Creating Virtual Learning Spaces

Many school districts across the United States made initial ‘return to learning’ plans under a hybrid model in the COVID19 era. Under a hybrid model, students attend school for in-person learning 2-3 times per week and complete e-learning activities on the other days. Now that the number of positive cases per day is on the rise and breaking previous record highs, many school divisions are amending their ‘return to learning’ plans and deciding to open schools virtually. 

In either scenario, school-aged children will need a learn from home space in their home that sets them up for success. In this post, I will share a few quick tips for creating a virtual learning space for your child.

Tip #1: Designate a space in the home for e-learning. 

The space should be bright and airy with good lighting. Most importantly, it should be distraction free. Select a space that is away from the television (or turn it off) and other potential noise disturbances. Since most learning activities will occur on an electronic device, it is a good idea to be in a space that has an electrical outlet nearby to recharge devices without disrupting learning. 

A quick disclaimer here is that children should have the flexibility to move around a bit as they work. This space doesn’t necessarily need a traditional desk and chair. You can be flexible with your selections. Maybe you will use a table and chair instead. Perhaps an oversized Bean Bag chair? A floor lap desk for kids? Whatever you decide, provide a space where children can work with real focus when the learning task is very demanding.  

Tip #2: Put essential materials in the space. 

In a traditional school setting, students have most of the materials they need in their desk, in a basket on the table, or in an organized storage drawer/cart nearby. The same thing should happen at home. The materials you put in this space depends on the age of the child but it’s a good idea to start with basic supplies such as pencils and paper. Dry erase markers and dry erase boards are excellent alternatives. They save tons of paper. Include items that children can use for brain breaks such as puzzles, coloring sheets, and other activity pages. 

In addition to basic supplies, consider adding a clock or timer for time management. Feel free to add other items/decor such as educational charts, maps, and manipulatives. Manipulatives are especially helpful for mathematics. Get a plastic bin and add in things such as counters, rulers, a hundreds chart, calculators, number lines, snapping cubes, base-10 blocks, and anything else that may be useful for mathematics instruction. The point is, make it feel like a learning space and enhance the space by including tools that may support instruction.

Tip #3: Set expectations. 

This tip is for kids who struggle with time and task management. After you have attended orientation and have an idea of what the synchronous (real-time learning) and asynchronous (independent learning activities) time commitments and expectations are, develop a list or flowchart of some kind that helps guide your child through the activities to be completed each day. This does not need to be complicated – keep it simple! 

After you and your child have created the task list together, set a realistic goal regarding how much of the tasks should be completed. These tasks can be broken down into shorter ‘’sprints’’ or time blocks throughout the day for younger children. Include the breaks within the list or chart. Be sure to have a reward system in place for reaching the goal and display both in the virtual learning space if possible. 

These are just a few suggestions to help get you started if this is all new to you. If you have other ideas on creating virtual learning spaces for elementary school-aged children, share them in the comments. I would love to hear from you!

~Dominique

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