What are the best tools for online teaching?

Online teaching is the new normal – at least for now. In this blog we discuss the best online teaching tools and techniques.

Author

Chloe

Published: April 23, 2020

It’s hard to overstate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on teaching and learning in the UK. At a moment’s notice, schools have faced the enormous challenge of helping parents to educate most of the nation’s children from home.

Here at Utility Rentals, we want to do everything we can to help, so we’ve put together a list of online teaching resources that teachers can use to help children learn at home.

Google Teach from Home

Google has launched Teach from Home, which it describes as “a temporary hub of information and tools to help teachers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.”

Teach from Home is the result of a partnership between Google for Education and UNESCO’s Institute for Information Technologies in Education. It aims to help teachers get started with distance learning: “for example, how to teach online, make lessons accessible to students, and collaborate with other educators.”

The resource also has a “teach remotely without video calls” section, given that some students will not have access to high-speed internet at home.

Independent Thinking

Popular education blog Independent Thinking has published this helpful infographic for teachers, explaining how to ensure learning continues while schools are closed:

Independent Thinking recommends that schools should consider remote learning only for students at Key Stage 2 and above. Younger children should be supported by equipping their parents with learning activities and resources, rather than through structured online lessons.

Developing Digital Leadership

The ISC Digital Strategy Group and Edtech UK have produced the Developing Digital Leadership Bulletin to offer practical advice to teachers faced with school closures. The resource includes first-hand testimony from teachers around the world who have experienced the challenges of moving lessons online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oak National Academy

A new Government-backed provider of lessons and learning resources Oak National Academy, has been created “by teachers for teachers”.

The online classroom is free for teachers and offers video lessons, quizzes and worksheets across a range of subjects. New content will be added every week.

Free Online Teaching Resources

There is a wealth of free online resources to help keep children engaged with learning. Do consider signposting children towards:

BBC Bitesize -short video clips and activities for children aged 3 and over with new content added every week

Sumdog -engaging and challenging maths and literacy games for children aged 4 to 11

British Council -online classroom resources to help children “explore different cultures, discuss international issues and carry out joint projects.”

Seneca Learning – tools for older children and teachers, including forms for teachers to create tests for students

Offline learning

Nobody is recommending that children spend all day in front of a screen, and teachers have an important role in encouraging offline learning at home during the COVID-19 crisis. As a starting point, Pobble has published a list of 25 learning activities that can be done at home without a screen.

We hope this overview of online teaching and learning support has been helpful to you. We’d like to say a huge thank you to every teacher reading this blog: you’re doing a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances.