Icons / Arrow / Navigation Created with Sketch. Icons / Basic Training Created with Sketch. Icons / Calendar Created with Sketch. Icons / Clock Created with Sketch. Icons / Close Created with Sketch. Icons / Comments Created with Sketch. Icons / Contacts Created with Sketch. Icon Created with Sketch. Icons / Social / Instagram Created with Sketch. Icons / Social / Linkedin Created with Sketch. Icons / Location Created with Sketch. Icon Created with Sketch. Group 6 Created with Sketch. Icons / Basic Training Created with Sketch. Icons / Social / Twitter Created with Sketch. Icons / Social / Youtube Created with Sketch.

Less is More with Distance Learning: Customize Your StudySync Lessons

By Catlin Tucker

As teachers navigate distance learning, many are questioning how much work to assign each week. They do not want to overwhelm students with work, but they want them to continue making progress while learning remotely. In our current situation, I suggest that teachers embrace a less is more approach to designing their online lessons.

One benefit of online learning is the flexibility it affords teachers and their students.”

Each activity or task we assign online is likely to take students longer than we think. Consider a class discussion-- A real-time conversation about a text or an Access Prior Knowledge activity from a First Read lesson might take 10-15 minutes to complete in class. However, if you shift the conversation or activity online, it will take substantially longer for students to do. If they are responding to an online discussion question or sharing what they know about a topic, they need time to process the question, type a response, read the answers posted by their peers and reply to a couple of their classmates. That could take anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on the student, the depth of their response, or their keyboarding skills.

One benefit of online learning is the flexibility it affords teachers and their students. Embrace that flexibility when you are designing your StudySync lessons by customizing your lessons.

StudySync makes it easy to select the exact parts of a lesson that you want to assign.

Customize a Lesson

Here are four steps to customize a StudySync lesson:

  1. Go to the instructional path of the unit you are currently working on. Select the assignment (First Read, Close Read, Skill, etc.) you want students to work on and click “Assign.”
  2. Click the “Customize” button.

3. Individually select the parts of the lesson that you want students to have access to or complete.

4. When assigning a First Read or Close Read, consider limiting the number of Think Questions students must respond to or how many Reading Comprehension quiz questions you ask.

Teachers can also use these customizable features in StudySync to differentiate assignments for students at different skill levels or language proficiencies. Teachers may want to make features, like the audio voice over and language summaries, available to students who need more support. Conversely, teachers may assign more challenging Think Questions or an additional writing task to academically strong students. Customizing assignments within StudySync allows teachers to design their lessons and assignments with intention and avoid overloading students with work.

Find remote learning resources designed to support StudySync teachers here. Looking for product support? Contact implemenation@studysync.com to reach your regional specialist. Questions for Catlin? Reach out to her on Twitter @Catlin_Tucker!

This blog is part of the series: Tips on Using StudySync Remotely with Catlin Tucker