As virtual learning continues to be the primary way students in the U.S. are connecting with their teachers and classrooms during the pandemic, a new tool is now available to help parents and students navigate the new normal.
Make Virtual Learning Matter: How to Turn Virtual Classrooms into a Remarkable, Authentic Experience for Kids co-written by education expert Jacob Mnookin and virtual meeting expert Paul Axtell is packed with practical tips for making online learning a fulfilling, authentic, enriching experience that classrooms would be unable to replicate.
I had a chance a chance to interview the authors to learn more.
- Why can a shift in mindset make such a difference for struggling students?
Jacob: Many of us hoped and assumed that the virtual instruction that started in March 2020 would be short lived. In that way, if the virtual learning wasn't great (or even nonexistent) we were perhaps willing to write it off. But as virtual learning has continued into this new school year, we cannot write off this entire year. So first and foremost, we must each make a commitment to ourselves, as parents, that this school year, and the virtual learning that it entails, is important. Once we truly and deeply believe that, we can communicate that both explicitly and implicitly to our children. This can be an important lesson in and of itself for our children--life doesn't always work out the way that we hope it would. But we must persevere and make the most of a less than ideal situation.
Paul: Well, the simplest answer is that often we don’t have much control over the circumstances. We always have control over how we think about those circumstance—our mindset. One springboard is to notice when we are not looking forward to doing something—that is when it would be useful to reframe the activity we are dreading by viewing perhaps as: we’ve been through tougher times, it always turns out in the end, or as my mother said, “there will be days like this and it’s your job to get through those days."
- How can parents adapt school celebrations and rituals to a virtual or remote setting?
Jacob: Schools are usually very creative when it comes to celebrating students. For example, a school might allow for a five minute Attend-Dance dance party during morning meeting for those students who had perfect attendance the previous month. You could create similarly age-appropriate rituals for your child to help celebrate their successes throughout their time learning virtually. But not everything needs to be quite so elaborate. Perhaps you could identify a prominent place in your house where you can display child's work, and plan to do so in a grand way.
Paul: Written notes are important because they have a physical existence that endures and can be revisited.
- How can parents effectively teach their children to advocate for themselves?:
Jacob: To teach students to advocate for themselves, we must first teach them that not understanding something, or having a question, or needing help is not a sign of weakness or something to be embarrassed about. Rather, being self aware enough to know when you need support is an important life skill that will serve you well for the rest of your life. You can help illustrate this point by recounting a recent example of when yourself had to ask for help--either at work, or from a friend or relative. Once your child understands that it is admirable to ask for your help, you can work with the teacher to identify the best ways to do so virtually. The teacher may have virtual office hours that your child can sign up for. Or perhaps the teacher prefers for their students to email them to set up a separate time to Zoom. You can find out how your child's teacher wants kids to ask for help, and then support them to do so the next time they need it!
Paul: This is one of the essential ideas in being successful—asking for what you want. Effective people ask for what they want, less effective ask for what they think they can get which is what everyone else is asking for. The worst that can happen is getting a “no” which is also a part of life.
- Why is structure important for kids, regardless of the learning situation?
Jacob: Uncertainty can be particularly unsettling for kids, whose brains are working hard to make sense of a seemingly unending number of new stimuli. One way to help children navigate the world successfully is to provide structure. Creating structure helps children in a number of ways. It helps with their cognitive development; it helps with their ability to become increasingly independent; and it helps them manage unforeseen challenges in the future.
Paul: Goals don’t make things happen, systems or structures or routines do. Anything that takes struggle and effort to accomplish will not be accomplished on a regular basis. It’s not about will power, it’s about getting the structures in place for success.
- How can parents help children see how their school lessons apply to life?
Jacob: Oftentimes, the best way to help children understand how what they are learning in school can be applied more broadly is to actually show them! To do so, engage in a practical activity with your child that makes use of a recent learning objective. It could be Mad Libs when they're learning about parts of speech or a special experiment you plan for the weekend if they're learning about the scientific method. The reality is that everything our children are learning in school has some practical application. Sometimes it just takes some digging to figure out what it is!
Paul: Well, the truth is that sometimes they do not apply. The work to produce those school lessons is what leads to success. Talent if overrated in life. Attitude, preparation, and persistence will always apply. The mantra about following your passion also doesn’t always apply. Life is sometimes about noise—and we still need to be competent at getting it done.
Jacob Mnookin has 20 years of education experience and is currently the director of SchoolHouse, a home learning experience focused on personalized education for children in any environment. Paul Axtell provides consulting and personal effectiveness training to a wide variety of clients, from Fortune 500 companies and universities to nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
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