Mister Marx PD Journal #001 - Teaching in the Digital Age: What I Learned About Online Learning That Impacted My Practice
As a lifelong learner and classroom experimenter, I recently completed a professional development course through Pennsylvania’s SAS system: PD9308 - Teaching and Communicating in the eLearning Environment. This wasn't just a checkbox course - it pushed me to think through my own assumptions about digital instruction, particularly in how I design synchronous vs. asynchronous learning, structure feedback, and communicate with families. From physical space setup to student feedback and parent partnerships, here are my top takeaways and how those takeaways are shaping my classroom.
Before we dive in, a quick heads-up: this post includes some education lingo that might be second nature to fellow teachers, but unfamiliar to many. Here’s a quick glossary, because I believe the information is valuable for all of us.
Key Terms
Synchronous Learning – Live, real-time instruction (Zoom class, Google Meet, or live discussion). Everyone's “in the room” at the same time.
Asynchronous Learning – Self-paced activities students complete on their own time (videos, discussion boards, recorded lessons, etc.).
Feedback Protocols – Structured ways of giving and receiving feedback in class. These help students become reflective learners, not just passive recipients.
Breakout Rooms – Small-group sessions during a live (synchronous) class where students collaborate or reflect more personally before rejoining the larger group.
Active Participation – A fancy way of saying: students are doing more than just watching. They’re engaging, contributing, building something, or sharing thinking.
eLearning Environment – Any structured digital space where instruction, feedback, and interaction take place (Zoom, Canvas, Google Classroom, etc.).
Multimodal Communication – Using more than one method to reach students or parents (e.g., video, email, text, printed guides). Helps everyone stay in the loop, even if their schedules or tech access vary.
Now that we’ve cleared all of that up, here is what I learned, how I responded, and what it means for my classrooms moving forward.
Big Takeaway #1: The “Physical Space” Still Matters - Even Online
One surprising insight? Just because learning is happening online doesn’t mean the physical space disappears. Synchronous learning still calls for a structured environment: proper lighting, quiet surroundings, and minimized distractions. These aren’t “nice to haves” - they’re necessary conditions for equitable learning. It’s easy to assume students will navigate that on their own, but not all students have access to calm, organized spaces.
Big Takeaway #2: Feedback Isn’t About Praise — It’s About Self-Awareness
In this course, I revisited the purpose of feedback in online spaces. It’s not just a digital comment or emoji sticker. The goal is student self-sufficiency. Can they spot their own misconceptions? Can they revise independently? This has bolstered how I structure peer feedback in my own classes - especially in virtual breakout sessions. Rather than always leading the discussion, I want students to lead their own learning, presenting, evaluating, and adjusting based on dialogue.
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Big Takeaway #3: In Online Learning, Parents Become Partners
The dynamic between schools and families changes in an eLearning context. Parents are no longer just supporters - they’re co-facilitators of learning, especially when students are learning from home. That shift doesn’t just happen. We need proactive, multimodal communication - videos, emails, guides. One insight I’m holding onto is that communication isn’t just a logistical layer; communication creates and sustains the community of the classroom. That’s especially critical when families can’t engage during traditional hours.
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Recap: Synchronous vs. Asynchronous - Not Either/Or
In reflection, I am reminded that effective online teaching means fluidly blending modalities. From discussions, to lectures, to student presentations - sometimes asynchronous will be the better choice, and sometimes vice-versa. But here's the thing, the split between asynchronous and synchronous learning should not be expected to be the same for every student. The same tools I use in my in-person classroom to meet learners where they are? They’re just as needed online - maybe more.
What’s Next
This blog post kicks off a new series I’m calling “Mister Marx PD Journal.” Every so often, I’ll be chronicling what I’m learning through professional development - especially as I earn Act 48 hours - and sharing honest reflections on what’s sticking, what’s updating, and what might be useful to other educators navigating similar paths.
📌 Coming soon: “Social Emotional Learning and Career Ready Skills”
Let me know in the comments - how are you balancing synchronous and asynchnchronous in your classes and at home? What’ve been your most surprising learning curve when it comes to learning/teaching online?
