Making Asynchronous Learning Intentional

Many people are still confused or frustrated by the term "asynchronous" as it is essentially having students access information on digital learning platforms and hold them accountable for doing out-of-class assignments and independent work.

"We all know how hard that can be!"

In the classroom, educators often use independent work to focus their attention elsewhere, such as one-on-one activities or small group work. With distance learning, this does not have the same meaning attached to it as students do not see where the attention is being placed therefore making the assumption that asynchronous/ independent work has little value to them. Jumping on various applications and completing activities such as typing club are missing the connection between teacher and student. This is why we have to stray away from just assigning work on different platforms like the majority of our student's asynchronous time. We must be more intentional in the way we approach asynchronous assignments.

We can use these strategies to be more intentional with asynchronous work:

• Preview and review - Demonstrating thinking, Interactive Instructional videos

• Project-based learning

• Teach back

Preview and Review

The way to preview your lesson for the kids is by demonstrating the concept or skill that the student will need for that specific lesson. You can accomplish this by demonstrating the thinking process and creating interactive instructional videos. There are different ways this can be accomplished with extensions such as Screencastify and Nearpod student-paced lessons. We have to be intentional when creating review videos because viewing videos passively is not beneficial. Making these videos interactive and showing yourself in them helps bridge that gap of disconnect.

• Make sure to limit your videos time to no more than 10 minutes (even less for k-2nd)

• Make sure to highlight learning intentions (to make the most of your synchronous time)

• For interactive videos add 3-7 questions per video and use different strategies for questions like drawing responses, multiple-choice, matching, etc.)

Make sure you review with the students prior to students attending synchronous time by providing them with feedback. This can be done with tools like Kami where you can have an ongoing interactive PDF feedback form.

"It will be a process but if we keep at it, results will show, and flipping our classrooms can be the next step" Project-Based Learning Expertise is built with PBL when students apply knowledge systematically and in ways that are unique. These projects can cross over from synchronous and asynchronous instruction. For example, you can teach about the content as well as how to investigate and research in person whereas the actual research and writing or creating takes place independently. When utilizing PBL virtually here are some takeaways that you as an educator can provide.

• Develop hyper docs via google docs with datasets and readings the students can use for these projects

• Create hyper docs via google docs with helpful resources like websites where they can get accurate, grade-appropriate information

• Give students collaboration time to get feedback from their peers

• Provide guidelines to help students stay on track

Teach back This method was developed by nurses and provide students time to show their understanding of a concept. You can utilize Kami, Screencastify, Flipgrid, or even just a simple video recording of the student teaching the concept to you, a peer, a sibling, or a parent. This also helps make connections not only academically but personally. This is a valuable and motivating approach that brings the joy factor to learning. I always wanted to be "the teacher" as a student and this approach provides them with the opportunity to be heard. Asynchronous learning or independent learning has to be far more than just homework and task we have to be more intentional about our students' independent learning and we can make that happen through technology we can truly connect with all of our students.