Different ways to deliver your lessons
Your learning goals will guide the way you deliver your content. What do your students need to know? What do your students need to understand and what do they need to do? Do you need to see your students at work? Can they work on an activity or a project on their own? Answering these questions will help you choose the appropriate way to deliver your content.
Teacher and students are online at the same time; they can interact in real time. Meetings are conducted on a videoconference platform (TEAMS, Meet, Zoom, Via, etc.).
In cycle one, in order to observe students’ progress, we need to be online with them and keep cameras turned on as much as possible. We evaluate participation and understanding by observing the student in action.
In cycles 2 and 3, it is important to hold synchronous meetings to engage students in activities as a class or in small discussion groups, share important content or information, and construct meaning of texts with them or with subgroups.
To learn the tools mentioned in this module, please consult the Tool Box section (Boîte à outils) of the website.
In the microprogram Diffuser, Module 1, “Choisir les outils technologiques pour soutenir la classe à distance,” you will find more information concerning the choice of a synchronous communication tool or the use of different videoconference tools.
Students engage with their learning at their own pace on their own time. The teacher provides material on an online platform (website, classroom TEAMS, Google Classroom, etc.) or by sending an e-mail to parents.
To learn the tools mentioned in this module, please consult the Tool Box section (Boîte à outils) of the website.
You may want to prepare short video clips (Adobe Spark Video, Screencast-o-Matic, Loom, Screencastify, etc.) to present content to students. Students then carry out tasks and can submit various products or prepare for a synchronous event.
To learn the tools mentioned in this module, please consult the Tool Box section (Boîte à outils) of the website.
Students work at their own pace and time for some activities and attend online meetings regularly with the teacher. Because of the limited time given to ESL in most schools, the hybrid model enables us to increase learning opportunities for our students. There should be a balance between synchronous and asynchronous events, since too much asynchronous content can end up overwhelming students and their families.
“During my synchronous English classes in Cycle 3, I appoint a student-assistant to help me manage the class. This student can tell me if there are problems or can take note of those who have raised their hands.”
Angela Botnaru-Lazari, ESL Teacher, CS Marie-Victorin
Tips for synchronous sessions
- Follow a similar structure every class.
- Start with short sessions and adjust according to the group.
- Divide your groups in half to ensure that all students participate (Cycle 1).
- Develop an online routine: rules, microphones and cameras on and off, participation, etc.
- Keep the visual cues on the screen to help students follow. Some videos of songs already offer the lyrics or focus on the important words of the story by showing corresponding images.
- Share your presentation or reference documents with your students so they can consult them at any time during the session, even when you are not using them.
In the microprogram Accompagner, Module 1, “Communiquer à distance avec ses élèves,” you’ll find some tips and successful teaching experiences concerning the first virtual meeting with a group.
Later on in this module, you will find some more resources on functional language related to the organization of an online class, including a pictogram model in English.
