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Distance Learning Students: Who are they?

Choosing appropriate learning activities and content is a key concept for educators who truly seek to help their students connect content and make it relevant for each person. Along those lines, there are various modes of learning, such as distance learning or online learning, which truly make you think about the types of students who would prefer this mode over another. Who are these virtual learners and why is that important?

Distance Education for All Ages

Distance learning can take place at any age level these days! A recent staffing solution lends itself to distance learning teachers providing lessons to brick and mortar students. How does it work? A virtual teacher prepares lessons according to state standards, logs into the portal, and teaches through a platform like Zoom or Google Meet. The students, on the other hand, sit neatly in their desks with 1-1 technology and a paraeducator to assist for in person issues. This may not be preferred for the students; however, it certainly bridges gaps in areas that cannot retain teachers or simply have a difficult time hiring new teachers. Not all K-12 students who have a distance course have chosen it which can be difficult. On the other end, many College age students specifically choose distance learning for personal reasons whether these students have jobs, families, or particular schedules that are difficult to work around. One of my first course at the University of Houston in Sugar Land was a "TVA" class. I honestly didn't know what that meant when I signed up for it but I knew it was on campus and I was certain it was the only time I could attend class (7:30 PM) given that I worked two different jobs at the time. When I arrived to class, I noticed there was no teacher present, the class only had about 5 students and there were two large TVs hanging on the wall. Right before class began, a University employee came in, turned on the TVs and adjusted the speakers. My first true distance learning experience was about to happen! My teacher, Dr. Hu, popped up on the screen and began discussing preparation for the state teaching exam. Since my experience in 2011, distance learning has expanded and become much more inclusive among college campuses as well as K-12 learning environments.

Educators Preparation for Distance Education

Educators, as always, have a long list of items to consider when preparing for instruction. From content and activities to specific learning outcomes, teachers prepare these items with the learners in mind. Why did the scholars in distance education courses sign up for them? Do they have family obligations that prevent them from attending a large in person university course? Are they "life-long learners" who simply cannot take time off of work to attend a traditional course? Is this simply the most convenient method of learning for students who struggle to learn in large groups that come with many 4 year Universities? All of these questions are pondered by teachers as we prepare lessons for our students. Distance Education is made possible by technology, and as we continue to make technological advances, educators must also "keep up" with the most efficient and effective ways to engage distance learners. Encouraging distance learners to have personal appropriate technology, such as a laptop or tablet, is a key component to success. This also enables teachers to assign notes, coursework, and activities via a LMS or other program, such as Desmos. Collaborative opportunities may be considered and planned accordingly. A huge consideration for distance learning also comes into play when thinking about the learning curve for the teacher when it comes to the technology required to engage in distance teaching. Fortunately, most schools have appropriate training programs and experts to help teachers feel best prepared!

Impacts of Distance Education

Because learners have a variety of educational modes to choose from, distance education continues to grow in popularity. The impacts of distance learning are many! Seasoned students who would not have been able to further their education via in person courses and young learners who would have been without a teacher in public schools now have access to important and valuable learning experiences with just a click of a button and a bit of diligence! Learning and growth opportunities are still on the rise and are even more attainable with distance education.

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Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Learning Experiences?

Artificial Intelligence or "AI" has been a major topic amongst many working professionals the last few years, especially in the field of Education. Some days, I love AI and want to use it to the fullest and other days, I find myself having conversations with other educators who swear against using AI and relying solely on themselves to complete tasks relating to teaching. So, which is actually better?

What can we do with AI in Education?

As I explore the various programs, applications, and articles out there about AI, my "teacher brain" starts to get some amazing ideas! I see the implications of using AI to create lesson plans, resources, and teaching materials thus saving valuable time in preparation for teachers. MagicSchool will not only create a plan for you, but resources which can be downloaded into Google Docs, Google Forms, or even PDF's if you choose. The problems are unique, tailored to the subject matter and learning targets are met with a simple prompt in the AI tool. I've even personally introduced some AI programs to my fellow co-workers for trial and although we have certainly pinpointed some major issues with AI as relating to math, such as generating reliable images for Geometry, the overall consensus is positive. We can create games, lesson plans, activities, and even portals for students to engage in AI tools which are monitored. An important reminder for teachers; however, is, that AI must be checked for accuracy! Education is ever evolving and now AI has put a new spin on all of the things we consider daily as teachers.

How are the students responding to AI?

If you were to ask a student in Middle or High School if they've used AI, most of them would likely mention Chat GPT or perhaps the AI tools in Canva. Students are aware that AI means Artificial Intelligence but they may or may not be keenly aware of their implications for use of AI tools. Some student are engaging in tutoring from AI technology versus meeting with a human tutor which keeps costs down and is seemingly just as accurate. Other students rely on AI tools to create slide shows. Just this year, I had a colleague that noticed some extremely high scores on a relatively difficult post assessment. Upon diving into open ended answers, it was clear that a handful of students generated answers with some type of AI. How do we know? The formula for sequences we taught was not used; rather, a more typical form of the sequence equation was entered in multiple times over. Upon speaking with students, they mentioned using "SnapXam" to help them out. Of course, this is against policy; however, we learned a lot about how students are responding to AI tools at their fingertips. This was certainly eye opening for me as I realized that we need to truly teach students how and when to use AI. It goes without saying that using materials on a test is not appropriate at any time; however, we had not spoken to students about such items in class previously. Students should be given guidelines for AI tool usage just like they have for behavior, homework, or tardiness to a class. Student AI use is not all negative; however, on the contrary, many students enjoy using Canva's AI tools to create amazing projects for their courses, explore collaborative tools with their peers, and incorporate their own level of authentic uniqueness into schoolwork.

What's next for AI in Education?

As AI continues to grow in popularity and expand in application, we must consider the goals we have set out for ourselves and students as it pertains to proper use of AI technology. The consideration that teachers can be replaced with AI is both a scary thought and one that seems to be pretty afar off; however, a simple consideration such as the number of job postings listed for teachers who are willing to train AI for math is a bit concerning. As AI includes new intelligences, educators are called to "keep up" and figure out appropriate and best uses so our students still gain new knowledge and insight from the coursework rather than rely on technology for answers. If we are properly trained as educators, we can properly train our students!

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Learning and Teaching Shifts: Before and After Covid-19

When someone mentions Covid-19, what pops into your mind first? For me, it is the memory of watching the news, discussing with my husband, and wondering if my Spring Break as a teacher would be extended. Surely enough, I didn't set foot inside of a brick and mortar school until the following school year. It really happened - Spring Break turned into Summer Break.

Who was impacted?

It is safe to say the entire world felt the impact from changes due to Covid-19. Everything was at a standstill, including face to face instruction. Students, teachers, administrators, and parents scrambled to figure out how learning would continue in what we all called "unprecedented" times. This really hits home for me, even now, because everything I thought I knew about education was suddenly different over night.

Technology refines virtual education

At the time, I worked at a top performing Middle School in an affluent district. Unlike many schools, we had the funds, time and people to make distance learning work but we'd never done it before. Challenge accepted! The rest of the school year was a bunch of trial and error scenarios, of course, with students at the forefront of our minds. My math team learned how to use Zoom to collaborate just like we did in person. It turned out that we could still be productive members of our PLC without being in the same room. The students joined me live a few times a week and adjusted to watching videos along with live sessions to learn math in a new way. We learned how to use Canvas together and how to use video recordings, whiteboarding tools and voice recordings to show learning and growth. Many of the students missed their classmates, teachers, sports, and other campus activities but there was a special group of students who told me that they really enjoyed virtual learning. That group of students had me wondering how education would continue to evolve further with the use of technology now at hand.

Will virtual schools stick around?

When school resumed, I resigned from my face to face teaching job and took a virtual position at a brand new virtual school. There was no denying that learning loss occurred during Covid-19 instruction but both myself and the students were much better prepared for what it takes to learn and teach online. The anxiety of the day to day virtual structure was gone and the focus back on learning mathematics. Virtual learning had become a new type of normal for many students and families.

As a lifelong learner, my goals always include finding new digital tools and relevant teaching material to relate to my students. Each school year, I am able to implement new digital manipulatives, assess students with unique virtual tools, and learn more about up and coming programs that can make learning online fun and rewarding for my students.

Most states now have several online public schools to choose from that are equipped with teachers who are experienced with their technology tools and students who are comfortable learning online.

What's next?

In 2024, I still meet new students each year at my virtual school. Students still come with gaps, progress still takes time, and nothing is perfect. One thing that is constant, though, is that the use of our technology tools has positively impacted learners year after year. As developers continue making new applications, learning platforms and AI continues to improve, virtual education experiences will continue to grow and change learning experiences for our students.

Tell me what your Covid-19 experience was like by voting in the poll below!