Distance Learning: What do we do now?
The rest of the world has now jumped on the same wave
we’ve been on here in Asia since January 2020.
In this post, I will share some distance learning practices and tips from me & my school’s perspective. Enjoy!
NOTE: As of March 13th, Zoom has lifted the 40-minute meeting limit, to allow school’s an opportunity for effective distance learning. Also, Charter Spectrum is offering free WiFi to households with students for 60 days.
I send an unfortunate yet encouraging “welcome” to my fellow educators, especially school administrators, who have now been forced to jump on the distance and online learning bandwagon. As you may have read in my post, Coronavirus: Part 1, my school has been without students since late January; the same for all schools across Mongolia and East Asia. The first several weeks were rough; no direction, no clear expectations, no true idea of what to do or how to do it. This was new, for everyone. Even my boss, who has almost 20 years of educational experience, was at a loss when forced to become a “virtual principal” merely overnight.
And now—several weeks, troubleshoots, parent complaints, and solutions later—I believe we have found a feasible blueprint to educate students from afar. In this post, I will share some distance learning practices and tips from our perspective (Note: Whenever I mention we, our, or us in this post, I am referring to myself and the rest of the administrative team at my current school).
As all great educators know, there is no one-size-fits-all. The information I will share is simply what is working for us at this moment. It seems we are altering our instructional plan by the week, and have been since students were dismissed in January. So, feel free to take whatever information and resources you find here, and tailor them to best fit your school and students.
The idea for me to share these resources came about when a fellow administrator, in a Black School Administrators social group I pioneered, inquired how we all were managing and supervising virtual learning. Well, I am the only crazy person in the group who is educating abroad! And since we had been experiencing this pandemic way before the states, I was able to share with him, and the rest of the group, what my school implemented to tackle this issue.
Google Classroom. I am sure 95% of educators are familiar with, or even use/have used Google Classroom. I will admit; I did not become a believer of, or savvy with, Google Classroom until I came abroad. Listen—I truly feel like I was missing out on the party; why didn’t y’all tell me?! Google Classroom is literally the G.O.A.T.! I honestly cannot fathom how any instructor is educating without it.
For our distance learning, we had each teacher add us to their Google Classrooms. This allowed us to see what was being assigned to students, as well as monitor how students were keeping up with due dates. If there is more than one class per grade level per subject, we asked teachers to add us to only one of the corresponding Google Classrooms, especially if all students within that grade level were being given the same instruction and assignments. It could quickly get overwhelming to open your administrative Google Classroom interface and have so many different classrooms to join. Example: We have 3 sixth grade ELA classes; the teacher only added us to one of those via Google Classroom. Broaden your horizons to all things Google Classroom!
Zoom. Just like Google Classroom, I am sure many educators are already familiar with Zoom. It is simply video conferencing; very similar to Skype, and another form of Apple’s FaceTime—except it is accessible for large groups. Students can work by themselves, no doubt. But nothing tops that student-teacher interaction. With Zoom, students can access a teacher’s “meeting room” via a specialized weblink, and engage in real-time instruction and interaction with not only the teacher, but also with fellow classmates. Let’s face it—students will miss each other during this time as well. However, be sure not to allow students to turn the Zoom atmosphere into their own virtual playground. Just like in the classroom, they will definitely try it.
Zoom incorporates several features that are beneficial to instruction and the learning process. There are Zoom functions that allow students to “raise their hand”, give a “thumbs up”, and users can even “share their screen”; this feature is helpful if the teacher has a resource on his/her screen to display to students. As long as participating students and teachers have access to internet, a computer or mobile device (Zoom also comes as a mobile phone application), webcam or computer/phone camera, and audio, they can access Zoom. Honestly, even if students just have internet, speakers, and a screen, they are able to see and hear the teacher; the student doesn’t even have to have A/V capabilities. Zoom is simply so that teachers can deliver instruction and answer clarifying questions virtually.
For our distance learning, we do not require students to attend Zoom classes, nor do we penalize them if they do not attend. Of course, we all know and understand the equity constraints on society, making it absurd to expect every student to have the means necessary to access Zoom. However, for those that do, Zoom is merely a supplement to the instruction being offered in Google Classroom. We compiled an info sheet to share with students, so that they are aware of the expectations of Google Classroom coupled with Zoom instruction. Be sure to check out the free Zoom access link at the top of the article.
Modified Schedule. We created a modified class schedule, in conjunction with Zoom, allowing students adequate interaction time with each and every teacher, just like a regular school day. This was implemented in response to parent complaints about Google Classroom not being sufficient enough instruction. They asked; we delivered. However, It made no logical sense for teachers to work regular, eight-hour days while not physically teaching students for nearly two months. Therefore, we created the modified class schedule to align with the teachers’ modified work hours; middle school teachers are scheduled and available on Zoom from 9:00am-1:00pm, and high school teachers from 11:00am-3:00pm. The variation by middle school and high school is to ensure optimal speed and access to our internet servers while utilizing Zoom. Yes, staff is still required to report to the building, daily.
For our distance learning, you may notice the class breakdown and amount of times they are offered within the schedule linked above. This is based on the current needs and priorities of our school; be sure to tailor the schedule to your school and student needs! Lastly, the Zoom/modified class schedule does not mean these are the only days students receive instruction. Example: Just because students only have music class via Zoom once a week does not mean they should only be practicing music once a week. The music teacher assigns sufficient work for students, practically on a daily basis, via Google Classroom. However, students who have questions about music, or desire additional guidance, should attend Zoom class at the designated day/time assigned for music. If they are not available to attend Zoom class on the assigned day/time, they can always communicate with the teacher via e-mail.
Lesson Plan Log. Whew. I’m sure these are the two most-adored words in education—lesson plan! But, the method we implemented for distance learning isn’t nearly as nerve-wrecking. The lesson plan log we implemented is simply a quick, fill-in-the-blank, “what are you doing” for each class. You may notice within the linked version above that there are several holes. Keep in mind that teachers are only required to enter lesson information for the times they have students during Zoom; our Zoom schedule is very spread out by class. Some teachers only see their students once or twice a week.
For our distance learning, we distribute a blank lesson plan log to teachers at the end of each week and require them to submit brief plans for the following week. For supervision and accountability measures, I review the plans and provide feedback to teachers, mostly inquiring how they will use Zoom time to instruct students, as well as assess them and/or check for their understanding. After the parent/guardian complaints regarding the quality of virtual instruction, I felt that the most vital takeaway from this whole ordeal was: Are students still learning? If so, how can we prove it? I feel if we can effectively answer those two questions, parents will be happy—but more importantly, students will continue to be academically successful.
Missing Assignments. And for our lovelies who are struggling with staying on top of assignments, I created a missing assignments spreadsheet for teachers to routinely update with students who have outstanding assignments. Once updated, I collaborate with our Student Services to ensure each student (and their parent) is contacted and made aware of their missing assignments.
For our distance learning, unfortunately, what we’ve discovered is that the students who are attending the Zoom classes are often not the same names that appear on this spreadsheet of missing assignments. As an administrative team, we are actively brainstorming ways to get these students involved, support them academically, and make instruction equitable and accessible for all. Lastly, some teachers may inquire about submitting names and outstanding assignments to this spreadsheet when administration already has access to their Google Classrooms. This spreadsheet just provides another layer of accountability, as well as a streamlined method for identifying students who need additional support. Example: It may not seem too bad if John Doe is only missing one assignment in Ms. Jane’s class. But once entered into this spreadsheet, it is much more noticeable that John is struggling with missing assignments in every class.
For accountability, I check in with my teachers about 2-3 times a week regarding all the information shared above via e-mail, since we took virus precautions to not meet as a staff.
This is one of the “check-in” e-mails I sent to my staff. This was my way of holding a staff meeting, without us all convening and going against government orders of meeting in large groups. I’m sure we all love an e-mail meeting! =)
While lengthy and detailed, I hope the information above saves you from the headaches, anxiety, and constant thoughts of “how in the world are we supposed to do this?” we experienced when faced with the fate of distance and virtual learning. I wish we’d had someone to lay it out for us this way. And maybe you’re blessed enough to work within a district that already has a comprehensive distance learning plan, all ready to go for you—lucky you! But for those that don’t, I hope something shared within this post makes life a little (or a lot) easier for you the next coming weeks. Regardless if you come from a district, private, public, charter, or beyond, please allow these resources to help you help students. We may feel overwhelmed but imagine how students will feel coming back to a school building after such time off if instruction isn’t consistent. Keep the lines of learning open, engaging, and effective.
Distance learning is doable, if you allow it to be!
**Note** When utilizing any of the resources provided above, be sure to “make a copy”. Or, if you would like me to share any of them with you, please e-mail me at connect@thebossyprincipal.com.
