The
Trump Polarity continues to be a problem in online education. So, how do we
solve it? That’s a difficult question to answer, and even after some research
and brainstorming, the Trump Polarity remains. The perfect solution has yet to be
found. Yet there are some steps that can be taken to alleviate some of the
concerns experienced by both teachers and administration.
1. Revamp
curriculum design: Online
education companies need to make sure they hire competent curriculum designers
as well as trainers with the right experience and qualifications. Curriculum designers must have a strong instructional background and have experience in the education field.
2. Emphasize
class rigor: Many see online classes as an easy way out. For example, many
counselors and teachers place kids into online classes because they are viewed
as easy, a way for students who are struggling in face to face classrooms to
easily pass. Furthermore, students will
be placed into online classes that are advanced or AP, even if they are not
meant to be in that type of section. Emphasizing rigor can change this perception.
3. Make
pay incentive based in order to make salaries more competitive: The issue of salary remains in issue in education. Often times, teachers will quit their online teaching job because their salary isn't worth it; the time and energy they put into their work goes beyond what they're actually getting paid. Even if they do put that time that is needed in, they probably won't
work at that job for long. Provide teachers with fair pair for the
work load they have. Alternatively, salaries can be more competitive by offering particular incentives to
keep great teachers.
4. Provide
better training: Online teaching is not the same as face to face teaching. Many
teachers struggle with the transition, as do students. With that mind, training
is absolutely essential. Online education companies are beginning to see the importance of providing better training for their employees. After all, teachers play a major role in student achievement.
5. Provide
peer mentoring: It's important
to establish a positive culture - that is true in an actual school institution
as well as in an online school setting. Establishing a mentoring program might
provide some sort of community for teachers who start feeling burn out, hence
alleviating the "revolving door" of teachers. Simultaneously, this
mentoring program will also increase collaboration.
Quality, on-going training as well as peer mentoring seem to me like the biggest "bang-for-your-buck" solutions listed above. Maybe that's because I have benefitted the most from those two pieces in my position as a traditional classroom teacher.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie that on-going training and peer mentoring are important. Also, though, teacher pay is an issue that shouldn't be ignored. In the corporate training world (where I work), the pay is more reasonable than it is in K-12 and even many college-level teaching positions. School districts and states claim that they don't have the money to pay their teachers better, yet isn't teaching our kids the most important job that's being done in this country? I wish there was a way that our schools could get corporate sponsorships, and that the money that came in could be added to teachers' salaries. We'd have to make sure that the corporations didn't use this as a vehicle of undue influence, though. Bottom line: teachers deserve a lot more money and appreciation than they get.
ReplyDeleteI was happy to learn that hiring competent curriculum designers is of utmost importance in fixing the problem. Hopefully educational institutions will get that message!
ReplyDeleteIn the interview with John Adsit, he talks about the importance of considering how the design of the curriculum affects the workload for the teacher. Factoring the teacher in the overall picture is necessary to cultivate a prosperous working system. I feel like this is not part of the culture in brick and mortar public urban education right now, which is what contributes to the statistic of 50% of teacher leaving the profession within the first five years. Taking teacher retention into consideration in the overall plan, to me, is refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job and captured the key points very well. An effective curriculum is indeed critical, and it is surprising to me how few programs seem to see this need. If you go to national conferences, you will rarely see a presentation on the need to get highly skilled curriculum writers for online education. I know because I tried a couple of times to get such a proposal on the program at such conferences, and those proposals were never accepts.
ReplyDelete