Remote Learning
Resources for Engaging Students and Making Connections
The feeling of isolation is going to kick in for everyone involved in remote learning so any opportunity for connection and collaboration will be helpful.
Quality versus quantity is the key. Many ideas and resources are provided here, but the goal is to evaluate and choose tools that are the simplest and most effective to utilize to connect with students.
Keep it simple.
Explore ways to connect as a whole, individually or in small groups.
Encourage students to collaborate among each other.
The more personalization you can include, the less of a feeling of isolation for all.
Lesson Delivery
Video Conference tools have settings that must be recognized and utilized to ensure safe and private learning environments. Consult with your school district for recommendations.
Video Conference tools have settings that must be recognized and utilized to ensure safe and private learning environments. Consult with your school district for recommendations.
- Continue to include face to face conversation with students utilizing conferencing tools and chat apps.
- Continue to model by using screen sharing with lesson delivery tools in order to conceptualize content.
- Continue to promote collaboration with partner work or teamwork using collaboration tools and chat apps.
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- Use alternate lesson delivery tools, such as those used for a Flipped Classroom model or Blended Learning model, keeping in mind multimedia learning principles.
- Take advantage of free subscriptions/features offered by educational companies.
- For students without home wifi, mobile hotspots could be used to provide to students in need of Internet access. Some Internet providers are providing free access for a period of time. (It would be helpful for phone companies to provide unlimited data during school hours for personal hotspot usage).
- If device inequity exists, then try to leverage student cell phone usage by communicating through social media that they use anyway or using free chat apps available.
- Try checking in with phone calls for communication if no technology is at all available.
Activities and Assignments
- Implement lessons and projects that can translate to remote learning such as these ideas from Scholastic.
- Share access to read alouds by authors, virtual museum visits or other virtual activities.
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- Continue to offer differentiation, for example, these technology product differentiation CHOICE boards.
- Build into the remote learning day time for physical activity, mindfulness and other screen-free activities.
- Assignments should be as close as possible to what would normally be assigned for learning and engagement.
- Pencil and paper options should also be available to allow for equity.
- Downtime should be built into the remote learning day schedule.
- Physical activity should be built into the schedule.
- Related arts classes should be implemented as regularly as they are on typical school days.
- Consider lightening up the load so there is little to no homework to avoid screen time after school hours and to encourage non-school related family time.
Assessment, Progress Monitoring, and Check-Ins
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