Distance Learning – Issues and Solutions

The Issue

Solutions

Slide image from Will Richardson 2015 TED Talk with a list of stating we know how to do this
Slide image from Will Richardson 2015 TED Talk
Screen capture from BIG Question Zoom presentation June 9th, 2020

Articles and Research

Edutopia Videos

Edutopia Tools and Strategies Articles

Instagram @edutopia

View this post on Instagram

Morning messages are a valuable strategy for teachers to use when kids are learning from home. They establish predictability and routine, and when designed to include an interactive component, can help boost “motivation and engagement and build classroom community,” writes educational consultant Lisa Walton. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ To keep things simple, Walton uses a weekly schedule of recurring themes, and during remote learning, delivers morning messages via Google Slides: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ • Math Monday: Weaving a math puzzle or problem into morning message, “provides extra time for math. It also allows me to introduce or review topics in a fun and low-stakes manner,” writes Walton.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ • Tell me about it Tuesday: Posing a question online like “What is your favorite book that we have read this year?”, and asking students to respond privately, or during class discussion, can help teachers get to know students, strengthen academic concepts, and teach social and emotional learning skills. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ • Would you rather Wednesday: Perennial favorite “Would you rather…” questions can be silly, academic, or reason-based and provide an easy opportunity for kids to express opinions. For older students, Walton suggests using them as a springboard to discuss fractions and probability.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ • Think outside the box Thursday: Draw just one part of an object and ask students to complete the image as they see it within a set time limit. For at-home learning, a parent or guardian can print out or replicate the partial drawing for students to complete and share. This activity can be especially beneficial for creative students who struggle academically, Walton says.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ • Figure it out Friday: Walton closes out the week with riddles, analogies, or word puzzles with varying degrees of difficulty that students can work on alone or in small groups to help build their critical thinking skills. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Link in bio.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ #TeachersOfInstagram #TeachersOfInsta #TeachersOfIG #Teacher #Education #TeacherLife #ProudToBeATeacher #DistanceLearning #RemoteLearning #TeacherGram #GoogleSlides #Teaching #TeachingIdeas #teacherideas

A post shared by Edutopia (@edutopia) on

View this post on Instagram

To make a virtual learning space bloom, writes veteran online educator Caitlin Krause, you need to look beyond the tech and focus on the “mutual care and enthusiasm for the community connection.” She recommends the following six practices: 1. Take self-care seriously—whether you practice mindfulness or just regularly pause to stretch. “Defend it as the first priority…and your virtual learning space will notice your greater capacity for responding to the uncertainty that’s systemic right now,” writes Krause. 2. In the early stages, emphasize connection over content. Begin synchronous lessons by taking a collective three breaths, for instance—then add an ice-breaker in the form of a storytelling exercise that’s also a community check-in. 3. Plan groups so everyone has a role. While researching a topic, for example, let some students collect new terms for analysis, while others curate the best references and resources. 4. Embrace questions. Let kids wonder out loud while “going through processes of inquiry, research, and documentation of discovery.” This encourages risk-taking and builds meaningful learning. 5. Practice active listening, a mindfulness technique that increases “awareness and focus on the speaker and their purpose, instead of thinking about what we are about to say next,” she writes. 6. Consider changes to your grading, making it more conversational and prioritizing verbal feedback and self-assessment. Link to article in bio. #Teacher #Teachers #TeacherLife #Education #School #Teaching #Student #Learning #Students #Teach #Classroom #OnlineClassroom #VirtualClassroom

A post shared by Edutopia (@edutopia) on

View this post on Instagram

From Leah Henry, Educator: Help students take responsibility for their learning at home by having clear expectations and a weekly routine to eliminate confusion. For students who have six or seven classes, demonstrate how to use the calendar feature on your LMS or help them build their calendar on a device or in a notebook. If they have collaborative work, have them schedule time for that work in the calendar and invite the other students to work with them. Remind students to create a space in their home where they can learn without distraction, and be flexible about allowing students who can’t meet live to access the materials, watch a recording of their class, or catch a later session. #Education #TeachersOfInstagram #Student #Teaching #School #Classroom #Learn #Learning #Students #Educator #ITeach

A post shared by Edutopia (@edutopia) on

View this post on Instagram

From Rebecca Alber, Professor: Routines and consistency continue to matter greatly and are necessary for creating a smooth remote learning environment. As a closing routine, ask your students to think about a goal they would like to set for themselves. It can have to do with the unit of study, or it can be a personal goal. Try sentence starters like these to prompt their writing: Tomorrow, I will be ready to _____. Tonight, I will _____. By the end of the semester, I will _____. Have students share with another student or in small groups, and ask for a few volunteers to share with the whole class. You can share your own as well. #teachertips #classroom #teachersofinstagram #educatorsofinstagram #teaching #educator #educators #teachers #teacher

A post shared by Edutopia (@edutopia) on

Collaboration Tools and Processes

General

  • Zoom
    • “It provides videotelephony and online chat services through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform and is used for teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education, and social relations. “
  • YouTube Live Streaming
    • “YouTube Live is an easy way to reach your community in real time. Whether you’re streaming an event, teaching a class, or hosting a workshop, YouTube has tools that will help you manage your stream and interact with viewers in real time.”
  • Remind
    • “Simple to use: If your community can text, they can use Remind. Two-way messaging: A direct line between the people who matter most to student success. Built for education: Making communication easier for educators—not more complicated.”
  • Trello
    • “Trello is the Fun, Flexible and Free Way to Organize Plans, Projects & More. Go from Idea to Action in Seconds with Trello’s Intuitively Simple Boards, Lists & Cards.”
  • Slack
    • “Slack brings the team together, wherever you are With all of your communication and tools in one place, remote teams will stay productive no matter where you’re working from.”
  • Flipgrid
    • “Empower every voice. Flipgrid is 100% free for all educators, learners, and families. Engage and empower every voice in your classroom or at home by recording and sharing short, awesome videos…together!”
  • Screencastify
    • “Screencastify is the #1 free screen recorder for Chrome. No download required. Record, edit and share videos in seconds. Videos autosave to your Google Drive.”
  • Screencastify Submit
    • “Effortless video assignments. Submit is a fast, secure, and easy way for students to record and submit videos.”
  • Edublogs
    • “An edublog is a blog created for educational purposes. Edublogs archive and support student and teacher learning by facilitating reflection, questioning by self and others, collaboration and by providing contexts for engaging in higher-order thinking.”
  • Feedly
    • “Feedly is a news aggregator application for various web browsers and mobile devices running iOS and Android. It is also available as a cloud-based service. It compiles news feeds (including student blogs) from a variety of online sources for the user to customize and share with others.”
  • Explain Everything | Interactive Whiteboard with Real-Time Collaboration
    • “Tell your story with any kind of media and engage with screencasting whiteboard videos.”
  • Quizlet
    • Quizlet makes simple learning tools that let you study anything. Start learning today with flashcards, games and learning tools — all for free.
  • Flexiquiz
    • “Certificates. Randomize questions. Maximum test attempts. Redirect to another URL. Colors. Question Banks. 2 Admin or Trainer accounts only $20 a month. Upload media & more. Free Plan Option. Multiple Question Types. Mobile Ready. Powerful Reports.”
  • EdPuzzle
    • “Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS.”
  • Pear Deck
    • “Imagine if you could engage every student in your class, every day. What if you could instantly see who’s confused and who’s ready for more? That’s the power of Pear Deck. And now, with the Pear Deck for Google Slides Add-on, you can add the magic of formative assessments and interactive questions to your presentations right from Google Slides.”
  • Kahoot
    • Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform, used as educational technology in schools and other educational institutions. Its learning games, “Kahoots”, are user-generated multiple-choice quizzes that can be accessed via a web browser or the Kahoot app.
  • Padlet
    • “From your hobby to your career, your class notes to your final exam, your mood board to your runway show, padlets help you organize your life.”
  • Nearpod
    • “Nearpod is an instructional platform that merges formative assessment and dynamic media for collaborative learning experiences.”
  • Stormboard
    • “Make your meetings, brainstorms, and projects better! Use our digital sticky notes, whiteboards, and workspace for business processes like Agile, Design”
  • Learningapps
    • “LearningApps.org is a Web 2.0 application, to support learning and teaching processes with small interactive modules. Those modules can be used directly in learning materials, but also for self studying. The aim is to collect reusable building blocks and make them available to everyone. Blocks (called Apps) include no specific framework or a specific learning scenario. The blocks are therefore not suitable as complete lessons or tasks, instead they must be embedded in an appropriate teaching scenario.”
  • Google Slides
    • “Google Slides is a presentation program included as part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service.”
  • Google Sheets
    • “Google Sheets is a spreadsheet program included as part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service.”
  • Genius Scan
    • “Instantly scan documents. Genius Scan smart algorithms automatically detect your document, apply perspective correction and enhance the colors. “
  • Seesaw
    • “Student driven digital portfolios and simple parent communication. For iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Chromebooks and Computers with Chrome browser.”
  • Instagram
    • For relating content
  • SafeYouTube
    • “Watch, crop and share YouTube videos safely without comments, ads, or other distractions.”
  • Must-Have Google Chrome Extensions for Teachers by New EdTech Classroom
    • Screencastify (screencasting)
    • Tab Scissors (cut items from web)
    • Tab Glue (work with cut items)
    • Web Paint (can modify web pages online)
    • Share to Classroom (for Google Classroom)
    • Google Keep (online sticky notes – can collaborate)
    • Save to Google Drive
    • Screenshot (picture of web page)
    • Google Translate
    • Google Calendar (tracks time and has reminders)
    • SmallPDF (converts file formats)
    • Fun extensions
      • Bitmoji
      • Giphy

Music

Game

Film

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

by Ibram X. Kendi – goodreads.com/book/show/25898216-stamped-from-the-beginning

Chapters

PART I – COTTON MATHER

1. Human Hierarchy

2. Origins of Racist Ideas

3. Coming to America

4. Saving Souls, Not Bodies

5. Black Hunts

6. Great Awakening

PART II – THOMAS JEFFERSON

7. Enlightenment

8. Black Exhibits

9. Created Equal

10. Uplift Suasion

11. Big Bottoms

12. Colonization

PART III – WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON

13. Gradual Equality

14. Imbruted or Civilized

15. Soul

16. The Impending Crisis

17. History’s Emancipator

18. Ready for Freedom?

19. Reconstructing Slavery

20. Reconstructing Blame

PART IV – W. E. B. DU BOIS

21. Renewing the South

22. Southern Horrors

23. Black Judases

24. Great White Hopes

25. The Birth of a Nation

26. Media Suasion

27. Old Deal

28. Freedom Brand

29. Massive Resistance

PART V – ANGELA DAVIS

30. The Act of Civil Rights

31. Black Power

32. Law and Order

33. Reagan’s Drugs

34. New Democrats

35. New Republicans

36. 99.9 Percent the Same

37. The Extraordinary Negro

Create a Life – The Game

Story

“When you know your WHY your WHAT becomes more impactful because you’re walking towards or in your PURPOSE.”

– Michael Jr.

Students identify their WHY to give PURPOSE to their WHAT.

Students experience 21st Century skills through basic employment skills as minigames and powerups.

As students successfully complete minigames as jobs, skills will accumulate and help the student build an in-game resume. The student will apply for higher-level jobs through the interview process.  Students can increase the odds of successfully gaining employment of higher-level / salary jobs by participating in powerups that increase the odds of passing the interview. 

The ultimate goal is to build a career resume and create a fulfilling life.

Game Play

Players interact with a game through a resume screen and minigame play. The gameplay is represented though challenges to improve skills, improving skills improves chances of leveling up, overcoming the challenge of building a resume and passing job interviews, the player is trying to build a career and create a fulfilling life.

Flow Chart

Coming soon!

Mr. Le Duc’s Distance Learning Routine

leduc_cheesehead

Presentation Summary

Humans need rituals, patterns, stability, predictability, sustainability, and community. How do teachers create this for students? How do teachers manage distance learning effectively? Scott Le Duc highlights his process. Come check it out and add it to the conversation.

Contribute to the Pre-session and TPEP Survey

  • Take the Presentation / Session TPEP Prioritization Agenda Survey
    • This is a standards-based presentation/session
    • Gathering data from students/teachers can help you prioritize the most engaging content
  • Scott placed the TPEP standards which are based on the Danielson Model in a Google Form
    1. What would you like to learn from this session?
    2. What domains and components (Standards) would you like highlighted through this session?
    3. Data gathering is essential for tracking growth, help Scott differentiate the experience to your needs

Review Participant Data To Set Session Goals

Top TPEP Requested Component…

  • #1 is… 3c Engaging Student Learners (Danielson description PDF), example student behaviors below:
    • Students take the initiative to improve the lesson by (1) modifying a learning task to make it more meaningful or relevant to their needs, (2) suggesting modifications to the grouping patterns used, and/or (3) suggesting modifications or additions to the materials being used.
    • Students have an opportunity for reflection and closure on the lesson to consolidate their understanding.
    • Students are asked to write an essay in the style of Hemmingway and to describe which aspects of his style they have incorporated.
    • Students determine which of several tools—e.g., a protractor, spreadsheet, or graphing calculator—would be most suitable to solve a math problem.
    • A student asks whether they might remain in their small groups to complete another section of the activity, rather than work independently.
    • Students identify or create their own learning materials.
    • Students summarize their learning from the lesson.

Post to Our Session Parking Lot

  • A Padlet parking lot is a great place for students/teachers to post ideas asynchronously
  • This Workshop’s Parking Lot link: https://bit.ly/PadletParkingLot
  • This Workshop’s Parking Lot QR Code: (Padlet generates one automatically)
Padlet QR Code
Session Padlet Parkinglot QR Code

Play Bingo – sort of…

Creative Commons TPEP Bingo Card created by Scott Le Duc

Contribute to the 21st Century Skills Treasure Hunt

Endure Scott Le Duc’s Introduction

  • Decide whether he is credible, or not
    • Started teaching CTE Arts and Technology in 1996 at Capital High School in Olympia, WA
    • Achieved National Board Certification in CTE (2014)
    • Selected as one of the top presenters at numerous CTE conferences
      • He stuffed the ballot box! – shhh…
    • Can moonwalk and touch his tongue to his nose
    • Known to be a nice guy, occasionally

Contemplate Scott’s Presentation Goal

Designed with Andragogy for the ADULT Mind

  1. Need to know: Adults need to know the reason for learning something.
  2. Foundation: Experience (including error) provides the basis for learning activities.
  3. Self-concept: Adults need to be responsible for their decisions on education; involvement in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.
  4. Readiness: Adults are most interested in learning subjects having immediate relevance to their work and/or personal lives.
  5. Orientation: Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.
  6. Motivation: Adults respond better to internal versus external motivators.

Remember, Andragogy can be for Young ADULT Mind’s, too!

CC image Student girl by verkeorg at Flickr

Infused with Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs

CC Image from https://www.fractuslearning.com/blooms-taxonomy-verbs-free-chart/
  1. REDO – No evidence of standard
  2. LIST the stages and procedures used in the recording process. APPROACHING STANDARD
  3. DESCRIBE the stages and procedures used in the recording process. MEETS STANDARD
  4. DEMONSTRATE the stages and procedures used in the recording process. EXCEEDS STANDARD

Example of a Bloom verbs-based rubric where the ‘standard verb’ was ‘describe’ with the lower level verb was ‘list’ and higher level verb was ‘demonstrate’

Contemplate That The Brain Can Only Absorb What The Butt Can Endure

CC image by Scott Le Duc

Contact Scott for Information, Resources, and Training

Get On With It!

How?

1. Weekly: Email to Families and Students via Skyward

  • I send out a Skyward email with a link to the daily schedule and I highlight the work for the week.
  • I use Remind.com to share messages as well

2. Weekly: Daily/Weekly Schedule Updates

3. Weekly and As Needed: Screencasting Support

4. Weekly: Students Publish to Their Blogs

  • Students publish their work at Edublogs.org. It’s free and only for academic purposes.
    • Each student has a blog where they publish their work to establish a professional portfolio that can grow with them over the years.
    • We have been doing this for 10 years.  Students were cultured into the process before Covid-19
  • I subscribe to the student blogs with Feedly.com which allows me to track what ad when they publish.
  • Here is a student sample blog: https://rockbeatle.edublogs.org/.
  • Students and parents sign a Social Media Contract at the beginning of the year, http://capitalcomtech.info/2017/02/14/contract-information/
  • Students collect evidence of learning.
    • They can write, embed images, embed recording via their OSD YouTube account, embed sound from online sound/music learning sites, etc.

5. Daily: Remind.com Messages to Highlight Exceptional / Inspiration Work

  • I use Remind.com to send students and families (who signed on) a daily message that clarifies or inspires students with class-related material. I usually highlight student work that is well done, as an example for other students.
    • @chsibfilm
    • @chsgame
    • @chsrock
    • @nmrock

Case Study – 2020 Summer School

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

by Simon Sinek Start with Why. Penguin Publishing Group.

Why do you do what you do?

Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?

– Goodreads.com

Simon Sinek TED Talk

Know Your Why by Michael Jr.

“When you know your WHY your WHAT becomes more impactful because you’re walking towards or in your PURPOSE.” – Michael Jr.

After watching this and reading this book I am allowing the content to inspire me to connect to my own WHY and to help students find their own WHY and drive all learning back to their PURPOSE. This is what makes learning real, relevant for students.

Sections of the Book and My Notes

PART 1 A WORLD THAT DOESN’T START WITH WHY

1 ASSUME YOU KNOW

2 CARROTS AND STICKS

Manipulation vs. Inspiration (p. 16)

PART 2 AN ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE

3 THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

4 THIS IS NOT OPINION, THIS IS BIOLOGY

5 CLARITY, DISCIPLINE AND CONSISTENCY

PART 3 LEADERS NEED A FOLLOWING

6 THE EMERGENCE OF TRUST

7 HOW A TIPPING POINT TIPS

PART 4 HOW TO RALLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE

8 START WITH WHY, BUT KNOW HOW

Energy Excites. Charisma Inspires. (p. 133)

This is important. It’s like the hot fire of romance at the beginning of a relationship that converts into warm embers of deeper love that becomes the basis of more mature love.

9 KNOW WHY. KNOW HOW. THEN WHAT?

10 COMMUNICATION IS NOT ABOUT SPEAKING, IT’S ABOUT LISTENING

PART 5 THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS SUCCESS

11 WHEN WHY GOES FUZZY

12 SPLIT HAPPENS

PART 6 DISCOVER WHY

13 THE ORIGINS OF A WHY

14 THE NEW COMPETITION