- Instructor: ies
Course Provider: VHS Learning
| 225USD | Flexible | 10 Hours | Self-paced | Certificate available |
This module focuses on various learner needs in the online classroom. It provides strategies for supporting students and creating adaptations depending on their specific situations. It is suitable for teachers of students who struggled with the online transition.
Students learn in different ways, have different learning needs, and have unique ways of processing information. Better understanding *how* students learn helps us create a more effective learning environment and equal opportunities for all students. Understanding some basic principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can set the stage for success for the greatest number of students. In addition, approaches for differentiating instruction in an online classroom are often similar to approaches in face-to-face classrooms, as many accommodations for students are easily adapted for online delivery.
While this course touches upon accommodating students with education plans as part of the focus on meeting the varied needs of online learners, the course is designed to share best practices in supporting any students who experience challenges in learning in an online environment. The course will be most helpful for teacher supporting students who have demonstrated success in their face-to-face classes with or without accommodations and is not intended as professional development in the area of special education. Certain barriers are more challenging to overcome; those situations require the expertise of local special education staff and careful planning and communication with families.
This 10-hour module focuses on meeting the needs of a diverse classroom. Teachers will differentiate between the variety of learner needs likely to present themselves in their online classroom, determine appropriate accommodations based on their population of students, create make-up plans or support documents tailored to a specific student’s needs, identify essential stakeholders necessary to support student success in online classrooms, anticipate common barriers to online learning, and generate a bank of accommodations based on predicted student needs.
Important Notes: This module does not provide instruction for meeting the needs of students that require PT, OT, ABA, or services from an SLP, as there are a variety of tele-health options available for districts to review and evaluate.
This module does not focus on technology devices to support student learning for students with audio, visual, or physical limitations. For information about technology solutions to support students, we recommend you review guidance from your local department of education or office of special education.
This module is part of a series of professional learning opportunities focused on critical skills online teachers must develop. Teachers can enroll in one module or take the entire series. Courses are designed for middle and high school teachers or teachers teaching grades 7-12.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the webinar series, participants will be able to:
● Differentiate among a variety of learner needs in the online classroom
● Determine appropriate accommodations based on learner needs
● Develop a make-up plan tailored to a specific student need
● Identify essential stakeholders to help support student success
● Anticipate common barriers to online learning based on curricular expectations
● Generate a bank of accommodations based on predicted student needs
Course Commitment
● Fully Asynchronous
● 10 hours asynchronous study
Schedule
Flexible Schedule / Self-paced
VHS Learning (VHS, Inc.) is a nonprofit organization providing supplemental online classes and blended learning opportunities to middle and high school students, and professional development to educators. We partner with schools and districts to create programs in their schools and work directly with parents and students that want to enroll in our classes individually.
VHS Learning began as “Virtual High School” in 1996 as part of a technology grant from the Department of Education. In 2001, VHS, Inc. was established as a nonprofit. The organization has set the standard for quality online education. VHS Learning prepares students for college, careers, and life through supportive, instructor-led online and blended classroom experiences.
VHS Learning is accredited by Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), ACS Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and Cognia. We offer a catalog of 24 Advanced Placement® courses and all eligible VHS Learning courses are approved for initial eligibility by NCAA (VHS Learning is school code #221356).
Director
Xuan You
Xuan You is Director, Global Programs and Services. Xuan develops strategic international partnerships and manages a variety of high-profile projects to provide students and schools from more than 66 countries with collaborative and engaging learning opportunities. She works closely with administrators, teachers, and students from partner schools around the world in the U.S. and speaks and facilitates online education discussions at international education conferences.
Stacy Young
Stacy Young is the Associate Dean of Instruction at VHS Learning. She mentors and collaborates with the Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) team members to support VHS Learning teachers in their professional development. Key responsibilities include oversight of professional development courses, traing and supervision of teachers, supervision of the Faculty Advisors, coordination of teaching assignments, and Curriculum and Instruction program development as a member of the C&I Leadership Team. Stacy was formerly the Director of the Massachusetts Personalized Learning Network with the Center for Collaborative Education, and she brings fifteen years of classroom expeirence to this role. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Masters of Science in Teaching and Learning from the University of Southern Maine.
Rick Weinland
In June 2020, as we completed three months of pandemic-induced remote teaching, we anticipated needing to start the following school year virtually as well. We were looking for a professional development experience that would help our teachers build a shared set of beliefs and strategies connected to distance learning, while not overwhelming them. We chose the four-part “Effective Instructional Strategies for Online Classrooms” webinar for our entire faculty, and the team at VHS helped tailor this course to our particular schedule and context. The presentations were informative, and the readings and online discussions were effective in generating good discussion. Thank you VHS!
Ole Bernard (OB) Sealey
We used VHS learning to help coordinate our distance learning plan. We had a series of teacher “champions” take the 4 week courses and another group of “advocates” follow the webinar series. These teachers grew as practitioners and were able to put student and teacher voice into our plan. Each champion presented a section of their course and essential agreements around best practices within our school context were established. VHS were extremely helpful and flexible and this PD was exceptional value for money. <p class="LC20lb DKV0Md"></p>
