Digital Tools: Opening my eyes to online learning

I am now entering week 10 of online learning, and it has been a pivot. I decided to lean into the pivot and use these weeks as an opportunity to explore. In my explorations, I came across Dr. Theresa Wills. She is a professor from George Mason University and has been teaching math online for years. I forget how I found her, but she has opened my eyes to what is possible. Since she has been teaching online for years, her strategies are very well developed and the free daily PD she offers allows anyone to learn from her. I sat and watched many of her recordings and learned the following:

• Teaching is a skill you develop over time and with practice. Teaching online means applying the skills I have developed but in a new medium. I have to now practice these tools, giving myself the time and play to learn them. I can't expect to be good at this unless I practice. 
• There are so many other people who have been doing this for a while and doing it well. There are benefits to this method of learning that I can learn and help my students, now and in the future, if we go back to class. 
• The online teaching community is supportive and caring. I have taken two of Dr. Wills PD sessions and all the teachers I have been grouped with make me feel supported and help me where I am at. 

I recommend that anyone who is teaching online to explore what Dr. Theresa Wills is doing to develop community and collaborative learning in her classes by using Google Slides.

This is the video that hooked me. I hope that it hooks you.