Crowdsourced Tips for Online Learning

Over the last couple of months our whole country has transitioned to this new world of online learning, and gosh has it been an adjustment! Anyone else feel like they are floundering a bit?

The good news here is that we don’t have to be perfect. We are living in a pandemic, and just making it to the next day is more than enough! None of us have ever done this before, and there is so much grace as we figure this out. We are promised new mercies and the exact manna we need for this day.

But knowing all of that, we can still learn from each other! We asked our camp community for their best tips and tricks for online learning, and they delivered. So next time you need some advice or just to hear that we’re all in this together, flip through. This season won’t last forever, friends, but let’s look for the good while we’re here!

Daily Routines

• Make it a priority to move in between each lesson. You can bike, walk, do jumping jacks, jump on the trampoline, or just dance to a silly video!
• Set up a work station with charging cords, school supplies, and a waterbottle (wash, water, ‘screen y’all). When you’re in that station, you’re at school - it helps your brain know it’s time to work! One of our campers even lights a scented candle every time she starts work, so that she associates that scent with school - smart!
• Try taking a walk around the block as your daily “commute.” Sounds silly, but anything you can do to separate school and home is helpful, and it will get your brain revved up and ready for the day.
• Make check lists for everything, and set yourself up for wins by making the tasks small and manageable. Get up? Check. Make your bed? Check. And just keep the wins going!
• Figure out when your brain works best and schedule your class time for that part of the day. Maybe your teen needs to sleep in, but thrives in the evenings. Maybe your family are early birds, but would LOVE to take a break after lunch. You have at least some flexibility, so use it to tailor learning to YOUR people, and where they flourish.
• Manage your expectations. You and your family are probably not doing your best work ever right now, and that’s okay, and normal! Throw last year out the window. Stay attuned to how everyone is feeling, and let grace rule the day.

Using Technology

• Use apps to your advantage! Forest helps you stay off your phone and Egenda is a great way to stay organized and keep up with all that confusing schoolwork.
• If you’re feeling more forgetful than normal, you’re not alone! Try using Google Calendar or setting reminders on your phone for all those Zoom calls and class times. Slader.com is a great assistant for those homework questions you need help with. There’s no need to rely on your own brain - use technology to help you out.
• Staring at a computer all day can give you a headache. Try out blue light blocking glasses if you’re struggling!
• Sometimes you just need a break from your own family. Call up friends on Facetime and do your work side by side for some extra motivation and community. Google Meet is a great resource for online playdates and reunions. They get to see their friends and you get a break - it’s a win-win!

Fun Extras

• One camp family has an object that they hide every day for their kids to find - think the turtle at Trader Joes! Anything that you can do to give a bit of purpose to these days is a win.
• Camp mom Liza has a blog chock full of free art lessons for kids! No previous skills required, these are fun for all ages.
• These Virtual Field Trips come highly recommended for when you just need to “get out of the house!”
• At your wits end with study motivation? One of our counselors likes to pretend she is in the “serious studying” scene of a movie when she needs to buckle down. Such a fun twist!
• Get your kids involved! It can feel like a ton of pressure to be the teacher and cruise director and catering department to your whole house every day - phew. Ask your family what they want to do today. What sounds fun? How can you love on your neighbors? And have an open mind - after all, we have nothing but time. Everyone is a little more motivated when they have a part in the decision making.

What tips did we leave out? Let us know what has made your online learning adventures manageable - we’re all in this together!