Communicate regularly with your online students.

Regular support from the Teacher/Mentor (T/M) will make it easier for students to interact with their course providers, the course materials, and the online instructor. Here are some ways to establish lines of communication.

Start strong. It's important to touch base with your online students early in the process to do the following:

Show students the Start-Up Demo Accounts after they register and before their courses start.
Get copies of the students' welcome messages from the providers (if you were not copied on these emails).
Get copies of the students' syllabi and any pertinent course timelines.
Make sure the students are matched and communicating with DLC Tutors.
Keep a log of check-ins with students or take attendance during lab hours for online courses. This will ensure that students are making regular contact with you throughout the term.
Make sure the students have completed the orientations or course overviews made available by the providers or online instructors.
Agree on expectations with the students, such as:
- Copying you on questions emailed to online instructors.
- Providing you with hard copies of assignments.
- Maintaining a paper or digital notebook of assignments and activities completed for their courses.
Share information about:
- Course Support roles so that the students know who does what to support them at school.
- DLC Tutors so that the students understand the purpose of this service.
Suggest that the students share logins (DLC email and course platform) with their parents and introduce their parents to online instructors when they are involved in supporting student learning.
Emphasize the importance of clear and inclusive online communication with the online instructor, online classmates, and DLC Tutors. For example, if a student is going to have anticipated absences, he or she should work with the online instructor to adjust due dates. Help students frame communications with their instructors, if needed.
Encourage students to take advantage of all course discussion groups, as well as connect with other students at school taking online courses, even if they are in different courses.
Confer with the DLC Registrar in your school about drops right away to keep your school's drop fees to a minimum (see the DLC Drop Policy for more information).

Computer lab. If students work on their online courses at a designated time in the computer lab, schedule time in the lab to meet with them. This enables students to easily ask for help with any content or communication issues that may come up with the courses or online instructors.

Be sure to work with your building's tech people before classes begin to make sure school computers will allow students to fully participate in their online courses.

Also work with your building's tech people to resolve any issues that prevent students from progressing: e.g., cannot get a media player to work, cannot get computer time at school, and Internet connection difficulties.

Check-ins. If you don't meet regularly with students in the computer lab, schedule time to meet face-to-face. Ask to see assignment checklists and hard copies of the assignments.

You can use this time to address any content or communication issues the student may be having with the course or instructor. Email and phone check-ins may be required to fully resolve problems.

Encourage your students to take full advantage of email and the telephone to share questions, comments, and concerns with their instructor and to use their DLC email account to communicate with their DLC Tutor. Be aware of the areas in which your students are having particular problems, and intervene if necessary to make sure that both student and instructor are communicating clearly.

Homeschool programs. Set up ways for homeschooled students and their parents to check in with you. You can use this time to talk about student progress in the course, communication issues with the course instructor, and any technology problems they may encounter. Well-coordinated parent-instructor-T/M support helps avoid communication gaps (phone or email check-ins between meetings can help avoid delays in resolutions to problems).