Personalized Student Learning Plan

One of the main disadvantages of remote learning is that it can often feel impersonal and out of touch. And since keeping your students engaged will be harder without the personal connection that a classroom setting can foster, teachers are now looking for ways they can personalize learning for their students.

The following five steps will help you develop a personalized student learning plan that will keep your students engaged and accessible;

Step 1: Establish a Routine

When making the transition from in-classroom learning to remote learning, the first thing you should do is establish a routine that is as close to the old class schedule as before.

Create a fixed start time, a lesson plan that will change very little and set clear expectation. It is easy for students to become complacent when learning remotely therefore you can set up a few guidelines such as requiring them to dress for class, show up on time and even find a conformable place in the house to learn.

These guidelines will only be effective if you communicate with the students and their parents before remote learning begins. But while creating your schedule for the class, it is important to be mindful of the student's schedules as well. The remote classes don't need to be any longer than the in-person classes.

Step 2: Create a Welcome Video

You should also consider creating a short introductory video for each online class. The video can be simple and you will not need any fancy equipment to create the video. A screen flow video where you use slideshows and images as the video's content can also come in handy. A screen recording program like Wondershare DemoCreator can be very useful in this regard and since it allows you to add audio narration to the screen flow video, you can get as creative as you want with the welcome video.

When done correctly, these daily welcome videos can encourage the students to show up and stay for the entire class.

Step 3: Use Video to Keep the Connection Alive

When you use text or documents and shared screens, eventually the student may lose the connection with you and the course material. But videos offer a medium that will capture their interest and hold it for much longer.

When use screen casting tools like DemoCreator to create the videos you need to teach the course material, you have the opportunity to explain a complex idea without losing your audience. And you don't need much in terms of hardware to create the videos; your computer and access to the software is all you'll need. Once you've created the video, you can easily share it with your students, by simply sharing the link.

Video conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet can then be used to discuss the content on the videos. You can also collect all the questions the students have during the group video conferencing discussions and create a video to provide the answers or offer additional explanation.

Step 4: Give Your Students Breaks

It is just as important to include natural break into the remote learning experience. Students have traditionally needed breaks in between classes even in in-person classroom to facilitate socialization with their peers. To ensure that they will continue to engage with the classwork, schedule these breaks in online classes as well.

Even in pre-recorded video lessons, you can create a graphic to signal the break time. It may even be a good idea to encourage the students to go outside during the breaks.

Step 5: Occasionally Turn on Your Webcam

If you want to continue to engage with your students even during long video lectures, turn on the webcam and allow them to see and hear you speak. Or better yet, you could create videos that incorporate webcam footage.

Fortunately, DemoCreator allows you to create videos by recording the screen, audio and the webcam at the same time. This type of picture-in-picture type of video can be engaging and captivating, ensuring you will never lose your connection.

The one advantage that an in-person classroom has over remote learning is the opportunity for the students to socialize with one another. Student learn how to interact with their peers, a lesson that can be lacking in a remote learning environment. But with the above steps, you can create an environment where your students don't feel isolated and alone. By engaging with you even in an online environment, they can continue to hone their communication skills while still covering their course material.