Online Teacher Tools, Roles, and Responsibilities

  • Due No due date
  • Points 7
  • Questions 7
  • Time Limit None
  • Allowed Attempts Unlimited

Instructions

Study

Your Online Teacher Tools

As an online teacher, you mainly use three tools:

  1. Canvas — This is the learning tool that most resembles the face-to-face classroom. The online course, its content and activities are located here. It is used as a platform where students will interact with course content, the teacher, and each other. A good deal of your time as a teacher will be spent using this tool.
  2. A videoconferencing tool (Zoom, Google Hangouts, BigBlueButton, etc.) — This tool will be used to hold live classes over the internet. You will use this tool at least once a week, unless your local area is holding the gathering in person.
  3. The Worldwide Institute and Seminary Enrollment (WISE) tool  — This is Seminaries and Institutes' student information system. You will use WISE to do the following:
    1. Access your class's demographic and contact information
    2. Send messages to your class
    3. Report students' attendance and check their reading

You may not know what these tools are or how to use them at this point, and that is normal. You will be taught how to use each tool in more detail later in the course.

Your Online Teacher Roles

You have two primary roles:

  1. Facilitator — Online teachers help administer the online course's content, activities, and remote gathering learning experience. This is done through Canvas and through the videoconferencing tool used in your area (Zoom, Google Hangouts, BigBlueButton, etc.)
  2. Minister — Online teachers help students achieve course outcomes and guide them through the learning experience. They also assist in answering course and gospel questions, offer insights, and help students develop Christlike attitudes and behaviors.

Your Online Teacher Responsibilities

The following table lists the specific responsibilities of an online teacher. They have been grouped by facilitator and minister responsibilities.

Table 1. Table lists the two roles of the online teacher and the responsibilities associated with each role.

Facilitator

Minister

The facilitator role involves the administrative and technical tasks in administering an effective learning experience. Here are some of the responsibilities included in this role:

  • Follow the Guidelines for Successful Online Teachers. (You will learn about these guidelines later in this training course.)
  • Support learners to become successful in online learning environments by
    • communicating regularly with students, 
    • establishing course expectations,
    • communicating course patterns to learners at the beginning of class (i.e., how the class is setup to run module to module, regular activities, due dates, etc.), and 
    • maintaining an active teacher presence in the online course.
  • Create an environment where learners feel safe, supported, and that their contributions are valued.
  • Manage the operations, information, and reports of the online class by
    • maintaining WISE class information: student attendance and student reading, and
    • communicating with parents and priesthood leaders.
  • Attend or participate in regular professional development or in-service training meetings.

The minister role involves making and building appropriate relationships with students to guide them through the course as they develop more Christlike attitudes and behaviors. Here are some of the responsibilities included in this role:

  • Know each learner’s name, circumstances, and learning needs. 
  • Coach learners in developing scripture study skills. 
  • Explain, share, and testify of gospel doctrines and principles. 
  • Invite learners to share their feelings, experiences, and testimony. 
  • Connect gospel principles to Jesus Christ and emphasize His example. 
  • Prepare yourself by diligently studying the scriptures and teachings of modern prophets. 
  • Practice developing the learners' ability to discuss gospel beliefs with others.

 Review Activity

As you prepare for this activity, consider the following:

  • Be ready to identify tasks that are not an online teacher's responsibility.
  • Be ready to discriminate between the facilitator and minister online teacher roles.

This review should take no more than two minutes. When you are finished, be sure to check your responses. Feedback has been given for each quiz question that will help to further define a facilitator and minister.

When you are ready, click "Take the Quiz." Once you do, you will be able to see the content of this page. This has been done so you can reference the content while you take the quiz. Scroll down to see the questions.

Only registered, enrolled users can take graded quizzes