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

Learning Environment

-Develop and Structure the

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 students 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)

Teaching English Online from your own

backyard gives you

Mostly said .#Online English teacher

Freedom.
Security.
Happiness.
More money

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?

WHATexactly 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.

HOWare 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

WHEREandHOWare you going to find

students?
Especially the paying students
There 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

WHENare you going to start

teaching online?

NOW.!!!