Writing is a complex skill that requires practice, feedback, and guidance. Teaching writing online can be challenging, especially when you must deal with technical issues, limited interaction and lack of motivation. However, there are some strategies that can help you conduct a successful writing lesson via Zoom and make the most of the online environment. Here are some tips to consider.
Plan ahead. Before the lesson, make sure you have a clear objective, a detailed outline, and a set of materials ready. You can use Zoom’s features such as screen sharing, whiteboard, and chat to present your content and engage your students. For example, you can share a PowerPoint presentation with some writing tips and examples, use the whiteboard to brainstorm ideas with your students, and use the chat to share some links or resources. You can also prepare some polls, quizzes, or games to check their understanding and keep them interested. For instance, you can use Kahoot to create some interactive quizzes on grammar or vocabulary or use Wordwall to create some fun games on writing genres or styles.
Set expectations. At the beginning of the lesson, explain the learning outcomes of the session. Establish some ground rules for participation, such as muting your microphone when not speaking, raising your hand to ask a question, or using the chat box for comments. You can also assign some roles to your students, such as note-taker, timekeeper, or moderator, to increase their involvement and responsibility. For example, you can ask the note-taker to summarize the main points of the lesson, the timekeeper to remind you of the time limit for each activity, and the moderator to facilitate the discussion and ask questions.
Provide scaffolding. Writing is a process that involves multiple stages, such as brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing. You can use Zoom’s breakout rooms to divide your students into small groups and assign them different tasks or prompts for each stage. You can also join each group and provide feedback and guidance as they work on their writing. For example, you can ask them to brainstorm some topics for a persuasive essay in one breakout room, draft their introduction in another breakout room, revise their body paragraphs in another breakout room, and edit their conclusion in another breakout room. Alternatively, you can use Google Docs or other online platforms to collaborate on writing projects and monitor their progress in real time. For example, you can create a shared document for each group and ask them to write their essay together using the comment function to give feedback to each other.
Encourage interaction. One of the challenges of online teaching is creating a sense of community and rapport among your students. You can use Zoom’s reactions and emojis to express your emotions and opinions during the lesson. You can also ask open-ended questions, elicit opinions and examples, and acknowledge your students’ contributions. For example, you can ask them how they feel about writing online, what they like or dislike about it, and what they have learned from it. You can also create some opportunities for peer feedback and discussion, such as using the comment function on Google Docs or sharing their writing samples on Padlet.
Reflect and evaluate. At the end of the lesson, ask your students to reflect on their learning experience and share their feedback. You can use Zoom’s survey or poll feature to collect their responses and suggestions for improvement. For example, you can ask them to rate their satisfaction with the lesson on a scale of 1 to 5, or to choose one word that describes how they feel about writing online. You can also ask them to complete a self-assessment or a portfolio of their writing work and submit it online. For example, you can ask them to fill out a rubric or a checklist to evaluate their own writing skills based on some criteria such as content, organization, language, and mechanics. You can also review your own teaching performance and identify your strengths and areas for development.
Teaching writing online can be rewarding if you use effective strategies and tools to support your students’ learning. By following these tips, you can conduct a successful writing lesson via Zoom and help your students improve their writing skills in a fun and engaging way.
Interested in becoming TEFL qualified? Check out our range of TEFL courses and start your own TEFL adventure!