Participate in classroom discussions. This creates a connection of communication with you, the teacher and the other students in the classroom. Raise your hand to ask the teacher questions or to answer questions that have been posed to the class. You can also discuss ideas, opinions and questions with your fellow students.
Take notes using paper and a pen or pencil so that you can begin to retain the information that you learn during a classroom lecture. Note-taking is an effective method for connecting to the session by cognitively interacting with the learning material, which will help you complete homework for the class and study for exams with your notes. If it's easier for you to take notes on a laptop, bring it to class and use it for note-taking. Be sure to check with the teacher beforehand to ensure she allows laptops in the classroom.
Volunteer to actively participate in the interactive classroom sessions. If the teacher asks for someone to write notes on the board or help to demonstrate an activity, you can play an active role in connecting to the people in the class and the lesson material by physically and intellectually interacting and providing assistance during the classroom session.
Connect with instructors and other students who are taking your class with chat forums and discussion boards offered on virtual learning sites. Online learning can turn your home into a classroom when you interact with others through the web-based networking tools provided on the site.
Utilize all the tools that virtual classroom sessions have to offer by using the media that is available to you through the virtual classroom learning platform. You and other students can watch videos, participate in learning activities and have live group chats about the topics and work in your online curriculum.
Go outside the virtual classroom walls by making the most of connecting to your course work and peers using the Internet. You can connect with students, teachers and sources of reference using external social networking sites, and you can also search for information you may need by using reliable Internet reference sources. Check with your course instructor to be sure that the sources you use are valid.