As all educators know, the pandemic drastically changed education for millions of students and teachers for several years. Although normalcy in the schools has returned, the pandemic years have shown us how important it is to stay up to date on the newest educational strategies, techniques, and trends. An online instruction endorsement is one of the more popular endorsements that educators are completing.
Why an Online Instruction Endorsement is Beneficial for Any Teacher
This type of program will benefit any teacher, no matter what grade or content area in which you hold a certification. You may be back “in” your schools but partaking in an online instruction program will bring your teaching experience to another level.
Experience & Knowledge
There is a plethora of websites, applications, and materials on the internet. Finding what is right for your curriculum and students can be extremely overwhelming. Throughout an online instruction endorsement program, you will explore and analyze what works and might not work for you and your students.
Most textbooks have online versions with additional materials that can provide extra support to your students. There are excellent apps (free and paid) that you can download onto your students’ school computers that will help them with content, reading, writing, and other skills. An online endorsement course will expose you to what is out there that you may never have come across just by searching the internet yourself.
Additionally, many educators and school leaders are focusing their time on the theory of Universal Design of Learning (UDL). The idea of UDL is that you remove barriers and provide multiple means for students to engage in the content and show what they know in a way that is best for them. Becoming more adept to online education will give you more ways to interact with your students and ensure their learning needs are met.
Opportunities
Completing an online instruction endorsement can also give a teacher additional career opportunities. Your school administrators may ask you to provide professional development to your colleagues on what you have learned. Your school may decide to create their own cyber academy, and if so, you will be an excellent candidate.
Local and national universities are always searching for instructors for their online courses. Being a biology teacher and having an online endorsement can give you the advantage when applying to teach an online undergraduate biology course.
If cost of a program is hindering you from embarking on this endorsement, reach out to your principal or head of professional development. There are federal, state, and local grants that could pay for teachers to get this type of endorsement. Some schools may even already have it in their contracts that they will reimburse teachers for furthering their education.
Being Prepared
Another benefit of being trained in online instruction is that it will make you feel prepared. The pandemic created so much fear of the unknown for many people. We did not know if we were ever going to get back into the classrooms. We did not know what education was going to look like once we returned. Having this endorsement will prepare you if your school has to go virtual for any reason – whether a snow day, water main break, or even illnesses. Online instruction is not what it used to be. It is the way of the future and will be staying in the world of education for a very long time.
My Experience as a Cyber Charter School Educator
I had the opportunity before the pandemic to participate in an online instruction endorsement. I learned the many dos and do nots of online teaching. However, I truly did not know what to expect when I started teaching at a cyber charter school.
As an educator and mother during the pandemic, I was able to see what worked for my children and what did not with online instruction. I knew that this was a new adventure that I wanted to take from teaching in the “brick and mortar” world for almost 17 years and switching to the cyber world.
I was pleasantly surprised by all of the support I received from my fellow colleagues and supervisor. Everyone was ready to answer any questions about the challenges I faced as I started teaching there. They had trainings on the many applications and techniques that have worked best for them and explained how I could incorporate them into my lessons.
The absolute best part about online teacher jobs for a cyber charter school is that I can personalize my lessons for all of my students. The learning management system that we use is designed so that we can provide input in a variety of ways so that we are reaching all our students and using the foundational principles of UDL. Every child should have the opportunity to engage in the content in an equitable way. Cyber charter schools give this to all students so that they find success and become lifelong learners.
Interested in pursuing an endorsement? Explore our available programs and get started today!
