Extra! Extra! E-Learn All About It!

Ontario's e-learning strategy is to provide Ontario school boards, teachers and students with tools and resources they need and can use to support learning and instruction.

The learning strategy can be found on the ministry's website. It has 4 technological components: Learning Management Systems (LMS), Ontario Education Resource Bank (OERB), E-Community Ontario, and the Seat Reservation System (SRS).

• Essentially the LMS is the virtual classroom. Teachers post the instruction tools (power points, videos, discussion questions, assignments, rubrics etc) to the LMS and students work through the units and lessons. 
• The OERB is a great resource for teachers and students. Teachers can search lesson plans for different concepts and units. Students can login and find different resources as well. 
• The E-Community allows teachers all across Ontario to have a place for discussion, collaboration, and resource sharing. 
• The SRS allows for school boards to search available spots in E-Learning courses within other school boards. The SRS is something that I was unaware of. I think it's excellent that boards are communicating with each other and allowing students to find open spots within other boards.

E-Learning Opportunities has been extremely beneficial for students and help meet a variety of needs. For example, it helps students who cannot be in the physical classroom. 

• Students who need to take summer school courses, but also need to work and can't be in the physical classroom can take E-Learning courses and still get their credits for graduation. 
• Students who wish to move levels applied to academic but spaces in the physical classrooms are full.  E- Learning allows them the opportunity to take these courses online 
• Student's who have been unsuccessful in the physical classroom and in alternative programs may find success in an E-Learning environment. 
• In addition, it helps with the differentiation of student learning as students can move at their own pace. If they need more time reviewing a concept, they have it. If they are confident in understanding a concept they can move past it.

That being said, E-Learning is certainly not for every student (as indicated in the photo on the right). I think what makes it so great is that it's an option for students to try.

• It's an alternative for students who are not as successful in the "regular" classroom. Not all students can learn from a device without having true access to the teacher. Not all students have the executive functioning skills to plan their time accordingly, complete modules and assignments by due dates. Some students might need physical prompts from teachers within the classroom that are not available in E-Learning Environments. 
• Additionally, it's an equity issue when we make it required for all students. When it's mandated that they must take an online course, students who don't have internet access cannot be expected to complete the work, students without computers of their own can't be expected to complete the work. 

The beauty of e-learning being an option is that students can choose to take the courses if they believe they will benefit not because they are being told to try it. 

I think where we see the most significant successes in the classroom are the blending learning opportunities that things like Google Classroom provide. Students have access to the teacher and their materials. 

• Similar to an e-learning environment, teachers can post lesson materials for students to either review or catch up on if they are away for a lesson.
• Teachers can post reminders of due dates electronically. while also having visuals in the classroom and verbal reminders/check-ins for students to follow. 
• Teachers can post assignments and check in on student progress both by looking at a student's works and by having the face-to-face interactions
• Simply survey a classroom during a work period: some students will ask questions without teacher prompting but often times the students who need help don't ask for it. However,  when the teacher walks by, does a verbal check-in and asks to review their work, the questions start flowing and they get the help they need because of that face-to-face check-in.