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Not just being mindful of how we engage students, but also a younger fraternity of teachers: how can we tap on them to be positive influencers? Can we be the social influencers?

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Are teachers pressurized to adopt an influencer persona so as to increase engagement?

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Would the pehnomenon cause undue stress and competition among teachers?

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Influencer teachers may have a biased or limited perspective that oes not reflect the diversity of experience and perspectives in education.

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Anna Fifield for the Washington Post

lasping his headphones and closing his eyes as he sang into the studio microphone while performing a peppy duet with one of South Korea's hottest actresses, spiky-haired Cha Kil-yong looked every bit the K-pop star.

But Cha is not a singer or actor. No, he's a unique kind of South Korean celebrity: a teaching star. And the song he was singing with Clara, a Korean mega-celebrity, in an MTV-style music video? It was called "SAT jackpot!"

In this education-obsessed country, Cha is a top-ranked maths teacher. But he doesn't teach in a school. He runs an online hagwon - or cram school - called SevenEdu that focuses entirely on preparing students to take the SAT-equivalent college entrance exam in mathematics.

Teaching pays: Cha said he earned $8m last year. "I'm madly in love with maths," he said, looking the height of trendiness in his crimson shirt and trousers and tweed jacket, in his office in Gangnam - a wealthy part of Seoul famous for its conspicuous consumption and featured in the song Gangnam Style.

It's hard to exaggerate the premium South Korea places on education. This is a society in which you have to get into the right kindergarten, so that you can get into the right elementary school, then into the right middle school and high school, and finally into the right college. Which, of course, gets you the right job and scores you the right spouse.

There's even a phrase to describe the Korean version of a helicopter mother: chima baram - literally skirt wind, to describe the swish as a mother rushes into the classroom to demand a front-row seat for her child or to question grades.

Many Korean families split and live on opposite sides of the world in pursuit of a better education: the mother and children live in the United States or another English-speaking country, the better to secure entry to a prestigious university (preferably Harvard). The "goose father" continues working in South Korea, flying in to visit when he can.

All of this combines to make South Korea's equivalent of the SAT the most important event in a young person's life.

The vast majority of teenagers attend normal classes by day but go to hagwons for after-hours study. Increasingly, online hagwons are replacing traditional brick-and-mortar cram schools. The hagwons have become a $20bn industry.

This devotion to studying is credited with helping South Korea rank at the top of the developed world in reading, maths and science, although the latest rankings [PDF] from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development also show that Korean students come last when asked whether they are happy at school. South Korea also has the highest suicide rate in the developed world, which many suggest is related to a high-stress focus on test scores.

Some politicians and educators are questioning whether things have got out of hand. But even parents opposed to this punishing system find it difficult to opt out - their children complain that they can't keep up if they don't go to a hagwon.

That's good news for instructors like Cha, who started teaching at a hagwon to pay his way through his PhD programme.

About 300,000 students take his online class at any given time, paying $39 for a 20-hour course (traditional cram schools charge as much as $600 for a course). He teaches them tricks for taking the timed exams, including shortcuts that students can take to solve a problem faster.

Asked what makes him stand out as an instructor, Cha said: "Suppose you give the same ingredients to 100 different chefs. They would make different dishes even though they're working with the same ingredients. It's the same with a maths class. Even though it's all maths and all in Korean, you can use different ingredients to come up with different results."

His studio is set up with a green chalkboard and desks, and behind the camera are piles of props - including hippo and Batman masks and a gold-sequined jacket.

"You're not only teaching a subject, you also have to be a multi-talented entertainer," said Cha, declining to give his age and offering only that he'd been working for 20 years.

On SAT day, he visits schools to offer encouragement to test takers. He also does television ads, endorsing products such as a red ginseng drink meant to boost brain power.

Kwon Kyu-ho, a top-ranked literature teacher, also appears with K-pop stars and has a lucrative side business in celebrity endorsements, lending his name to a chair meant to help people study better.

Maintaining his position doesn't require just good lessons. Kwon, 33, also gets regular facials and works out, and he said some teachers even have stylists.

"I always wanted to be a teacher, but I feel that regular school teaching has its limits. There is a certain way you have to teach," said Kwon, whose lessons appear on the sites Etoos and VitaEdu. "And, of course, I'm making a lot more money this way."

He wouldn't disclose how much he earned, only that it was "several millions" of dollars a year. The secret of his success, Kwon said, was finding the parts of tests that make most students stumble. He focuses lessons on those problem areas.

This style of education has its upsides, he said.

"I think one of the benefits of private education is that teachers compete with each other and try to develop higher quality content," he said. "We have money. We can invest in ways that normal schoolteachers cannot."

As President Park Geun-hye promotes a "creative economy" as the key to taking South Korea to the next level in its development, many analysts say the country would do well to take a more creative approach to education.

Lee Ju-ho, former minister of education, is among them.

"All this late-night study could lead to problems in enhancing their other skills, like character, creativity and critical thinking," he said. "Hagwon is all about rote learning and memorisation."

Lee said all the problems stem from the college admissions procedures, which have been slow in looking beyond test scores to other criteria such as extracurricular activities and personal essays, as is common in many western countries.

"We really need to change," said Lee, who is now a professor at the Korea Development Institute 's School of Public Policy and Management.
This article appeared in Guardian Weekly, which incorporates material from the Washington Post Topics

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Fast earners: South Korea's millionaire, celebrity schoolteachers

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Anna Fifield for the Washington Post lasping his headphones and closing his eyes as he sang into the studio microphone while performing a peppy duet with one of South Korea's hottest actresses, spiky-haired Cha Kil-yong looked every bit the K-pop star. But Cha is not a singer or actor.

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Connecting with others in powerful, human ways is possible to do online. It just takes awareness and a few simple steps.

Credit: Biscotto Design / Shutterstock.com © 2021

This article is part of a series about incorporating asynchronous video into educational activities:
What learning experiences have been most substantial in your life? How many of those were special because of the people there with you, assisting you in your journey?

One student, Steven, enrolled in an online program because it fit his work and family situation best. He enjoyed the content of the classes, but mostly he had forgettable experiences and even some frustrating ones. At the end, he could not name any of his teachers or fellow students, and consequently he felt no connection to the university at all-except for one professor. This professor had reached out to him, had conversations with him, and served as a mentor. When Steven graduated, he attended graduation ceremonies mostly to see this one professor, the one who had made a connection.

A common misunderstanding about education is that it is primarily focused on brains, information, and memory. While learning certainly involves attempting to get things to "stick" in our heads, it is much more-it is about change and growth. Education is the learning of new information, yes, but also developing new skills, values, behaviors, feelings (you can "learn to love" for example), culture, and ways of living and interacting with the world. These things are often best learned through relationships, as the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky believed, and he argued we first learn things with others before we can internalize them ourselves.

As online education continues to expand, we have learned that effective learning involves human relationships-even if we are not physically together in a classroom. While it is possible to participate in a course in which the student reads a textbook, completes assignments, and takes exams without ever communicating with an instructor, that type of experience is often hollow. Richard Culatta, former director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education and current Chief Executive Officer for the International Society for Technology in Education, said, "Learning is inherently social," before adding, "We need to see a shift in using tech less for presenting content and more as a tool to design, create, explore, and connect."

Video technologies are part of that shift in helping online learners feel connected to teachers and peers. This connection comes from people developing the sense that they are "present" in the class, even if they are not physically in the same room. How is it possible to be present when you are physically separated?

1. Show the Real You

In all human relationships, we feel closer to someone who seems authentic and similar to ourselves. For example, Jimmy Fallon, John Krasinski, and other celebrities were able to expand their popularity during the COVID-19 home quarantines of 2020 by recording their shows at home. Family interruptions, dressing "down," and sneak peaks at their homes (Jimmy Fallon has a slide!) helped them feel more real and human to their viewers.

As another example, Joe Wicks, the "Body Coach," grew astronomically in popularity as he led the world in daily physical education exercises during the home quarantine period. One regular feature of his workout videos was that he would change out the items on the shelves behind him (see figure 1) and invite viewers to guess what was new. He would then describe each item and explain why it was special to him.

Figure 1. Joe Wicks workout at home

For teachers, although it may be inappropriate to share some aspects of our personal lives with students, we can still shorten the distance between us and the students by showing some parts of our authentic selves. One time I was recording a video to my students and my toddler climbed up on my lap, interrupting me. At first I was frustrated by this interruption. However, later my students said, "It's really fun to see you at home. You're like a regular person!" For another example, consider this video of Chris Haskell, a clinical associate professor at Boise State University. How do the items in his background help you understand Haskell as a professional? What about as a person?

Chris Haskell video showing part of his home [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bCZkhdrn0k&t=4s]

Tip! Record videos from different locations in your home, office, or community. While you should be careful not to overdo it, a few seconds showing your personality can make learning fun. As an example, Lloyd Rieber of the University of Georgia recorded introductions to his videos from his farm, sitting next to his favorite cow, before moving on to the formal instruction parts of the lesson. Years later, students may not remember everything Rieber taught, but they will remember who he was as a person.

Lloyd Rieber teaching about needs assessment after feeding Anabelle

2. Express (the Right) Emotions

Our eyes, ears, and other senses have evolved to take in a tremendous amount of information each second. Not only do we hear or see what someone has said or shown us; we also notice, unconsciously, details about how the message was communicated. For example, a simple statement such as, "I am so happy to see you today!" can carry the opposite meaning if you say it with a furrowed brow, terse tone, rolled eyes, or crossed arms. As another example, animators have become so skillful at using nonverbal communication that an entire story can be told without any dialogue. See, for example, Pixar's popular shorts "For the Birds" or "Geri's Game."

Some teachers are skilled at showing emotion in online videos. They smile, get excited, show surprise, lean closer to the camera, and otherwise talk to the students instead of to the camera. Students notice this and feel more connected to these teachers. Consequently they are more likely to reach out to those instructors if they have questions or need assistance and to feel more engaged in the courses. As an example, these two student quotes illustrate the connections that are possible in a class where the instructor used asynchronous video:

"It was like he was having a conversation with me even though I wasn't responding. He was talking to me as if I was right there in front of him."

"It seems like we are actually having that conversation even though we're not."

Meanwhile, other instructors are less skilled at showing emotions in their videos, and they come across as disinterested. Students in these classes do not feel the same sense of connection with their instructors and may even prefer text communication instead.

Tip! Your students will be more connected to you if they feel that you are talking to them directly. When recording your video, look at your camera instead of at your screen and imagine the student(s) you are talking to. They are really there...on the other end of the internet! Also, remember to smile, and greet your students when you begin, before launching into your instructional material.

Tip! Just as we can show positive emotions in a video, we can also easily show negative ones. For this reason, be careful not to record a video while you are frustrated-the students will probably notice and might misunderstand what you are trying to communicate.

Practice! Rewatch a video you record for your class, or ask a friend to watch it and provide you with feedback. Try watching it with and without sound. What emotions do you see, or is your video emotionless? (Remember "Bueller? Bueller?") Are those the emotions you want to express? Now try recording the video again with a different emotional angle. Can your friend pick up the difference? Which would they prefer to see from their instructor?

3. Personalize Your Videos

When we communicate in person, we personalize the way we talk by referring to someone's name, or referencing something we have in common ("Isn't the weather great today? Are you enjoying your walk?"). Using the exact same phrases to talk to everyone, without any variety, would feel awkward. Similarly, in online communications, we can increase the feeling that we are "present" with our students if we customize our communications with them. Undoubtedly, there are times when it is better to be efficient. If most students make the same mistake on an assignment, we might copy and paste a reply to them. If we didn't do this, we might not have time to give them feedback at all, and students appreciate receiving the feedback!

However, when we are trying to establish a connection with students, these canned responses can seem cold and clinical rather than personal. Instead, if we reference shared experiences or specific things about the student we are talking to, that student feels important and understood. For example, an instructor might provide feedback on an assignment by using the student's name and referencing their work or a snippet of a past conversation: "Sara, I remember you said you were from the Midwest, and I loved seeing you reference your hometown in your paper. It made me want to visit! I do have some feedback for you...."

Tip! In large classes, keep a notepad or computer document handy where you can write notes about students so that you can refer to them later. Doing this can help you remember what conversations you have had with which students-it is unlikely that they will forget! Referencing these previous interactions will give the students, and you, a sense of a continuing conversation-one in which they are active participants.

Tip! Sometimes creating video discussions that are not directly related to the content of the class can be really helpful in establishing a positive learning community atmosphere. With in-person learning, teachers will often chit-chat with students before, during, and after class. This casual conversation can be helpful in making students feel noticed and important to the teacher. Online, these conversations need to be created intentionally. Try creating a "chit chat" thread for students to talk to each other and you about off-topic things, or have a weekly thread where you suggest a current-events topic and ask students to record video responses. Be sure to reply to them and continue the conversation! As one example, when the 2020 COVID-19 quarantine began in the United States, I created a thread for students to share short, asynchronous video clips about how they were handling the directive to stay at home, which helped us find the good in the situation. They shared that they enjoyed spending time with family, watching movies, and catching up on sleep, and we developed a greater sense of a shared experience as we talked with each other about the current state of society.

Conclusion

Charles Graham, well known author on blended learning, said, "Many learners want the convenience offered by a distributed environment, and, at the same time, do not want to sacrifice the social interactions and human touch they are used to in a F2F classroom." We can increase this sense of the "human touch" in all of our interactions, including through text. However, video has a particular power to convey our humanity. In particular, asynchronous video can provide some of the convenience of online learning without sacrificing the human connection. If we personalize our videos to the students, express emotions, and strive to show them a little of who we really are as people, this can increase the feeling that we are "present" together in the class, even if we are physically separated. This feeling of presence can increase student engagement and satisfaction with the course, as well as students' feeling of connection and appreciation for the instructor.

Acknowledgment

This series of articles was written with the support of EdConnect.

Notes

1. Richard Culatta, personal communication, December 21, 2020.

2. Charles R. Graham, "Blended Learning Systems: Definition, Current Trends, and Future Directions," in The Handbook of Blended Learning: Global Perspectives, Local Designs, eds. Curtis J. Bonk and Charles R. Graham (San Francisco: Pfeiffer Publishing, 2006), 9.

Richard E. West is Associate Professor in the Instructional Psychology & Technology department at Brigham Young University.

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Teacher, Are You There? Being "Present" in Online Learning

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Connecting with others in powerful, human ways is possible to do online. It just takes awareness and a few simple steps.