We all know about how unexpected events can affect a learning environment. If there’s anything particularly good that came from the global pandemic, I would argue that it’s that we could adapt and overcome the barriers of not being able to participate in things as a society face-to-face. As someone who was in high school during the peak years of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to see firsthand some of the adaptations that teachers were making to ensure our education was still being delivered in a way that set us up for success. When it comes to making my lesson more accessible and adapted to something unexpected, I draw on some of these ideas. 

To make sure students would still be able to learn successfully, I would start by setting up an online collaborative platform for our class. Google Classroom was the first one that popped to my mind, but anything within that realm of cloud-based software would be my choice. In creating this, the students get the sense of a “classroom” remotely, where they can come together to collaborate and access resources. Keeping everything in one location is ideal in reducing stress and task management, especially in a situation where a teacher isn’t physically present at the learning location. 

I would adapt this specific lesson into an online interactive slideshow. This makes the activity self-paced, which allows learners to absorb the information at the pace that works best for them. I would set target timelines for the tasks to keep them on track, and schedule times to join video meetings with peers and the class as a whole to discuss the topics that they’re learning about. Breaking the students out into smaller groups virtually allows them to still get some connection and build friendships, while having a target task to work on. 

I would also assign each student to a specific breakout group within the virtual classroom, with collaborative resources so they can work on tasks as a team. The whiteboard feature is ideal for this, but Google Drive as a whole is an excellent resource for collaborative work. Having set times for the entire class to meet up online for questions and lectures is another way that I would adapt this lesson. I would also be available throughout the self-paced learning for students to reach out with questions or concerns. I think the whole idea behind this new adapted version of my lesson focuses a lot on the learner’s needs and supporting them in making decisions for themselves, while providing structure and direction where needed.

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts about adapting my lesson for a virtual class! Cheers,

– Sharidyn