I welcome other suggestions from teachers and learners in the comments. I want this to be a good, free resource for advice!

 

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A little about me: I was an online student for several years and had good and bad experiences. I have also taught online, and so I know what this experience looks like from both sides. You can find more about my current interests on the About page.

Bombadil Bingo, a Party Game or Teaching Tool

On By Luke SheltonIn Tolkien1 Comment

Today I had an IDEA!

Sometimes readers complain that the Bombadil chapters of The Lord of the Rings are too slow. While I do not share this opinion (especially because these were some tense scenes for me in my first read), I can certainly understand it! So while I was scrolling through a certain social network, I saw a bingo card that someone posted. I thought: “wait, is that Tolkien-inspired bingo? It is amazing what people invent!” Upon further investigation, it was just bingo for a different literary work.

At first I was disheartened because no one had invented Bombadil Bingo yet, then I realized with excitement: I had invented Bombadil Bingo! (Disclaimer: someone else may have already invented it and I am just unaware.)

Bombadil Bingo

This can be used as a party game or as a teaching tool. I will cover the party game first, then suggest how I would implement it in the classroom!

Party Game Directions

Before the party starts:

  • either tell guests to bring their own copy of The Fellowship of the Ring, or a one-volume edition of The Lord of the Rings, or make sure to have several copies for them to use
  • Use the PDF at the bottom of this post to print off the bingo cards, then cut them out
  • Make sure you have a playing space large enough for your players, their cards, and copies of the text

Once the guests arrive:

  • Tell them that you are going to play Bombadil Bingo!
  • Give each participant a game card and then give these instructions:

Each of you has a game card. Each square on these game cards has words from the songs in the Tom Bombadil scenes in The Fellowship of the Ring. Your task is to search through these songs and find page numbers for the words in a given square. Once you find the page number, write it in the appropriate square. The center square is a ‘free’ square, so i have already provided a page number to get you started! The first person to fill in page numbers for five squares in-line (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally) will get a special treat! Remember: Tom Bombadil is in chapters other than “In the House of Tom Bombadil, so don’t forget to look at those scenes too!

 

Alternate activity:

  • Follow the same instructions, but have pairs of attendees work together!

 

(Please note: there are only ten cards, so if you want a larger party, you may have to make your own, or have multiple prizes since there could potentially be more than one winner.)

Teaching Tool Idea

What you will need:

  • The bingo cards from the PDF at the bottom of this page, printed and cut out for students.
  • An instructions slip with the block of instructions for students that I wrote below.
  • Students to have access to the book

Instructions:

The class period before your students arrive at the “House of Tom Bombadil” chapter in The Fellowship of the Ring, distribute the student bingo cards cut out from the PDF at the bottom of this post. Also distribute instruction slips that read as follows:

Each of you has a bingo game card. Each square on these game cards has words from the songs in the Tom Bombadil scenes in The Fellowship of the Ring. Your assignment is to search through these songs and find page numbers for the words in a given square. Once you find the page number, write it in the correct square. The center square is a ‘free’ square, so i have already provided a page number to get you started! Each student who fills in page numbers for five squares in-line (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally) will get a special treat!

*Remember: Tom Bombadil is in chapters other than “In the House of Tom Bombadil, so don’t forget to look at those scenes too!

I would not use this as a ‘reading check’ assignment. In other words, it should not take the place of a reading quiz or other assessment to check if the student has completed the reading. Instead, I would use it as a motivational tool to encourage them to complete their homework and to actually read the songs from the chapters instead of skipping them.

I would not ask for students to return their completed cards until after the “Fog on the Barrow Downs” chapter, because some cards will require that chapter in order to find a Bingo.

The reward is up to the teacher, but since there are only ten cards, and students can take their time to complete them, be prepared for multiple claimants! The easiest thing to do is to give them a bag of candy and all it “Barrow Treasure”!

 

*Please note that the center space is intended to be a “free” space. That is why it already has a page number for the words (it is also the only square where the words are pulled from dialogue instead of song). You may wish to update the page number with your edition in order to give guests or students a hint of where to look. Otherwise, you can just tell them that it counts as already found.

Bombadil Bingo cards