E-Learning: Fight the Feelings of Being Overwhelmed

It sure has been a very different few weeks for teachers around the world. Not only are we all moving to a distance learning model, but we are now putting our own digital literacy skills to the test. By now, I am sure many are feeling overwhelmed and anxious over the length of task lists and abundance of resources to evaluate. Here are a few parameters to support you.

1. Prioritize your list. All teachers with a few years under their belt are used to having a “to-do” list that never seems to end. As well, we are used to having to go to sleep knowing that the list is waiting for us the next day. Now more than ever, prioritize what is REALLY important. Wrote down what you NEED to get done in the next three days both for your own professional learning and your students’ wellbeing. Place all of those other “items” on a separate “nice-to-do” list for when you have time. How do you decide what NEEDS to be done? Look back to your mandate, and remember that wellbeing comes first. Students, teachers and parents all need to be healthy before they can learn.
2. Choose one tool to be your go-to. Whether this is Zoom, Google Classroom, D2L, Adobe Connect, Skype, email or telephone, master this first before adding on more bells and whistles. Remember, communication is the first – and most important – step in fostering those healthy relationships. And one tool is all you need to send digital copies of tasks/assignments (However, if you are looking for a formal evaluation model, please click here).
3. Collaborate. If you are team teaching, try to find ways to work together. Now, more than ever, an interdisciplinary approach where we look for ways that one task can meet multiple objectives in different subject matters is vital. Can that Science task also qualify as an ELA writing assignment? Can the music score be used as a history research task or personal reflection on connection to self? Can an art task on totem poles be integrated into First Peoples’ Principles or Learning and Humanities outcomes?
4. Coordinate your efforts. Approach your delivery as a teaching team and school team approach, and try to find common ground on tools/resources. In other words, work smarter not harder. Does it really matter if it is Skype, Zoom or Google Meet? You personally might have a preference, but requiring multiple ways for students to communicate will add stress and anxiety on the learner that isn’t really necessary. Do you need to house everything in google folders to just be reposted in course shells or shared via email, or can building one common resource hub with a focus on student learning be developed? Share the hub with students so they all have one common place to go to find links. Use your teacher librarian. Plus, if you coordinate, you will not be navigating tech issues on your own because no one else is using the tool, and your tech support will be able to troubleshoot more efficiently.
5. Let the task determine the technology. From an instructional design perspective, this cannot be stressed enough. Design the task and then look for what you need to execute it. While everyone is trying to be helpful by sharing ideas/resources, put these on your “nice-to-do” list and save the emails so you know who to contact if you come across a lesson that may need a particular tool. Don’t let the tool determine the tasks, or you will get bogged down in trying to find “the right fit”.

Overall, take time to remind yourself and colleagues that you’ve got this – and you will grow leaps and bounds. Just remember what you tell your learners – one step at a time!