# data[].attributes.body
1. technology issues- It will be a learning curve for everyone to start on how to troubleshoot tech problems.
2. student participation- I hope students will still get the benefits of cooperative learning
3. assignment collection- I worry that if assignments are collected in multiple platforms that some may be lost.
4. learning new apps on the fly- Flexibility is key to teaching, but constantly learning new platforms and changing how we present information can be overwhelming.
5. building rapport with students- I hope student relationships won't suffer because of virtual learning and lack of in person contact.

# data[].attributes.body
add interesting background, texts, images, and interactive elements to keep students interested, engaged, and fun.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SlidesCarnival: Free PowerPoint & Google Slides Templates That Stand Out

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Captivate your audience with our collection of professionally-designed PowerPoint and Google Slides templates. Boost your presentations and make a lasting impression!

# data[].attributes.body
Parents will be the first line in defense for younger students with technology issues. Provide a library or tutorials for parents so they can assist students, and use it as a resource for students as well.

# data[].attributes.body
times will help move the lesson along, keep students engaged, and keep your schedule on track.

# data[].attributes.body
create a virtual library so students don't miss out on the opportunity to read, explore new subjects, or lose access to assigned reading materials.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As educators all over the United States grapple with the back-to-school models that inevitably include simultaneous preparation for "face-to-face" learning and distance learning, there is an understandable sense of overwhelm. Teachers are faced with preparing for two different (or hybrid) and complicated learning environments. Not knowing which model will finally play out adds a distressing element of uncertainty.

Perhaps, however, shifting our mental model can help. We can reframe the two options --"face-to-face" vs. remote learning-- as variations of distance learning, rather than as two completely different models. Then, we can find commonalities between them and start our planning there. Rather than thinking of back-to-school as either face-to-face or at-a-distance, in actuality, everything is going to be distance learning, even when students are in classrooms and "face-to-face."

As I've been thinking through what fall instruction can look like, it has been helpful to stop thinking of it as two different options, and to frame both options as variations of the same theme. Both are distance learning, with one six feet apart and the other miles apart. So I can plan for instruction that helps me with both at once. Here are some examples:

Read Aloud: If you are reading aloud to students, because they will be so spread out rather than on a carpet crowded together right in front of you, you will probably need to project the book. Whether you hold the illustrations under a document camera or read aloud in front of a webcam, even in the classroom, the six-feet-apartness of this fall's face-to-face requires digital tools that bridge the space.

Phonics Instruction : If you are teaching children to pronounce and blend phonemes (sounds), they will need to see your face and mouth, and hear you clearly. Masks, quite obviously, obstruct sight and sound as you try to teach this critical understanding. To compensate, you could pre-record some sound and blending lessons and activities. Use your webcam to really get up close on your face and over articulate as you pronounce the sounds. Whether you are distance teaching at six-feet-apart or from your home, the video will support you in teaching children how speech sounds are made.

Reading Assessments: At the beginning of the year, you want to find out about children's reading processes by listening to them read individually. How will you do this six-feet-apart, or even miles apart? You may need to set up a computer station where children can read aloud to you in a Zoom session from the other side of the room. You may need students reading into an ipad in a chat with you from six feet away. If students can use the same platforms they use when learning from home, then all of the procedures and routines you teach in the classroom will simultaneously prepare them should all learning become at-home learning once again.

As for the physical classroom library, it seems that children may be able to shop for books if there are few children in the library, they wear masks, and they wash their hands well before and after shopping (Check district guidelines on this!). Of course, this probably means book shopping less frequently, so you will want to put some time and energy into setting up a virtual classroom library. Whether you are in the school building with students or supporting distance learning in their homes, a virtual library will support independent reading. Make teaching children how to navigate this library one of your key routines as you launch the school year. Clare Landrigan has done a beautiful job helping teachers organize and curate virtual libraries.

There aren't easy answers to the complexities of back-to-school 2020, and the overwhelm we are all feeling is warranted. For me, however, as I think about how to support the teachers with whom I work, things became a bit unstuck when I stopped thinking about the home learning and school learning options as separate. It is all distance learning, friends, so perhaps we can begin planning accordingly.
​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
VIRTUALLY FACE-TO-FACE (IT'S ALL DISTANCE LEARNING.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As educators all over the United States grapple with the back-to-school models that inevitably include simultaneous preparation for "face-to-face" learning and distance learning, there is an understandable sense of overwhelm. Teachers are faced with preparing for two different (or hybrid) and complicated learning environments.

# data[].attributes.headline
Show students how to access their revision history

# data[].attributes.subject
Show students how to access their revision history

# data[].attributes.body
Kids will find a way to break everything you built. Show them how to fix any mistakes and find old versions of their work to save on frustration, and loss of student work.

# data[].attributes.body
Create a model/video of you using the technology/activity you want your students to use. Keep it accessible as a reference point to help students learn the new mode of learning.

# data[].attributes.body
What we love most about teaching is how the relationships we foster with our students support them and their learning. Make an effort to reach out to students and get to know them in the distance learning setting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An educator with experience in distance learning shares what he's learned: During the pandemic, keep it simple, and build in as much contact as possible.

The coronavirus has caused widespread school closures for an unknown duration. Teachers are scrambling to find ways to support students from afar through distance and online learning. If you're feeling overwhelmed by this daunting task, you're certainly not alone.

I've also struggled to reach students outside of class. For several years, I taught in communities where students struggled to attend school consistently. To help absent students access my courses, I developed a blended, self-paced, mastery-based instructional model that empowered all my students to learn, whether they were in my room or not. Today, I run The Modern Classrooms Project, where I help other teachers do the same.

Through teaching students and training educators, I've learned a lot about how to effectively create and implement digital instruction and self-paced learning. I'll share a few tips below, and if you're looking for further support on developing effective distance learning beyond what I discuss in this piece, explore the resources on our website or start our free online course, Building Modern Classrooms.

Here are some pointers that can help you create a sustainable and engaging distance learning experience for your students.

1. Simplicity Is Key

Every teacher knows what it's like to explain new instructions to their students. It usually starts with a whole group walk-through, followed by an endless stream of questions from students to clarify next steps. While this process can be frustrating at times, students can always rely on each other and the teacher in the room when they're stuck.

One of the challenges of distance learning is that you and your students are no longer in the same room to collectively tackle misconceptions. Instead, the large bulk of learning time is inevitably going to be driven by tasks that require a high level of self-direction.

As a result, simplicity is key. It is critical to design distance learning experiences that have very clear instructions and utilize only one or two resources. It's also best, when possible, to provide resources like readings as PDFs that students can always access.

Keep in mind that simple structures can still require rigorous work: Tasks with few instructions often lead to the greatest amount of higher-order thinking, as students figure out what to do within defined parameters. Distance learning should push educators to think about how they can be leaner and more concise with their delivery of new information.

2. Establish a Digital Home Base

In the spirit of simplicity, it's vital to have a digital home base for your students. This can be a district-provided learning management system like Canvas or Google Classrooms, or it can be a self-created class website. I recommend Google Sites as a simple, easy-to-set-up platform.

You need a single digital platform that your students can always visit for the most recent and up-to-date information. It can be tempting to jump around between all the cool edtech applications out there-especially as so many of them are offering free services right now-but simplicity and familiarity are invaluable. Students need to feel comfortable going to the same place to access the same tools. The farther away you are from your students, the more important it is to cultivate stability and practice norms.

Additionally, if attendance was a challenge before, distance learning is going to magnify it. So students need a place to go when they fall out of the loop. Filling in gaps is only going to get harder when the teacher cannot quickly engage in individual or small group instruction. Your students are going to need to take control of their own learning. Your goal is to create a clear framework that allows them to do that. You might want to check out a unit I created on probability and statistics to see how I provided instructions and set up checkpoints for my students.

3. Prioritize Longer, Student-Driven Assignments

Efficiency is key when designing distance learning experiences. Planning is going to take more time and require a high level of attention to detail. You will not be able to correct mistakes on the fly or suddenly pivot when kids are disengaged.

To effectively manage your time and sanity, you will want to prioritize longer, student-driven assignments and tasks that buy you time to keep planning future units-and that get your students off the computer. Focus on building toward long-term projects where students have autonomy and a clear set of checkpoints and deadlines that need to be met. When possible, create opportunities for students to discuss what they're learning with their families and include an element of student choice to really build engagement.

Check out a project set up by Modern Classrooms' co-founder, Robert Barnett, that integrates choice and family engagement: Demographer Challenge.

4. Individual Touchpoints Are Game-Changers

What your students will miss the most is the human connection that is cultivated in your classroom. The little interactions you have with them in the hallways, before and after class or during breaks in lessons, are irreplaceable. While it can be tempting to focus on content in your distance learning assignments and instructional videos, what matters more is creating structures for personalized touchpoints with your students.

You can create these touchpoints through any medium you like: emails, video messages, phone calls, messages through your learning management system, comments on shared documents, etc. Create a structure and stick to it. Your students will see your investment and know that you care about them.

It's important to bear in mind that cultivating an engaging distance learning experience is hard. It takes time and an incredible amount of patience. If you are new to the experience, you're probably going to feel like a first-year teacher again. That's OK! Tackle the challenges step by step, keep your students updated on your progress, and stay positive. You can do this!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Tips for Teachers Shifting to Teaching Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An educator with experience in distance learning shares what he's learned: Keep it simple, and build in as much contact as possible.

# data[].attributes.body
Instead of over loading students, keeping activities and learning modules simple will ease frustration on everyone's part.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An educator with experience in distance learning shares what he's learned: During the pandemic, keep it simple, and build in as much contact as possible.

The coronavirus has caused widespread school closures for an unknown duration. Teachers are scrambling to find ways to support students from afar through distance and online learning. If you're feeling overwhelmed by this daunting task, you're certainly not alone.

I've also struggled to reach students outside of class. For several years, I taught in communities where students struggled to attend school consistently. To help absent students access my courses, I developed a blended, self-paced, mastery-based instructional model that empowered all my students to learn, whether they were in my room or not. Today, I run The Modern Classrooms Project, where I help other teachers do the same.

Through teaching students and training educators, I've learned a lot about how to effectively create and implement digital instruction and self-paced learning. I'll share a few tips below, and if you're looking for further support on developing effective distance learning beyond what I discuss in this piece, explore the resources on our website or start our free online course, Building Modern Classrooms.

Here are some pointers that can help you create a sustainable and engaging distance learning experience for your students.

1. Simplicity Is Key

Every teacher knows what it's like to explain new instructions to their students. It usually starts with a whole group walk-through, followed by an endless stream of questions from students to clarify next steps. While this process can be frustrating at times, students can always rely on each other and the teacher in the room when they're stuck.

One of the challenges of distance learning is that you and your students are no longer in the same room to collectively tackle misconceptions. Instead, the large bulk of learning time is inevitably going to be driven by tasks that require a high level of self-direction.

As a result, simplicity is key. It is critical to design distance learning experiences that have very clear instructions and utilize only one or two resources. It's also best, when possible, to provide resources like readings as PDFs that students can always access.

Keep in mind that simple structures can still require rigorous work: Tasks with few instructions often lead to the greatest amount of higher-order thinking, as students figure out what to do within defined parameters. Distance learning should push educators to think about how they can be leaner and more concise with their delivery of new information.

2. Establish a Digital Home Base

In the spirit of simplicity, it's vital to have a digital home base for your students. This can be a district-provided learning management system like Canvas or Google Classrooms, or it can be a self-created class website. I recommend Google Sites as a simple, easy-to-set-up platform.

You need a single digital platform that your students can always visit for the most recent and up-to-date information. It can be tempting to jump around between all the cool edtech applications out there-especially as so many of them are offering free services right now-but simplicity and familiarity are invaluable. Students need to feel comfortable going to the same place to access the same tools. The farther away you are from your students, the more important it is to cultivate stability and practice norms.

Additionally, if attendance was a challenge before, distance learning is going to magnify it. So students need a place to go when they fall out of the loop. Filling in gaps is only going to get harder when the teacher cannot quickly engage in individual or small group instruction. Your students are going to need to take control of their own learning. Your goal is to create a clear framework that allows them to do that. You might want to check out a unit I created on probability and statistics to see how I provided instructions and set up checkpoints for my students.

3. Prioritize Longer, Student-Driven Assignments

Efficiency is key when designing distance learning experiences. Planning is going to take more time and require a high level of attention to detail. You will not be able to correct mistakes on the fly or suddenly pivot when kids are disengaged.

To effectively manage your time and sanity, you will want to prioritize longer, student-driven assignments and tasks that buy you time to keep planning future units-and that get your students off the computer. Focus on building toward long-term projects where students have autonomy and a clear set of checkpoints and deadlines that need to be met. When possible, create opportunities for students to discuss what they're learning with their families and include an element of student choice to really build engagement.

Check out a project set up by Modern Classrooms' co-founder, Robert Barnett, that integrates choice and family engagement: Demographer Challenge.

4. Individual Touchpoints Are Game-Changers

What your students will miss the most is the human connection that is cultivated in your classroom. The little interactions you have with them in the hallways, before and after class or during breaks in lessons, are irreplaceable. While it can be tempting to focus on content in your distance learning assignments and instructional videos, what matters more is creating structures for personalized touchpoints with your students.

You can create these touchpoints through any medium you like: emails, video messages, phone calls, messages through your learning management system, comments on shared documents, etc. Create a structure and stick to it. Your students will see your investment and know that you care about them.

It's important to bear in mind that cultivating an engaging distance learning experience is hard. It takes time and an incredible amount of patience. If you are new to the experience, you're probably going to feel like a first-year teacher again. That's OK! Tackle the challenges step by step, keep your students updated on your progress, and stay positive. You can do this!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Tips for Teachers Shifting to Teaching Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An educator with experience in distance learning shares what he's learned: Keep it simple, and build in as much contact as possible.

# data[].attributes.body
students can participate in an online journal to discuss what is going on outside of school that would be private. This allows them to communicate with me, express feelings, and improve their writing skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Unless you have turned off all social media, the news, and decided to climb back into bed and hide under the covers, you have probably heard of the COVID-19 virus, known as the Coronavirus. Preparing for illnesses is always a difficult and serious affair, but it does give us an opportunity to think about how we can extend learning outside the walls of our classrooms and into the homes of our students.
Access to devices and reliable internet
When considering distance learning, school districts will need to consider if their student and family population have access to devices and reliable internet access before they go entirely digital. Best practice suggests we offer students a mix of digital and analog tasks to complete in order to ensure all students have access to the activities and curriculum. On that note, there are some engaging and fun ways you can use technology to extend your classroom beyond your walls!
Early Childhood and Lower Elementary Video Read Alouds
One of my favorite ways to use technology, to engage families and students at home, is to offer video read alouds. As the educator, you can choose a read aloud book that connects to their learning and create a video of you reading the book. If you make the video, you will also be able to pause, point things out to the students, and ask questions.

Video read alouds could be done live, through a platform such as Facebook or YouTube. Teachers and administrators who do this will often set up a live event on their school's social media sites and parents are notified when the school is going live. Families love this type of interaction and it also gives them a way to see educators out of the school environment.

If you don't want to go live (it is not as scary as you think!) you could record the video ahead of time and still host it on social media or share it through Google Drive or Microsoft OneNote.

Take a look at this amazing principal, David Anderson, of the Christa S. McAuliffe Elementary School in Lowell, Massachusetts. He and his staff create live and pre-recorded read alouds for snow days and vacations!

If you don't like to record yourself, there are a myriad of read alouds on YouTube. Kate Messner, a children's book author, is in the process of creating a list of author's reading from their own books to share with your parents and students!
Reading Foundational Skills
To keep our little learners working on their fundamentals, teachers can share the Reading Foundational Skills Collection in PBS LearningMedia. This is a fabulous collection of short videos from iconic shows like Between the Lions and Electric Company and student interactives where our littlest learners to can investigate phonemic awareness through activities and songs.
Elementary Videos, photos and online journaling
Anyone who has worked in elementary schools knows that our students are tech savvy, but not tech experts. Because of this, technology lessons at home need to be user friendly for both the student and their families. Seesaw is a wonderful tool to help students capture their learning and experiences at home. Seesaw is an online journal that allows students to take and annotate pictures, make videos, and type answers to anything. Teachers create students in the class, but do not have to assign a digital activity for students to capture their learning, so it is very user friendly! At home students could:

Make a video of themselves reading a book

Take pictures of different shapes in their house and identify them

Take a picture of a math worksheet and record an audio overlay to explain how they solved the problem

Start a blog and journal their experiences at home

Watch a video on PBS LearningMedia (like my favorite, Molly of Denali) and make a video explaining how Molly used informational text in the episode

Seesaw has an activity library as well as the ability to talk to families and share resources.
Middle and High School Digital Assignments and Creating Screencasts
Many middle and high school teachers are already using a learning management system such as Google Classroom or Edmodo, distance learning toolkits, so sending out digital assignments is not new to them. For many, though, teaching long distance is very new. One of the ways to share content and directions with your students is by creating screencasts of your presentations. A screencast is a video that includes the content on your computer screen as well as your voice and/or a video of you. It is a fabulous way for students to still hear from you and feel connected.

Screencastify is a great tool to help you accomplish this task. It is a Google Chrome extension that not only allows you a quick way to create these videos, it automatically syncs with your Google Drive account and is fully integrated with Google Classroom. If you are making a video of your Google Slides presentation, consider turning on the Closed Caption ability to support our students that are English Learners, deaf or hard of hearing.

There are many different activities that you can push out to your students if distance learning is a decision in your district. Many edtech companies are offering free subscriptions during this time so check out this growing list of offerings.
PBS LearningMedia Interactives

PBS LearningMedia Interactives are a fabulous way for our middle and high school students to interact with high quality and engaging content independently. Students investigate topics in all subjects through videos, interactives, reading and writing. Interactives sync with Google Classroom so they are easy to assign to your students. In order to support all your learners, you could use Screencastify to make an instructional video to preview the content and explain to your students how to use the interactive.

As always, during this time of uncertainty, it is important for us to instill in our children that learning and exploration are important and can continue outside the walls of our classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
distance learning tips from one teacher to another

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Distance Learning Tips From One Teacher to Another | PBS Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Unless you have turned off all social media, the news, and decided to climb back into bed and hide under the covers, you have probably heard of the COVID-19 virus, known as the Coronavirus.

# data[].attributes.body
I can record myself reading a text aloud to students for an assignment or for a brain break.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Unless you have turned off all social media, the news, and decided to climb back into bed and hide under the covers, you have probably heard of the COVID-19 virus, known as the Coronavirus. Preparing for illnesses is always a difficult and serious affair, but it does give us an opportunity to think about how we can extend learning outside the walls of our classrooms and into the homes of our students.
Access to devices and reliable internet
When considering distance learning, school districts will need to consider if their student and family population have access to devices and reliable internet access before they go entirely digital. Best practice suggests we offer students a mix of digital and analog tasks to complete in order to ensure all students have access to the activities and curriculum. On that note, there are some engaging and fun ways you can use technology to extend your classroom beyond your walls!
Early Childhood and Lower Elementary Video Read Alouds
One of my favorite ways to use technology, to engage families and students at home, is to offer video read alouds. As the educator, you can choose a read aloud book that connects to their learning and create a video of you reading the book. If you make the video, you will also be able to pause, point things out to the students, and ask questions.

Video read alouds could be done live, through a platform such as Facebook or YouTube. Teachers and administrators who do this will often set up a live event on their school's social media sites and parents are notified when the school is going live. Families love this type of interaction and it also gives them a way to see educators out of the school environment.

If you don't want to go live (it is not as scary as you think!) you could record the video ahead of time and still host it on social media or share it through Google Drive or Microsoft OneNote.

Take a look at this amazing principal, David Anderson, of the Christa S. McAuliffe Elementary School in Lowell, Massachusetts. He and his staff create live and pre-recorded read alouds for snow days and vacations!

If you don't like to record yourself, there are a myriad of read alouds on YouTube. Kate Messner, a children's book author, is in the process of creating a list of author's reading from their own books to share with your parents and students!
Reading Foundational Skills
To keep our little learners working on their fundamentals, teachers can share the Reading Foundational Skills Collection in PBS LearningMedia. This is a fabulous collection of short videos from iconic shows like Between the Lions and Electric Company and student interactives where our littlest learners to can investigate phonemic awareness through activities and songs.
Elementary Videos, photos and online journaling
Anyone who has worked in elementary schools knows that our students are tech savvy, but not tech experts. Because of this, technology lessons at home need to be user friendly for both the student and their families. Seesaw is a wonderful tool to help students capture their learning and experiences at home. Seesaw is an online journal that allows students to take and annotate pictures, make videos, and type answers to anything. Teachers create students in the class, but do not have to assign a digital activity for students to capture their learning, so it is very user friendly! At home students could:

Make a video of themselves reading a book

Take pictures of different shapes in their house and identify them

Take a picture of a math worksheet and record an audio overlay to explain how they solved the problem

Start a blog and journal their experiences at home

Watch a video on PBS LearningMedia (like my favorite, Molly of Denali) and make a video explaining how Molly used informational text in the episode

Seesaw has an activity library as well as the ability to talk to families and share resources.
Middle and High School Digital Assignments and Creating Screencasts
Many middle and high school teachers are already using a learning management system such as Google Classroom or Edmodo, distance learning toolkits, so sending out digital assignments is not new to them. For many, though, teaching long distance is very new. One of the ways to share content and directions with your students is by creating screencasts of your presentations. A screencast is a video that includes the content on your computer screen as well as your voice and/or a video of you. It is a fabulous way for students to still hear from you and feel connected.

Screencastify is a great tool to help you accomplish this task. It is a Google Chrome extension that not only allows you a quick way to create these videos, it automatically syncs with your Google Drive account and is fully integrated with Google Classroom. If you are making a video of your Google Slides presentation, consider turning on the Closed Caption ability to support our students that are English Learners, deaf or hard of hearing.

There are many different activities that you can push out to your students if distance learning is a decision in your district. Many edtech companies are offering free subscriptions during this time so check out this growing list of offerings.
PBS LearningMedia Interactives

PBS LearningMedia Interactives are a fabulous way for our middle and high school students to interact with high quality and engaging content independently. Students investigate topics in all subjects through videos, interactives, reading and writing. Interactives sync with Google Classroom so they are easy to assign to your students. In order to support all your learners, you could use Screencastify to make an instructional video to preview the content and explain to your students how to use the interactive.

As always, during this time of uncertainty, it is important for us to instill in our children that learning and exploration are important and can continue outside the walls of our classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
distance learning tips from one teacher to another

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Distance Learning Tips From One Teacher to Another | PBS Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Unless you have turned off all social media, the news, and decided to climb back into bed and hide under the covers, you have probably heard of the COVID-19 virus, known as the Coronavirus.