Things to Consider When Converting Your Live Class Into an Online Version

I have been teaching online for several decades now, starting with America Online back in the dark ages of the Internet, and nowadays using a combination of platforms that includes Teachable, Youtube, and Zoom. With schools closing across the country, teachers are facing the need to turn their live classes into versions that their students can access online.

I’m lucky to be way ahead of that curve. My online school, the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, has been around for over a decade and focuses on classes aimed at fantasy and fiction writing. I have multiple instructors, whose tech expertise ranges from non-existent to far ahead of me. We do both live and on-demand classes. Over the course of the last two weeks I have had literally dozens of people asking me about teaching online. So here’s some things you want to think about when trying to convert your class.

Teaching online can be a very different experience from a live classroom.

What’s your expertise level?

If you don’t do stuff online much, then stick to simpler things, particularly if you’re already familiar with how they work. For example, if you are only familiar with Facebook, then Facebook Live may be your best option. On the other hand, if you’re technologically adept, there’s plenty of avenues available to you and you may want to do something more complex, such as setting up…