1. They Understand the Difference in Medium

Effective online tutors understand the difference in teaching online vs. teaching face to face. They know how to give online tasks, realize the difference between synchronous and asynchronous platforms and design good activities to teach the subject. The most effective tutors have also taken online courses themselves to experience firsthand the difficulties faced by students and to mould the course according to the student’s needs.

2. They understand their role

Online tutoring is of various types, the three most common types an online teacher provides services is as an assessor, a coach subject or an expert. An online tutor may provide all these services or he could focus and develop a specialty in any one area. It is important to make this distinction clear before you start.

3. They communicate

Effective online tutors effectively communicate with their students and encourage open dialogue. They make the form of communication clear, experiment with different forms of online communication and use various online communication tools such as Skype, discussion forums, emails, internet messaging, recorded lectures and pod casts to see which one works best.

4. They are experts in their niche

This one is self evident. Even if you are an expert at technology but are not good at your own subject you will not succeed. Online tutors put in the time where it will pay them the most; in constantly learning and upgrading their knowledge in their own field.

5. They build up their pedagogical knowledge

We all know of people who are experts in their field, but are hopeless at teaching it to others. Online tutors need to not only know their subject, but also how to plan out lessons and use strategies to keep the students involved and interested.They are also aware of different stages learners go through to meet the challenges of online communication and understand the concept of scaffolding.

6. They do not try to reinvent the wheel

They do not try to do everything from scratch or everything on their own, even though online tutoring is a relatively new field, a lot of the things have already been done and there are many set structures and techniques that tutors can employ to enhance productivity and function effectively.

7. They make the effort to network

Online tutoring can be a lonely business; the best tutors make the effort to network, to connect with other online tutors and share tips, tricks and strategies to get better at their game.

This is an exciting new field that has great room for growth and for experimentation. If you have the necessary expertise in a certain area you should consider online tutoring to promote your activities.

Career Options for Certified Teachers

You can get an online teaching certificate and become highly qualified under NCLB (No Child Left Behind) law. According to this law, all professional teachers need to be certified in their subject areas. Through an online degree program, you can earn the preferred teaching certification even while working in an educational institute. If you have an Online Master’s Degree you can earn a high salary based on the policies specific for the state. Some career options for certified teachers and education majors include:

• Elementary school teacher
• Middle school teacher
• High school teacher
• School principal
• Reading specialist
• Private tutor
• Adult education specialist

Online Teaching Certification

• Post-Bachelor’s Online Teaching Certificate is offered to those who have a Bachelor’s degree and want to get state teacher certification at the elementary or secondary level. After this certification program they can earn an online Master’s Degree in Teaching (MS in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum: Teacher Certification Track).
• Online Graduate Intern Teaching Certificate is similar to Post-Bachelor’s Teaching Certificate which is meant for those who want to change their career from other fields to teaching and want to serve as temporary, emergency or substitute teachers.
• TESL Certificate is an add-on certificate for licensed teachers. If they already have a K-12 teaching certificate. They can even become instructors of English as a Second Language.
• Certificate of Graduate Study in Mathematics, Learning and Teaching is also an add-on certificate which enables students to gain the skills needed for problem-based, student-centered, technology-intensive instruction.
• The Advanced Teaching/Curriculum Certificate program (ATCC) helps teachers to gain advanced knowledge in areas like effective instruction, curriculum and assessment.
• The Special Education Certification program can help teachers as well as other professionals to gain skills as well as knowledge required to cater to the needs of school dropouts or those with various kinds of disabilities.
• The Supervisor of Special Education Certification program is offered for those who already have Teaching Certificate with a minimum of five years of teaching experience in special education or a related field.

Therefore, if you are interested in becoming a teacher, you can pursue a variety of online degree programs as well as online teaching certificates which can help you to specialize in niche areas.

Top Helpful Websites for Online Teachers

The following websites are loaded with helpful information that teachers can use:

1. BBC Learning English teaches grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, and also tests you on your grammar skills. You can learn how to teach English to other students as well.
2. Learn English Free Online caters to the needs of EFL/ESL learners and teachers. This website helps you to learn vocabulary and provides good tips to learn English.
3. New Teacher Survival Central is powered by Discovery Education and offers a whole lot of resources especially for new teachers to help them become effective online teachers.
4. Learn NC is offered by the UNC School of Education. This site helps you in various techniques ranging from classroom management techniques to projects and collections. Though the website caters specifically to the needs of teachers in North Carolina, it has a lot of information which can be useful to teachers in other states as well.
5. Survival Guide for New Teachers is an online handbook published specifically by the US Department of Education which caters to the needs of teachers who are entering the field of online teaching.
6. Discipline Help: You Can Handle Them All Discusses different types of student behaviors, the result of such behaviors, ways to handle them, motivate them and how to help them deal with new situations and environment.
7. Creative Teaching offers a vast array of information as well as plenty of ideas which can be easily implemented in the classroom.
8. Scholastic Teachers offers a lot of teaching resources as well as activities for students as well as references on books and authors.
9. National Geographic Education helps you to get various resources and programs and offers a lot of resources to students as well.
10. The Power of Educational Technology is a useful blog focusing on real-life applications of technology in the classroom. It also offers a lot valuable advice as well as insight.

These are a host of helpful websites which teachers can use to get teaching ideas and tips to understand and effectively manage children of various age groups. If you know of more such helpful websites for online teachers, don’t forget to share them with us & your fellow blog readers .

Creativity can Prevent Cheating in Online Exams

Students are very creative when it comes to cheating. Online teachers are still behind in some of the strategies used to cheat in their classrooms. This is what makes cheating so easy. In order for online instructors to beat students at their own game they will have to be just as creative.

Preventing Cheating in an Online Classroom

A good online exam is one that is created to test students’ knowledge and to prevent students from cheating. When exams are designed in such a way, it is extremely difficult for students to cheat whether online or on campus. So online teachers need to be just as creative when designing exams and always keep students guessing which test taking strategy they will be using for each test. Staying one step ahead of students is the key to eliminating cheating online.

Here is why online examinations may not be an easy job for cheaters:

• Each exam may have questions place in different orders.
• Exams and quizzes may have set time limits.
• Online exams are designed in such a way that it is difficult for others to have access to.
• Each question may be different.
• Test taking location is assigned to each student in their hometown.
• Each student may have different test taking schedules.

Cheating in online examinations may not be an easy job for Cheaters, but it is definitely not Impossible to do so.

1. Google Docs

Google Docs will revolutionize online education. You can share assignments as a view only files to your class. Students can make a copy of a file so they can make notes of the directions. Google Docs allow educators to share documents from anywhere in the world. It also teaches students organizational skills. Students make folders to keep their assignments in with most important folder being the folder students used to share assignments with their teacher. The great thing about Google Docs is all its uses are just being discovered teachers and student always finding new ways to use it. Google Docs will eliminate the pencil.

2. iTunes U

iTunes U is extremely powerful distribution system for anything educational, lectures, lessons, film, audio books, labs, or language lessons. It is a very innovative way to put content in the hands and heads of students. It could also change education as we know it. Image if the best lectures of professors were filmed and saved then distributed to a class at the beginning of the year and you will quickly understand how this could revolutionize education.

3. Microsoft Office Online Free Templates

Microsoft Office Online Free templates are very useful and after shelling out so much for it shouldn’t you get something for free? There are so many temples for everything that teacher or even a school would need that it would be impossible for me to list them. Just log on and explore.

4. Ebay Store

The Ebay Teacher Resource Source has a lot to offer and a variety of teaching supplies that teacher are able to utilize. It also has prompt and professional customer service and the best in educational supplies. Shopping there will make your classroom a fabulous place to teach.

5. PBS Teachers

PBS Teachers has decade’s worth on material for teachers. Become a PBS teach and save resources online, talk to other teachers, communicate with your local PBS station. One of the great features is the price; FREE!

6. NASA Education

Nasa’s travel through space and the knowledge gained by their missions can benefit your classroom log on and open your horizons.

7. BBC Learning

BBC learning has whiteboard games, pictures, assignments lessons and activities all on its page. Include thousands of video clips from BBC programs and will understand why it made the list.

8. Free.ed.gov

Free educational for educational excellence Teaching and learning resources from the federal government
Excellent and free educational resources brought to you by Uncle Sam. Get some of your tax value back teachers

9. MIT OpenCourseWare

Free online course material from the world’s leading engineering university the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, do I need to say more?

10.JPL EDUCATION

JPL EDUCATION brought to you by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena has free science and math resources for teachers of K-12 education. Check it out.

Teaching online is completely different from teaching in a traditional classroom setup. To attain success in the field of online teaching, you need to show plenty of discipline and employ wide variety of teaching methodologies. Find below top 10 tips about teaching online.

Communicating with your Students

To start with, make sure that you go to the course site on a regular basis. By doing this, you will be able to communicate with the students in a much better way. More importantly, you can take the best out of notice boards and technology.

Developing Course Community Online

As an online teacher, it is your responsibility to develop a supportive online course community. Teaching online is all about designing a comprehensive syllabus that gives students an opportunity to learn all the important topics related to their area of expertise.

Setting Realistic Goals for Students

In the beginning of the semester, tell your students what your expectations are with them. This will give your students a much needed confidence and they will be able to attain the goal that was set by you.

Be Available for your Students

As an online teacher, be ready to help out your students all the time. This is applicable even after the class is over. In an online environment, there is not much scope of personal interaction between students and teachers and therefore there is a strong possibility that students may require your help even after the completion of class.

Be Tech Savvy

You can only succeed in an online environment when you have a proper understanding of all the latest technologies. With classes being conducted through internet, make sure that you have a thorough knowledge of all the latest software that is going to be used as a teaching methodology.

Using Asynchronous Activities = Success in Online Environment

Rather than just focusing on synchronous activities, it is quite important that you also use asynchronous activities. This will give you a much better chance of succeeding in an online environment.

Taking Regular Feedback From Students

Best online teachers take the feedback of their students on a regular basis. When this is the case, you will be able to work on your weaknesses in a much better way. This is extremely important in an online environment because if you have any weaknesses, it can have a negative impact on the whole class.

Evaluating Performance of Students

Online teachers are given an added responsibility of evaluating the performance of all the students. This can turn out to be quite advantageous for students who are not feeling comfortable in an online environment and does not have a clue of how to manage their studies.

Aware of Latest Happening in Online Teaching Environment

Regarding practical training, online teachers need to have a one on one discussion with the industry experts.

Online Teacher – A Resource and an Important Aid

Working as an online teacher, you need to help out students in a project completion. This is quite important as students might need more time & attention for completing the projects. An Online Teacher being a tech savvy person should help her students in every possible way, paving way to their success. ]]> http://www.onlineedublog.com/top-10-tips-online-teaching/feed/ 5 http://www.onlineedublog.com/online-teaching/ http://www.onlineedublog.com/online-teaching/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 10:24:27 +0000 admin http://www.onlineedublog.com/?p=502

If you want to make a career in the field of online teaching, it is quite important that you get a right kind of training. As online teaching is completely different from other forms of teaching, you must know about all the intricacies that are associated with it.

How Online Teaching Is Different From Other Forms Of Teaching?

When teaching in an online environment, you need to have a thorough knowledge of computer and all the latest software as online classes is conducted through internet. In online classes, there is no personal interaction between teachers and the students. Therefore, the task of teaching for online degree is lot tougher.

To make sure that students understand things properly, online teachers need to repeat things two or three times in online classes. This is totally different from a traditional classroom setup where after finishing the lecture, teacher will ask whole class if there is any confusion in the mind of students regarding lecture. If there are no queries from students, teacher will move on to next topic. Online teachers need to evaluate the progress chart of every student on a regular basis. This is not the case in a traditional classroom setup where the main job of teachers is to complete the syllabus on a preset time so that students are ready for their final examination. Still if you are not happy with teaching methodologies, you can request for another teacher.

Academic Qualification

To make your mark in the field of online teaching, you need to be academically qualified. Masters or PhD degree in subject you are interested in teaching is an absolute must. Further, you must possess certificate in teaching. To get entry level job in the field of teaching, make sure that you earn degree from an accredited university.

Experience

You will only be able to attain success in the field of teaching through Online Education when you gain experience. As your work experience increases, you will start feeling comfortable in your skills. More importantly, you will get an idea of which teaching methodologies are working for you and how you can improve your teaching methodologies. When teaching in an online environment, you need to be innovative rather than just following the conventional routines. Do not copy teaching routines of other teachers because if a particular teaching methodology is proving successful for one teacher, it does not mean that it is going to be successful for you as well.

Interact with your students regularly because they are the one who will give you a clear idea of your strengths and weaknesses. There are number of online teachers who do not like a feedback of their students with regard to teaching methodologies. If you are one of those, get rid of this habit because it can have a negative impact on your career. The average salary of online teachers is normally less than teachers that are teaching in traditional colleges and universities but with more and more students now opting for online education, this situation is going to improve in the coming years. ]]> http://www.onlineedublog.com/online-teaching/feed/ 2