The Positive Effects of Online Learning

Modern education has looked very different over the past year; technology has been essential as the use of live video has been a necessity for meeting with classes.

While many schools and programs have utilized various tools to make this virtual learning happen, we are here to take it to the next level. Leaped is focused on education and learning, creating a great environment to teach and learn with so many benefits to both the educator and the student.  

Here are some of the positive benefits of online learning that will put Leaped at the top of your educational live streaming list:

1. Flexibility, Comfort, and the Gift of Time

Flexibility. Being able to create your own schedule. Choosing when to go live or choosing which live streams you are able to watch. No matter what your daily life holds, it is extremely helpful to have flexibility for teaching or learning in order to get the most out of this platform.

Comfort. This is a big one, because it’s really convenient to tune in while you’re in sweats, and you don’t have to worry about all of that gas money it would take to get to your favorite class or seminar. Your audience might even engage more when they are in the solace of their own personal space, rather than sitting in a physical room with other people. 

Time. Your time is valuable, so you want to make sure you are spending it wisely and getting the most out of it. When you are participating in online learning, subscribed to a particular user, you know you will get consistent content rather than a crash course each week. Users can harness microlearning on Leaped, giving viewers 1 or 2 hours a week to go over a topic, become familiar with it, and ask questions or give feedback to the instructor before the next live video. This helps them take in the information; it won’t just go in one ear and out the other.

2. Building a Community of Like-Minded People

When you start an educational live stream, you will draw other individuals that are equally as passionate about whatever subject or activity you choose to teach. You will all be able to relate to each other and learn from one another about the process of event planning or the history of Nordic Vikings. 

You will build relationships, make friends, and create a strong community of people who truly care about what you are putting out into the world and want to learn from you. The audience will also most likely create friendships with each other, expanding their network and allowing them to work together to better understand the content.

3. Increased Instructor - Student Time

Operating through a live video stream means that questions can be asked and answered in real time. This engagement is crucial! Immediate feedback or questions help the teacher and truly benefits those that are learning because they get instant clarification or instant answers. If you are open to one-on-one instruction, users can share their screen or their camera with you to get further help. If you are into knitting, a user might show you their latest attempt to make a hat or ask you questions about the sweater they are crocheting.

4. You Choose What You Learn

On this platform, you have the ability to choose a specific course to look at. You can step outside of the typical curriculum box. You are able to learn how to make a delicious tres leches cake or learn the proper form for deadlifting weights. You will get to learn about anything and everything from passionate educators that are just excited to share their knowledge with you. Most importantly, you are in control of what you consume.

5. Accessibility & Inclusivity

This goes along with comfort, as virtual learning includes those that might be more shy in person to participate. Removing the anxiety of raising your hand or speaking up in front of others allows for more communication between the instructor and the user.

Online learning is quite accessible with a webcam and a good internet connection. However, it also does not restrict others based on their mobility, or their physical limitations. You can teach or learn wherever you are, whenever you want.

6. Improving Those Technological Skills

Leaped is for anyone, okay? If your grandfather wants to teach the younger generation about gardening and the best times to grow certain vegetables, he will eventually become proficient in live video streaming through some beginning help and repeated use of the platform over time. More traditional pen-and-paper users will become more comfortable with technology after getting familiar with our platform.

Online learning is just efficient. It gives you flexibility, the power to choose, it is inclusive, and you will meet tons of people that share your interests. You can only benefit from it!

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Teacher Burnout: Enjoy that Summer Break!

As we are hitting the end of the school year and getting closer and closer to summer break, there is one thing that many teachers have in common: burnout.

Breaks look different for everyone in the working world, but teachers are given that 2- to 3-month summer vacation every year. This is certainly well-deserved time off! Teachers do an abundance of work to make sure they are taking care of and properly educating each of their students throughout the school year. 

Planning lessons, adapting to new curriculum, working with different learning styles, and more can take a toll on educators. It doesn’t help that education is not always funded or supported appropriately, leaving many teachers to use their personal time and money to successfully lead a classroom.

Job burnout is a specific type of mental, physical, or emotional stress derived from exhaustion in the workplace. I think we have all experienced this, whether we want to admit it or not. Working 40+ hours a week without truly unplugging when you are home is something most people are guilty of doing, and this is a huge cause of burnout. You’re not letting your body or brain have a break!

For many teachers, as well as other non-essential workers, the line between work and home has become blurry in the past year. Working from home has allowed individuals to stay safe and healthy, but it has also contributed to burnout for employees. 

It can be hard to keep an eye on the clock and remember when the work day is done when you are already home all day. Teachers can end their Zoom calls and meetings, but some might stay online to grade or get a head start on next week’s lesson plans. 

It became even more difficult to keep up when schools were back and forth about having in-person classes again, having some days at home and some days in the actual classroom. Inconsistency never made work any easier for anyone!

Teachers with children have had even more work this past year as well, having to tend to their students as well as manage their student-aged children doing their schoolwork at home during the day as well. I’ve even seen many parents post on their social media about how they have a new appreciation for teachers after seeing only a glimpse into their online classrooms. 

Imagine how these teachers are feeling as summer approaches! 

“As I submit my grades, complete my end of year checklist, and turn my lights off, I look around and remember my WHY.“ said Becky King, a high school teacher and mother of third graders.

“I’m consistent when kids need it. I’m a caregiver when they could not care less. I’m a cheerleader when they feel low, and I’m equally strict when they need to know what’s what. While this school year has tried to create the worst burnout possible, my focus has been on remembering that this life - this profession that called me - is the best opportunity to nurture the future I can ever imagine,” said King.

These educators absolutely love what they do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get tired. They are up early every day and stay past that afternoon bell. They push their classes to be the best they can be. Some students love learning and strive to do great work, while some don’t even appreciate their teachers or what they do for them.

This stress, exhaustion, and pressure continues to return every year, but these strong and passionate leaders come back with full force in August every year because they wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

To all of the educators in our Leaped community - we see you, we hear you, and we are here for you! What does burnout look like for you? How do you bounce back from it? 

Let us know in the comments!