Welcome!
If you are new to teaching online, or even if you're not so new and would like to find some resources you may not have known about before, welcome to this information page! We at Ashford University well understand the challenge of initially adjusting to teaching online! Don't worry -- it will quickly become second nature with a little support. The first thing we want to share is probably the most obvious: A great way to find resources is with a quick web search. You might try searching "resources for teachers covid," for example -- click here to do that search now.
For information of use to those of you also dealing with kids at home out of school, scroll down the page for some useful links. You will also find some resources we’ve found to advise and support you personally.
To start things off, here is a short video from Quality Matters that provides a checklist to be sure you are ready to teach online when it's new to you:
Online education resources by category
Social Media Groups
Blogs/Articles
Canvas/Instructure: Our Commitment to you During Coronavirus
KQED: Resources for Teaching and Learning During this Time of Social Distancing
Inside Higher Education: Practical Advice for Instructors Faced with Abrupt Move to Online Teaching
25 Great Online Education Tools
How KU Faculty are Preparing for a Switch to Online
Yahoo Finance: A Guide to Working from Home
Department of Education: COVID-19 Information and Resources for Schools
EdSurge: How to Design Courses that are Full of Surprises
Chronicle of Higher Education: Preparing for Emergency Online Teaching
Webinars/Synchronous Online Meetings
What to Expect from the Unexpected (takes place on March 18)
Responding to the Challenge of COVID-19 (takes place on March 18)
How to Survive Your (Hurried) Switch to Online Delivery Using UDL (takes place on March 26)
Self-paced Online Courses
Free Self-Paced Course will help Faculty make the Transition to Teaching Online
SUNY: Interested in Teaching Online?
Top 10 Free Courses for Teaching Online
International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET) Website: Look for upcoming trainings!
Podcasts
TOPcast - Podcasts for Online Educators
Resource Manuals/Websites
Designing an Online Course and Becoming an Online Educator: An extensive PDF manual
Association of College and University Educators Guide: Online Teaching Toolkit
UPCEA Page for COVID-19 Resources for Higher Education
GUIDE: Toolkit to Continue Instruction When You Cannot Meet in Person
Educause: Online Teaching Strategies
Wiley: Designing and Moderating Large Online Courses
The Best Resources for Teaching Online During a COVID-19 School Closure
Cornell: Preparing for Alternate Course Delivery during COVID-19
Resources for emergency remote teachers from the State University of New York
Other
Opinion: Do a Bad Job of putting classes online
Video: Making the Shift to Online Learning: Emergency Preparedness & Instructional Continuity
Video: Using Live, Online Sessions to Support Continuity of Instruction
Smore, a freemium newsletter creator, is offering a range of free-to-use templates relating to COVID communication. You do have to create an account to use them.
Resources for kids learning at home
Check out this new resource from Ashford University, supporting parents and caregivers supervising or teaching children in the home.
A frequently updated list of resources being offered free to those with kids learning at home, compiled and updated by Google Education. It's a massive spreadsheet, so it may take some time and effort to go through, but there are tons of free resources listed! The Arizona Department of Education has put together this similar resource. And Arizona State University has this resource, mostly about K-12 education, but with some content that applies to all learners, regardless of age/level.
Khan Academy Kids has put together a list of different curricula for different ages and levels that you can have your kids follow. Breaks, free play and meals are even included! Might work better for older, self-directed kids.
A couple of great places to look for resources that have some free content and some you have to pay for are Education.com and Teachers Pay Teachers.
Here's a great resource that help you talk to kids about COVID-19.
Resources for YOU
Finally, here are a couple of resources for dealing with the anxiety we are all dealing with to different extents. Here is a general resource from the CDC. and here is one specifically dealing with how to help children through this. Calm, a meditation app, has created a page of free meditation, relaxation and other resources. Here is a similar page from Headspace, and one from GLO.
Want some good news for a change? These websites focus on the positive, even in their stories about COVID-19.
Finally, here are 10 inspirational TEDTalks for when you’re having a rough day.
We will update and add to this page as best we can. If you find something you'd like to share that we can add here, please email us at CETL@ashford.edu. Please be well, stay safe, and do what you can to keep your spirits up. If we support one another through this, it will be a little easier for all.
Contributors: Teresa Kuruc, Molly Molnar, Dan Tinianow
Credits:
Created with an image by Mimi Thian - "untitled image"