5 Tips to Help Students Maximize E-learning
By: Robert Bugos
Owner of ACT/SAT Test Prep & Tutoring
www.acttestprepandtutoring.com
acttestprepandtutoring@gmail.com
Whether we like it or not, schools across the U.S. have shut their doors and moved classes online, some for the remainder of the academic year. Online classes can not replace the benefits of in-person social interaction and the personal attention students typically receive from their teachers. Unless homeschooling is an option for you and your child, learning to make the most of the current, digital educational environment is critical for ensuring students get everything they can out of this unusual school year. Below are five tips for helping students do just that.
- Find a tutor
As a tutor, I’ve talked with many students who have said e-learning makes it difficult for them to get the assistance and personal attention from teachers they normally would. More students than ever have turned to personal tutors to help them keep up with class work and prepare for their ACT, SAT, and PSAT tests. Unlike a classroom setting where teachers are lecturing anywhere from fifteen to thirty students at a time, tutors generally work one-on-one with students and tailor sessions to students’ individual needs. Tutors also help hold students accountable for homework and preparing for tests which can be difficult when students are primarily working from home.
- Create a schedule
As anyone that has ever worked from home knows, it can be difficult to stay focused and motivated. Home is traditionally where we relax, spend time with family, and sleep. Having home serve also as the office can make it difficult to stay motivated and not get distracted. Creating a schedule is one of the best ways to separate these activities. Maintaining the same sleep schedule students would normally have when going to school is important to maintain a sense of normalcy and consistency. Class time will be scheduled by teachers. After that, scheduling a consistent time everyday for students to complete homework and study for tests helps them stay focused.
- Limit distractions
Another challenge of working from home is the increased number of distractions that can take us out of our workflow. TV, video games, computers, and cellphones are all readily available and can be tempting when feeling unmotivated. In a classroom, these distractions are not present and teachers will tell students to put away their phones. It’s important to maintain a distraction free environment when working from home. If a student has trouble staying off of their phone, putting it into a different room or holding onto it until they’ve completed their work might be necessary to help them focus.
- Have a separate space for school and homework
This goes along with limiting distractions. Having a space separate from where students watch tv or play video games helps keep them focused. It also helps keep activities from blending together when they’re done is separate rooms or parts of the house. If a student has a desk in the basement, home office, or space in the kitchen to work, they will feel like they are in work mode and play mode when they are back in the space where their tv, video games, and other leisure activities are located.
- Make sure students are still socializing with friends and peers
Outside from the increased difficulties in learning, e-learning takes away the social interaction students normally get when they go to school and see their friends. Socializing is important for people of all ages, especially kids and teenages. Make sure students are finding safe ways to spend time with their friends. This can be with video calls online, playing video games online together, talking on the phone, or, if you’re comfortable with it, letting them hang out with a friend or two at a time. They can meet at a park or outdoor space to further lower risk involved. Social isolation can and will produce negative mental health effects. We all need to make sure we find ways to safely spend time with loved ones and friends.
Hopefully you find these tips helpful for getting students to make the most of e-learning. It’s new territory for everyone, but taking a few simple steps can dramatically help students succeed and feel like they haven’t missed a beat when they start going back to school again. If you are looking for a tutor to help your child with homework, preparing for tests, or preparing for their ACT, SAT, or PSAT tests, feel free to reach out either by sending me an email or through my website.
