Teachers
Overview
Most quality online learning programs will point to their teachers as being the key to the success of their program. While there are similarities between online and traditional classroom teaching there are many differences as well. This section will help you better understand the role of the online teacher and what is required to prepare, recruit, and support your online teachers.
Role of Teacher: A fairly common misconception about online learning is that in the online environment the teacher is less important than in the classroom. While there are online learning courses that are intended to be “teacherless” (or with a reduced teacher role), in general teachers remain central to the learning process in the online virtual classroom. …more info
Teacher Preparation and Recruitment & Hiring: The recruitment of effective online teachers is a critical factor in the success of your online learning program. Since only a few states have formal requirements for an online teacher and few university teacher preparation programs provide in-depth training in online instruction, online teacher preparation often becomes part of the recruitment & hiring process. …more info
Professional Development: Ongoing professional development for your online teachers is another important factor in establishing a quality online learning program. Such professional development may include mentoring of online teachers, having your teachers participate in conferences and webinars, scheduling specific professional development days, and having your teachers take formal courses (both online and traditional) in topics related to online teaching. …more info
For a list of Professional Development Programs, please contact iNACOL.