TEACHING ENGLISH ONLINE: Ideas on How to Teach From Your

Backyard

Budi Hamuddin Lancang Kuning University

Teaching English

Teaching online shares similarities to the basic principles of teaching in the classroom

… but in Teaching Online, You can teach everywhere… including from your backyard

Teaching online is a little like gardening.

Like plants, students need a healthy and fertile environment if they are going to mature and thrive in their online courses

A good gardener- A Good Online Instructor

A good gardener will prepare the soil for planting early; sow the seed; nurture the seedling to maturity, then harvest the crop reflecting on a productive season.

A good online instructor will follow the same basic path: develop and structure the learning environment, introduce the material, encourage academic and intellectual growth, and finally, evaluate the effectiveness as he/she watches the students depart with an understanding and appreciation of the subject that will hopefully remain with them for a lifetime.

Preparing the Soil -Develop and Structure the Learning Environment

“It takes significant planning and preparation. The design of an online course can either facilitate or impede the learning process” Brewer, DeJonge, and Stout (2001)

Preparation of the syllabus enriches the soil, providing a fertile and prepared environment for learning to occur.

Preparation includes clear definitions of the following within the syllabus: contact methods, course objectives, attendance requirements, late work policies, the course schedule, orientation aids, grading scales and rubrics, communication practices, and technology policies.

Sow the Seed – Opening the

course This time of seed germination is a fragile period … disruptions or unnecessary interferences may set a tone that stifles learning during the remainder of the course

It is important to create an initial impression that will stimulate development of the learning community and nurture the students to maturity. Open the course by sending a welcoming email and announcement, initiating class-wide introductions, encouraging students to read the syllabus, and establishing a tone of excellence (Moore, Winograd and Lange :2001)

Nurture the Growth – Nurturing the Learning Community

The learning community, like a garden, must be

cultivated.

This cultivation occurs when an instructor provides ample communication, facilitates the discussion board, treats each student as an individual, adds emotion and belonging, responds quickly to questions, models required behavior, creates appropriately sized groups, and clearly outlines expectations for group activities.

Bischoff (2000)

Harvest— Plan For the Next Semester

Tiny seeds sown early in the season are actively growing and producing. At this stage, instructors should evaluate each student’s performance against course objectives

What worked well and what needs to be improved for next season? This can be accomplished by keeping a journal and by soliciting feedback on instruction and course content. (Moore, Winograd, and Lange : 2001)

Freedom.Security.

Happiness.More money.

Teaching English Online from your own backyard gives you

Mostly said …….#Online English teacher

FAQs

WHAT exactly are you going to teach? HOW are you going to teach it online? WHERE and HOW are you going to find

paying students for your teaching services? WHEN are you going to start teaching

online?

WHAT exactly are you going to teach? Preparation for formal English tests (IELTS,

TOEFL, TOEC) Business English English for Academic or Specific/Specialised

Purposes (ESP) to specific kinds of skills - most especially speaking and writing.

HOW are you going to teach it online?

There are many types of software that allow you to present materials when teaching online.

To avoid bottlenecks, or other technological limitations, you might want to choose a more simple solution. Eg; use Skype and send simple text documents to the students. In a worst case scenario, you can cut and paste text selections into the chat window when teaching online

WHERE and HOW are you going to find students?

Especially the paying studentsThere are millions of people all over the world, who want to know English, but they have to be found, and the Internet is the place to find them ..(Elizabeth Poetscha):

- Facebook, Youtube

- on-sell online teaching services / online "marketplaces" .. eg;  italki, Engo.net, English360, TheNova,

Tips Make a lot of teaching videos and upload them regularly to YouTube Participate in a variety of different forums where English language learners come for

help or advice Have a forum where free materials distribute, videos, comments etc. Have a Facebook page dedicated exclusively to online teaching business Have a blog regularly about English for language learners 

WHEN are you going to start teaching online?

NOW….!!!