A group of student teachers at Centenary University in Hackettstown have been offering lessons to teachers and professors on how to get accustomed to the world of online learning.
Professor Timothy J. Frederiks, the chair of the Education & Mathematics Department at Centenary, gave some insight on how his students have started this program and how they have been assisting teachers.
“They are really at the front lines, along with their cooperating teachers, helping to prepare, deliver and assess distance learning activities for students while (the coronavirus school lockdown) is in place,” Frederiks told ROI-NJ. “And, you know, in some cases, they’re also serving as kind of coaches, technology coaches for teachers who may not be as familiar with online learning as they are.”
The students, 15 in total, have been offering lessons as part of their field requirement for attaining their teaching degrees. Since they aren’t able to be in a classroom right now, they have taken the initiative to adapt to online learning and teach other teachers about the subject.
Fredericks said the feedback from teachers has been great. And the students have been helping the Centenary faculty, as well.
The students have even set up a space for themselves and other graduate students, alumni and faculty to chat about their program, share documents and experiences. Fredericks dubbed it the “Centenary Happy Hour” that is held every Thursday.
“It’s just a good way for us to kind of swap stories and to stay connected during a time when we ordinarily couldn’t.”