Simple Tips & Tricks for Remote Learning
Presented on April 24, 2020
FAQs from the webinar
Do you have any tips or suggestions for what else we can be doing to increase engagement among kids in the remote learning setting?
Any ideas on teacher assessment/appraisals during online learning? How should they be measured?
Can a student fail at this time? We are in the opposite boat, we are taking grades but weighting our quarter 3 and quarter 4 differently. But, we have unmotivated students, who have yet, to submit anything for 6 weeks.
How do you motivate yourself to do what you know is best for kids when your district is only asking teachers to push out content from an online learning platform? Everything else we send has to be labeled optional and kids are not wanting to do the extra “optional” work from teachers (even though the “optional” work is the quality work they should be doing?
When you have sent emails, called, zoomed with parents/students and they are still not doing any work or showing up... do you have any tips or suggestions for what else we can be doing to get them on and learning?
Panelist Quotes
"Kids are hungry for relationships and connectivity. We can provide that in both synchronous and asynchronous platforms."
-panelist Kareem Farah
"Friday Focus: we focus on apologies, affirmations, acknowledgements, share moments from the school year and memories. I also take so many pis during the school year that I also choose 2-3 pics from the year and give a backstory or highlight that moment so it’s a cool throwback" – panelist Kyair Butts, Baltimore Public Schools Teacher, and Teacher of the Year
"Sarah’s points about routine are great. A recent study out of the UK included more that 91,000 participants. It showed daily routines contribute positively to both mental and physical wellness." –panelist Weston Kieschnick, author, speaker, educator
"Crisistextline.org might be a resource worth exploring for students, families and educators. I have shared with my kids in case they need someone other than their teachers and/or family." –panelist Kyair Butts
Sharing more about community and private sector support in Seattle Public Schools through the Seattle Education Equity Fund by panelist Melissa Woodbridge, SPS teacher and FoS Teacher of the Week
The Alliance for Education and Seattle Public Schools created the Education Equity Fund to ensure students can continue to learn during the COVID-19 crisis, especially students furthest from educational justice.
Seattle Public Schools is offering continuous learning to all students while our schools are closed. But many SPS students lack the resources and access to take advantage of this support. You can help students overcome technology barriers and allow all students the opportunity to continue learning from home during this global pandemic.
Panelists
Christine Austin
Christine Austin is an assistant principal at Gwinnett Online Campus in Gwinnett County, Georgia, where she has been since its inception in 2011. She has been in education for 17 years, all of which have been with Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS). Throughout her career, Christine has served in a variety of roles including classroom teacher, instructional coordinator, and assistant principal. She holds a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, two specialist degrees, and all coursework for her Doctor of Education degree. She is passionate about empowering students to exceed their potential and believes that innovation and grit are the keys to unlocking that potential.
Kyair Butts
Kyair Butts is the current (2019-2020) Teacher of the Year for Baltimore City Public Schools. His passion for his students led him to embrace online learning quickly. He coaches debate and also works mentoring teachers across the district while facilitating professional development as an associate of GreatMinds/Wit and Wisdom.
Tillie Elvrum
Tillie Elvrum has been an advocate for education reform and school choice for nearly 20 years, working extensively at the state and national level. She is passionate about online education and the proud parent of a cyberschool graduate. Tillie is the past president of the National Coalition of Cyberschool Families and the Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families. She currently advises the education community on parental choice and online education issues. She currently lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Kareem Farah
Kareem Farah taught high school math in Hawaii and Washington, DC, for six years. He earned his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and later received a master’s degree in secondary education at Johns Hopkins University. Farah was awarded the 2018 DC Public Schools Award for Classroom Innovation. Instead of using a traditional lecture model, Farah taught mathematics through a blended model where students accessed content through his self-made videos. The cornerstone of his classroom was the ability for students to work through the content at their own pace and Farah’s ability to employ mastery-based grading to evaluate student learning. In an effort to scale his classroom model, Farah launched a nonprofit, The Modern Classrooms Project. As the executive director of The Modern Classrooms Project, Farah trains and supports teachers who seek to develop blended, self-paced, mastery-based classrooms of their own.
Weston Kieschnick
Weston Kieschnick is an award-winning educator, best-selling author, and highly sought-after speaker. He is the author of the best-selling book, Bold School: Old School Wisdom + New School Innovation = Blended Learning that Works, co-author of The Learning Transformation: A Guide to Blended Learning for Administrators and the creator and host of Teaching Keating; one of the most downloaded edu-centric podcasts on Google Play, iTunes, and Stitcher. For the last 15 years Weston has worked in collaboration with innovative tech and publishing companies (Google, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Apple) to redefine teaching and learning in the digital age. As such, he’s advised educators from every state in the US and more than 30 countries around the world. Districts where Mr. Kieschnick has designed content, implemented initiatives, and trained educational leaders have been recognized by the Learning Counsel as being among the top ten in the nation for their work in blended learning. You can find Weston’s work published in EdWeek, EdTech Magazine, The Spark, and featured on the 10-Minute Teacher, Teaching Tales, Kids Deserve It, and LeadUp Teach.
Melissa Woodbridge
Melissa Woodbridge is a 5th grade teacher at Bailey Gatzert Elementary in Seattle, Washington. She attended the University of Washington to get her master's in teaching. She is passionate about racial equity work in elementary education.