With all meetings and PD being virtual this year I’ve spent a lot of time evaluating myself as a virtual student. What I’ve realized is I am MOST engaged when I am also engaged in what would typically be seen as distracted/off task behavior. If I’m active in chat-even off topic-

I’m engaged and listening. If I’m texting with someone else who is in the meeting/session about what is being presented, I am thinking critically and making connections and will retain the information. And what do my disengaged behaviors look like? Compliance. Quiet. Sit & stare.

We’re all new to what real online learning should look like but just a reminder not to get discouraged when you see “off task” behavior or try to control things like the chat that you may see as distracting. For some students, that is what true engagement is going to look like.