There seems to be a desperate need to replicate the brick and mortar classroom by enforcing rules and compliance in the online space lately. This isn’t pedagogically sound or research-based. It also disregards the needs of students who are still reeling from the global protests around police brutality and possibly grieving friends and family members who have died from Covid-19. I’ve been teaching online, at least partially for the past few years. I have thoughts:
Extreme Rules
This is a snippet of some discussions and online posters I’ve seen in regards to for digital learning:
No food or drink in class- Why? What’s the real issue? I just don’t understand this one.
Wear your school uniform- Are we really asking families to buy uniforms with the levels of unemployment and economic instability we’re experiencing in this country?
Attendance will be taken daily and tardies logged. I believe in schedules and routines and I think some structure is necessary. However, students should not be penalized for missing an online class. Families may be working non-traditional schedules. Older siblings may be responsible for caring for younger ones in the absence of affordable child care. We need to be cognizant of the fact that our rules and deadlines can cause undue stress and trauma during a time when families need the most support.
What Works For Me
I’m a fan of interest inventories. Encourage students and their families to tell you about their strengths, challenges, passions, and anything else that may be helpful in building relationships. This piece will be even more critical for those starting the school year online. Share details about your life as well. This can be a cool video, slide presentation, or just a handful of photos about your life outside the classroom. Families will want to see you as human, especially since they won’t get the opportunity to meet you right away. Jennifer Gonzales wrote an excellent piece on community building and other aspects of online instruction educators should consider.
Survey the technology needs of your families. You can use a simple google form to assess how many devices, comfort level, and wifi capabilities you are working with. It will save you time, in the end, to know upfront, for example, that ⅓ of your class accessing your content using a mobile device.
Record your lessons. I use Screencastify religiously because I can share the link easily. This allows students to work within their own schedules and family structures. Set up office hours within your to meet with individual students as well as groups for deeper dives. Whatever you do avoid the temptation of mimicking e-learning a 6 hour school day inside of students’ homes. Again, flexibility will be your friend as families try to figure all of this out.
Get clear in your planning. Consider which parts require direct online instruction, which parts you may want to model for students, and how collaboration can look. I’m a huge fan of the gradual release of responsibility while planning and find that it works well online. Also, be clear on what should be done independently and what will be assessed. Keep in mind assessment can include informal checks, like reflections or general student feedback. I found this article by Catlin Tucker pretty helpful, especially for those who may be new to this.
Provide families with a weekly schedule with important due dates. The schedule should be consistent. What day will you post it? What’s the format? How will you communicate this to students and their families?
Consider what differentiation looks like within your school teams. What supports will be needed to support neurodiverse learners? What about ELL’s? What’s the plan for students needing intervention for academics or social supports?
Make your lessons short to keep engagement high. No one wants to listen to a teacher lecture in person for an hour. They definitely don’t want to hear lengthy lectures in the online space. Talking for hours will make your students want to disengage. Keep lessons short. Do a check-in, a question-and-answer session followed by 10-15 minutes of direct instruction. Give students time to work in groups or independently during your live classes so that you can help explain misconceptions and reteach as needed. Then have them complete assignments, projects, etc independently.
Remember, online does not mean everything has to be done on a computer. I encourage kids to keep physical notebooks and do many assignments unplugged. If you have families sharing a device, this option will be a lifesaver for them. Students can submit pics of assignments on tablets and smartphones if there’s something you want to assess. Plus, the digital divide is still very real, and encouraging students to use technology that already may have access to is a huge win.
Questions to Ask Ourselves
Are they mastering content? Are they able to see themselves in your content? Are they displaying growth? How are we addressing social-emotional issues in this digital landscape? Do they have a space to grapple with real-world issues and concepts that impact them and the communities in which they live? At what points do we stop and reflect on our own practices before moving forward?
This list is not meant to be inclusive. I’m hoping it serves as a starting point for those who may be struggling with where to start.
