As we start thinking about returning to school in the fall (which — let’s face it — is not in the fall, but in just a few short weeks), many teachers are still waiting for guidance about what we will be returning to, and how our classrooms will operate. It’s a lot to think about, especially when many of us don’t know when we will be returning, for how long, and how long we will be in school, as periodic shutdowns look more likely as the COVID-19 predictions tell us.
Teachers must stay flexible even in the best days of in-person learning, so flexibility is kind of our superpower, right? Surprise school assembly? Been there. Picture day? Yup! Fire drill? Shelter in place drill? Earthquake drill? Check, check, check. Random room reassignment? New curriculum adoption? It’s happened to a lot of us. Rapid shift to digital learning due to a global pandemic? A lot of people like to call our spring digital learning response a failure, but for something that happened without time to prepare, train, or bolster our technology systems for our students, it went remarkably well. So, moving to blended or distance learning in the fall is totally something we can do.
Bonus — taking the time to build a digital learning space will pay off even with in-person learning by giving your students access to learning materials from your class 24/7, no matter what life throws at us.
Here are a few things to consider as we go into planning mode for the fall:
- Two words: Universal Design. In 1940, the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, added curb cuts to help disabled veterans with wheel chairs or crutches easily cross the street from sidewalk to sidewalk. Though these sloped curbs were intended for very specific users, other people also found them to be very helpful — mothers and fathers pushing strollers, people using carts to carry groceries home from the store, kids on bikes, and more! Soon, these curb cuts were copied in other cities around the USA. Chances are, there’s one near your home. This is universal design. You can use the same thinking to make your workspace accessible to every student by considering the needs of all your students when designing digital learning, and offering supports as choices for students who need them. Brainstorm a list of considerations you must include in your physical classroom — English Language Learning, IEP accommodations, low reading levels, low tech literacy, questionable technology access, lack of access to physical materials, etc… Refer to this list to provide options for students within your learning space design.
Bonus — The more accessibility you can build into your learning space design, the better for all your students. - Avoid Zoom overload. Have you ever been on a Zoom call that lasted longer than an hour? Imagine what students will feel like after spending 7 hours on Zoom! Many decision-makers expect teachers to replace 50 minutes of in-person learning with 50 minutes of Zoom teaching, and this is actually the antithesis of all research about digital learning! Instead, embrace a flipped-classroom model. Provide students with reading, videos, and other reference materials that support the learning objective, create some offline learning work, and use Zoom for individual student check-ins, feedback, and group discussions.
Bonus — an asynchronous (students learn at different times) or hybrid synchronous/asynchronous (students learn at different times but have regular video meetings) model will help students with working parents or shared learning devices to better learn at home. - Spend the first week teaching digital literacy and digital citizenship skills. What skills will your students need to succeed in your class? Little kids might need some practice using a mouse and clicking. Older kids might need to learn how to upload a Google document to an LMS or digital learning space. Students in art might need to know how to take a photo of their artwork and share it online. Music students might need to learn how to record a practice session on Flipgrid. All students need to learn about digital citizenship, especially to respect copyrighted information and how to cite materials. All students need to know about digital health and wellness, and how to stay safe and well while learning online. Do yourself and your students (parents, too!) a favor, and start with these lessons.
Bonus — Create a way for students to return to these lessons for a refresher. - Templates are your friend! How do I create learning spaces over and over? I use templates! Templates for learning spaces. Templates for instructions for parents. Templates for slide shows, quizzes, and discussion guides. I even use templates in my email so I can send important support to students and parents with just a few clicks. Once you have a few templates that you like, building new content for your digital learning space is just a matter of adding specific resources.
Bonus — make sure you make a copy of your template each time so your template stays clean. The best part is that templates can be really helpful whether you’re learning in person, online, or in a hybrid model. - Embrace your new life as a social media star. OK, you don’t have to use social media (some school systems forbid it), but look to social media for inspiration to make lots of videos for your students. Film yourself welcoming your students to your online learning space, discussing the learning materials, demonstrating a new skill, reminding students of upcoming deadlines, etc… Keep videos as short as possible, and make them fun! Maybe check out some popular social media celebrities for ideas to make your videos enjoyable — you don’t have to go over the top with it, but a well-placed fun filter or Tik-Tok-style effect can be an attention getter, and can be used to emphasize an important point. This also helps create a personal connection to your online classroom.
Bonus — students can pause or revisit these videos as many times as they need to to get the information. This is especially helpful for English Language Learners (ELL) and students who might need to go at a slower pace or try more than once.
However you return to teaching and learning in the fall, realize that this is a difficult time for all. Most school systems do not have robust digital learning systems in place and many teachers are also just learning what we will be doing as the school year begins. Give yourself the same safe space to learn as you do your students, and keep a healthy growth mindset as you build your digital practice. We are all learning together!
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Excellent.
Thank you, Deborah! We think you’re pretty great, too!