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Executive Summary

During the global pandemic, a palpable sense of collective grief has emerged. Grief expert David Kessler says that grief is actually multiple feelings that we must manage. In an interview with HBR, he explains how the classic five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, acceptance) apply today, and the practical steps we can take to manage the anxiety. Those include balancing bad thoughts with good; focusing on the present; letting go of things you can't control; and stocking up on compassion. Kessler also talks about a sixth stage of grief: meaning. After acceptance, he says, we will find meaning in the hard-to-fathom events and we will be stronger for it.

HBR Staff/d3sign/Getty Images

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Some of the HBR edit staff met virtually the other day - a screen full of faces in a scene becoming more common everywhere. We talked about the content we're commissioning in this harrowing time of a pandemic and how we can help people. But we also talked about how we were feeling. One colleague mentioned that what she felt was grief. Heads nodded in all the panes.

If we can name it, perhaps we can manage it. We turned to David Kessler for ideas on how to do that. Kessler is the world's foremost expert on grief. He co-wrote with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief through the Five Stages of Loss. His new book adds another stage to the process, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. Kessler also has worked for a decade in a three-hospital system in Los Angeles. He served on their biohazards team. His volunteer work includes being an LAPD Specialist Reserve for traumatic events as well as having served on the Red Cross's disaster services team. He is the founder of www.grief.com, which has over 5 million visits yearly from 167 countries.

Kessler shared his thoughts on why it's important to acknowledge the grief you may be feeling, how to manage it, and how he believes we will find meaning in it. The conversation is lightly edited for clarity.
HBR: People are feeling any number of things right now. Is it right to call some of what they're feeling grief?
Kessler: Yes, and we're feeling a number of different griefs. We feel the world has changed, and it has. We know this is temporary, but it doesn't feel that way, and we realize things will be different. Just as going to the airport is forever different from how it was before 9/11, things will change and this is the point at which they changed. The loss of normalcy; the fear of economic toll; the loss of connection. This is hitting us and we're grieving. Collectively. We are not used to this kind of collective grief in the air.
You said we're feeling more than one kind of grief?
Yes, we're also feeling anticipatory grief. Anticipatory grief is that feeling we get about what the future holds when we're uncertain. Usually it centers on death. We feel it when someone gets a dire diagnosis or when we have the normal thought that we'll lose a parent someday. Anticipatory grief is also more broadly imagined futures. There is a storm coming. There's something bad out there. With a virus, this kind of grief is so confusing for people. Our primitive mind knows something bad is happening, but you can't see it. This breaks our sense of safety. We're feeling that loss of safety. I don't think we've collectively lost our sense of general safety like this. Individually or as smaller groups, people have felt this. But all together, this is new. We are grieving on a micro and a macro level.
What can individuals do to manage all this grief?
Understanding the stages of grief is a start. But whenever I talk about the stages of grief, I have to remind people that the stages aren't linear and may not happen in this order. It's not a map but it provides some scaffolding for this unknown world. There's denial, which we say a lot of early on: This virus won't affect us. There's anger: You're making me stay home and taking away my activities. There's bargaining: Okay, if I social distance for two weeks everything will be better, right? There's sadness: I don't know when this will end. And finally there's acceptance. This is happening; I have to figure out how to proceed.

Acceptance, as you might imagine, is where the power lies. We find control in acceptance. I can wash my hands. I can keep a safe distance. I can learn how to work virtually.
When we're feeling grief there's that physical pain. And the racing mind. Are there techniques to deal with that to make it less intense?
Let's go back to anticipatory grief. Unhealthy anticipatory grief is really anxiety, and that's the feeling you're talking about. Our mind begins to show us images. My parents getting sick. We see the worst scenarios. That's our minds being protective. Our goal is not to ignore those images or to try to make them go away - your mind won't let you do that and it can be painful to try and force it. The goal is to find balance in the things you're thinking. If you feel the worst image taking shape, make yourself think of the best image. We all get a little sick and the world continues. Not everyone I love dies. Maybe no one does because we're all taking the right steps. Neither scenario should be ignored but neither should dominate either.

Anticipatory grief is the mind going to the future and imagining the worst. To calm yourself, you want to come into the present. This will be familiar advice to anyone who has meditated or practiced mindfulness but people are always surprised at how prosaic this can be. You can name five things in the room. There's a computer, a chair, a picture of the dog, an old rug, and a coffee mug. It's that simple. Breathe. Realize that in the present moment, nothing you've anticipated has happened. In this moment, you're okay. You have food. You are not sick. Use your senses and think about what they feel. The desk is hard. The blanket is soft. I can feel the breath coming into my nose. This really will work to dampen some of that pain.

You can also think about how to let go of what you can't control. What your neighbor is doing is out of your control. What is in your control is staying six feet away from them and washing your hands. Focus on that.

Finally, it's a good time to stock up on compassion. Everyone will have different levels of fear and grief and it manifests in different ways. A coworker got very snippy with me the other day and I thought, That's not like this person; that's how they're dealing with this. I'm seeing their fear and anxiety. So be patient. Think about who someone usually is and not who they seem to be in this moment.
One particularly troubling aspect of this pandemic is the open-endedness of it.
This is a temporary state. It helps to say it. I worked for 10 years in the hospital system. I've been trained for situations like this. I've also studied the 1918 flu pandemic. The precautions we're taking are the right ones. History tells us that. This is survivable. We will survive. This is a time to overprotect but not overreact.

And, I believe we will find meaning in it. I've been honored that Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's family has given me permission to add a sixth stage to grief: Meaning. I had talked to Elisabeth quite a bit about what came after acceptance. I did not want to stop at acceptance when I experienced some personal grief. I wanted meaning in those darkest hours. And I do believe we find light in those times. Even now people are realizing they can connect through technology. They are not as remote as they thought. They are realizing they can use their phones for long conversations. They're appreciating walks. I believe we will continue to find meaning now and when this is over.
What do you say to someone who's read all this and is still feeling overwhelmed with grief?
Keep trying. There is something powerful about naming this as grief. It helps us feel what's inside of us. So many have told me in the past week, "I'm telling my coworkers I'm having a hard time," or "I cried last night." When you name it, you feel it and it moves through you. Emotions need motion. It's important we acknowledge what we go through. One unfortunate byproduct of the self-help movement is we're the first generation to have feelings about our feelings. We tell ourselves things like, I feel sad, but I shouldn't feel that; other people have it worse. We can - we should - stop at the first feeling. I feel sad. Let me go for five minutes to feel sad. Your work is to feel your sadness and fear and anger whether or not someone else is feeling something. Fighting it doesn't help because your body is producing the feeling. If we allow the feelings to happen, they'll happen in an orderly way, and it empowers us. Then we're not victims.
In an orderly way?
Yes. Sometimes we try not to feel what we're feeling because we have this image of a "gang of feelings." If I feel sad and let that in, it'll never go away. The gang of bad feelings will overrun me. The truth is a feeling that moves through us. We feel it and it goes and then we go to the next feeling. There's no gang out to get us. It's absurd to think we shouldn't feel grief right now. Let yourself feel the grief and keep going.

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Executive Summary During the global pandemic, a palpable sense of collective grief has emerged. Grief expert David Kessler says that grief is actually multiple feelings that we must manage. In an interview with HBR, he explains how the classic five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, acceptance) apply today, and the practical steps we can take to manage the anxiety.

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The popular lecturer, author and podcast host tells 60 Minutes why people shouldn't associate vulnerability with weakness, why she wishes her work would not be called "self-help," and how her own struggles help her connect with others. Bill Whitaker reports.

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The popular lecturer, author and podcast host tells 60 Minutes why people shouldn't associate vulnerability with weakness, why she wishes her work would not be called "self-help," and how her own struggles help her connect with others. Bill Whitaker reports.

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A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus

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A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus

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A Trauma-informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus

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Experts from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network share their recommendations for educators supporting students during the COVID-19 crisis.

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Cult of Pedagogy: Gently Curated List of Resources

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Cult of Pedagogy: Gently Curated List of Resources

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Sponsored by World101 and Listenwise

Disclaimer 1: This post was written in the Spring of 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, so a lot of the information here is discussed through the lens of distance learning launched by a global pandemic. I have attempted to broaden the lens beyond our current situation to take other distance-learning situations into account.

Disclaimer 2: I recommend quite a few tech tools in this post. Before you proceed with them, please check with your district to make sure the tools comply with your specific use policies for age, privacy, etc.

If you've found yourself teaching in a distance-learning situation, especially if it's been foisted upon you by circumstance, you'll discover pretty quickly that distance learning offers different challenges from face-to-face instruction. And if you look online, you'll find tons of ideas and resources that can help you tackle those challenges, so much that it's easy to get paralyzed at the volume of it all. This is especially true if you're expected to hit the ground running with very little notice.

To help you, I'm going to take my best shot at sharing clear, carefully curated information on distance learning. We'll do this in four parts:

In Part 1 I'll address your head and your heart, the very real, valid emotional and psychological factors that may be preventing you from doing a decent job with online learning.

In Part 2 we'll get into the nuts and bolts of distance learning, options for content delivery, different ways students can demonstrate learning, and some of the tech that can make it all work.

In Part 3 I'll share some general tips and advice I've gathered from teachers in the field.

And in Part 4 we'll talk about troubleshooting, solving some of the more specific problems that come up often when we talk about online learning.

PART 1: START WITH YOUR HEAD AND YOUR HEART

None of the practical stuff is going to do any of us much good if we're in a distracted, panicked headspace and haven't tended to the ways our current situation has impacted our emotions. Here are three things you can do to get your head and heart in a better place.

Get Perspective

There will likely be times when the people in charge of you start to expect too much, or you expect too much of yourself. If you're in a situation like the one we happen to be in right now, in the spring of 2020, you may need to regularly step back from what's right in front of you and remember that we're dealing with life and death circumstances right now. None of this is normal, and there really is no precedent to follow. Most people are doing the best they can on any given day, and that means things will not go smoothly. And by "people," I mean everyone: students, parents, your colleagues, your administration, your family members, and you. YOU. Giving yourself plenty of grace is key at times like this.

If you need something to help you regain perspective and cut yourself some slack, read Carolyn Todd's editorial, Is Anyone Else Just Barely Functioning Right Now?

Now if you personally have a cool, level head at the moment, but someone else is pressuring you to do more, keep in mind that they are feeling their own unique pressure to perform, and they're passing that on to you. It may be an opportunity to validate their feelings, or it may be time to push back on expectations that are simply unreasonable.

Get Physical

When things start to feel like too much, start moving. Decades of research has pointed to the link between physical activity and brain function, but most of us don't need research to know that some of our best ideas come to us when we change things up and go for a walk, a run, or a bike ride. This is especially important during times when we are more likely to be cooped up in our homes, such as, say, a quarantine imposed by a global pandemic.

Get with Other People

One of the things that has really overwhelmed me in the process of putting this post together is knowing that everyone's situation is a little different and not having the tools to address each situation.

One way to alleviate this is to get in touch with others who are more familiar with your specific needs. Apart from collaborating with your colleagues, a great way to share ideas is to find and join online groups. Two I'm recommending here are on Facebook. If you're not on Facebook, I strongly suggest you set up an account just for the purpose of collaborating with others.

Dealing with Educational Inequities in Distance/Online Learning: This group was created "in response to the growing list of resources and practices during the COVID-19 shutdown that further increase the educational divide as it relates to accessibility; race; socio-economic status; gender; and other marginalized communities. We want to demonstrate real solutions in distance/online learning that can provide solutions for all learners."

PART 2: THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF ONLINE LEARNING

Online learning has so many components to it; each one could honestly get its own whole blog post. Since I can't go too in-depth all at once, I'll just do an overview of all the pieces and link out to a few resources that can help you learn more about each one.

1. CONNECTING AND COMMUNICATING WITH STUDENTS

It's essential that you have clear, consistent, accessible channels for communicating with your students. Different pathways for communication will need to be established. The first two are essential and asynchronous, meaning participants can access the conversation whenever it's convenient; they don't need to be present at the same time. The third pathway is optional and is usually synchronous, meaning participants must "attend" the conversation at the same time.

Must Have: Outgoing Communication asynchronous On this pathway, you give instructions, post announcements, and generally inform your students about what's going on and what's expected of them. Some teachers are creating daily or weekly videos for this purpose, while others are writing out instructions in places like Google Docs, and others are doubling up-pairing short videos with written instructions so students get the information through different modes.

It seems like one of the most important considerations with outgoing communication is that you keep it consistent: Pick one place to deliver and store outgoing messages and stick with that, so students know where to look, nothing gets lost in the mix, and no one gets overwhelmed with information overload.

Must Have: Incoming Communication asynchronous This pathway is for students and parents to reach out to you with questions, feedback, and updates on their ability to complete required work.

Nice to Have: Two-Way Communication
synchronous OR asynchronous On this pathway, you and your students can communicate back and forth in a more open dialogue, where you broadcast yourself live and students attend as participants in one-on-one, small-group, or whole-class sessions.

Video conferencing: For this pathway, many teachers are using video conferencing tools like Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, and Microsoft Teams. These can be great for community-building and giving students a sense of connectedness with you and each other.

It's important to note that these platforms also have their pitfalls, one of which is that they may directly violate your school's privacy policies, so be sure to check with the people in your district who are in charge of compliance with those policies to make sure you're ok. This article from Edsurge does a good job of explaining the potential problems with video conferencing; it focuses specifically on Zoom, but the concepts would apply to any video conferencing tool.

This infographic, created by the Celina High School SWAT Team in Celina, TX, and their advisor, Tisha Poncio, offers tips for students when participating in video conferences:

Alternatives to Video Conferencing: If you've decided not to go the video conferencing route for now, you can still set up text-based discussions that can get students interacting:

Discussion boards: Many platforms, like Google Classroom, Blackboard, Edmodo, and Microsoft Teams, give you the option to set up ongoing, text-based discussions on individual topics. You can make these optional, open for students to ask questions on their work, or make participation a required part of students' grades.

Backchannel discussion: If you'd like something that feels more dynamic and "live," try a backchannel discussion, which can happen at a set time (synchronous) or stay open for a longer period of time to allow students to participate when it's convenient for them (asynchronous). You can open up a text-based chat room in YoTeach (which is very similar to the now-defunct TodaysMeet). If your students are 13 years or older, you could also set them up on Voxer, which allows them to use voice or text to carry on discussions.

2. KEEPING EVERYTHING ORGANIZED

Ideally, you and your colleagues will have chosen a single platform for storing and delivering assignments, collecting student work, posting announcements, and so on. Many schools are already set up on a learning management system (LMS) like Google Classroom, Canvas, Blackboard, or Edmodo. If you don't already have something in place, and you don't have time to learn a new platform, it's probably not a good idea to jump into anything new.

But creating a central hub should be a priority. What parents and students are saying most often is that it's incredibly stressful to have to keep up with multiple platforms and multiple streams of information, with some pieces coming through email, others through Remind, others through an LMS, and so on. With more than one child at home and more than one teacher per child, things can get out of hand very fast. It's perfectly fine to use different tools as part of your instruction-you might assign Quizlet flashcards, Edpuzzle lessons, Newsela articles-but for communication, keep things as streamlined as possible.

One simple approach taken by some schools is to maintain a single document (usually a Google Doc) for the whole school. In that document are links to individual documents for each teacher.

This type of document-which is just a really simple hyperdoc -creates a central hub where parents and students can start every single time, then click over to the places where they can find updated information for their classes. Even if you don't use this specific model, setting up something like it will make your whole school run more smoothly.

Individual teachers can then replicate this type of hub for their own classes, creating a central folder or file where students can find daily or weekly assignments and other communications.

3. LESSON DESIGN

Entire degree programs have been created to show teachers how to design lessons for online learning, and I wasn't able to delve into this enough for this post. What I did find are two resources that you might find helpful without getting another master's degree:

One principle that I've seen in several discussions of online learning is the idea that it works better when you give students some choices, choices in how they take information in and choices in how they demonstrate learning. The next two sections will share some possibilities for both of those.

4. OPTIONS FOR DELIVERING CONTENT

One of the main things you need to do when setting up online instruction is figuring out how students are actually going to take in the content. You have a few options, and it's a good idea to not just stick to one avenue, since you ideally want to give students multiple modes of intake.

Readings

Google Docs or Microsoft Word Files: As long as you remember to manage the security settings on these so they can't be edited, these kinds of files are perfectly fine to use as reading materials.

Regular PDFs: One advantage of using PDFs is that you generally don't have to worry about them being altered by the student, and things like fonts and other design elements will be preserved no matter what device a student is using.

PDFs with Annotation Tools: Several tools like Edji and Kami allow users to annotate PDFs, which would make a great close-reading assignment.

Websites: There's a ton of outstanding free content online that would make excellent reading material for class assignments. On CommonLit, Newsela, and Actively Learn, you can find good reading material for many grade levels and subject areas. NewseumED offers fantastic primary sources for history and social studies.

Websites with Customized, Added Layers: With any website at all, you can use Insert Learning to layer on your own instructional content, such as notes, discussion questions, quizzes, and other embedded content.

Videos

Video is a very popular way to deliver content online, because it has the potential to restore the voice and visuals that are lost when we move away from face-to-face instruction. Once you have a good video, you can share it directly with a link or use a tool like Edpuzzle or PlayPosit to build a complete lesson around that video.

You have two options for sourcing your content: use videos that were created by someone else, or create the videos yourself.

Created by Someone Else
Obviously, the internet is absolutely loaded with videos, and using them means you don't have to make them yourself. What's challenging is finding videos that (a) are appropriate for student viewing, and (b) accurately represent the content you want to deliver, in a way that's succinct and maybe even entertaining. Finding videos that meet these criteria can be really time-consuming if you don't know where to look.

To save time, it helps to go to sources that have already proven themselves as creators of high-quality educational videos.

Khan Academy offers a massive library of videos on math, science, and arts & humanities, including history and government, so that would be a great place to start.

Look for YouTube channels created by organizations that already have a strong reputation for good content, like National Geographic, the History Channel, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

As with anything else, your colleagues are going to be one of your best sources for finding good stuff, so ask around at school, or find a group on Twitter that can recommend something for you.

Created by You The good thing about creating your own videos is that you have total control over the content. Probably the easiest way to create instructional videos is with screencasting software, which simply records whatever is on your screen while you narrate into a microphone. So you could, for example, create a PowerPoint-based lecture, then just deliver that lecture on your screen and use screencasting software to record it.

Here are two affordable, popular options for screencasting:

Screencastify
screencastify.com
This recorder is built right into Google Chrome, which makes it an incredibly convenient tool for creating on-the-spot screencasts. As of right now, the editing tools are still kind of rudimentary, which means you're not likely to end up with a very polished end product. Still, for many purposes, this tool gets the job done quickly and easily. Watch this video to learn how to use it.

Screencast-o-Matic
screencast-o-matic.com
This popular recorder is one that you download onto your computer, which is slightly less convenient than one that's built into a browser, but the editing features available with the paid plans might make it worth it for you. This video gives you an overview of how it works.

Static Slide Presentation

Slideshows that combine text with appealing visuals can be a nice alternative to text readings. They're also much quicker and easier to create than videos, and viewing them requires a lot less internet bandwidth.

These kinds of slideshows, which students would click through on their own, should ideally be designed with that independent experience in mind. Unlike a presentation that you give live, these would not be simply a support for a speaker; they'd need to stand completely alone, with all the necessary text on the slides, rather than in the speaker notes.

Rather than sharing these as a file, which would require you to adjust editing permissions and would likely result in the student looking at it in editing mode, you can share it in presentation mode so the slides take up the full screen and it feels more like an experience, like in this sample presentation. Learn how to set this up with a Google Slides presentation in the video below:

Audio

Content can also be delivered via audio, which can be a nice change of pace for students who are used to text or videos only, and because audio files are much smaller than video files, they're less likely to strain home internet capabilities.

Listenwise houses a fantastic library of curated, standards-aligned podcasts.

You can find lots of other podcasts on pretty much any topic imaginable. Here are some good ones that are produced specifically for student audiences.

Recording your own audio instructions, reflections, or lectures is simple and quick. You can use a voice recording app on a smartphone or a web-based tool like Online Voice Recorder to create MP3 files, which are just audio files, then upload those files right into whatever platform you're using to distribute information to students. In many cases, students will be able to play them right on that platform.

Interactive Learning Experiences

Some tools have come along in recent years that allow you to create interactive online learning modules, where students click through various instructional components, play games, take interactive quizzes, and so on. Although some activities may not justify the time it takes to put these interactives together, they can offer something different and more fun than the standard fare. You can find these on sites like GoConqr, Deck.Toys, BookWidgets, and Wizer. The one platform that seems to have the most robust collection of options is Genially. Take a look:

5. OPTIONS FOR DEMONSTRATING LEARNING

Just as there are many different ways to get the content into students' heads, you can also offer choices for how students demonstrate their learning. Probably the quickest, most traditional way to measure whether students learned the material is to give them some kind of test or quiz, but that may not be the best way to get students to experience the content in a deep way. Sticking only to tests also favors students who work well in that mode, rather than allowing other students to shine in areas they might be stronger in. Beyond all that, it's not much fun.

On Twitter, I asked teachers for some fresh ideas for "end products," and got tons of ideas back. Below I've listed some really good ones. Before you jump on these, be mindful that these end products still need to align with your instructional goals and are not what we call Grecian Urn assignments, creative-looking projects that don't ultimately have much instructional value.

Book: Students create a children's book, mini-textbook, handbook, comic, or other kind of book. These can be done on paper or created with apps like Book Creator.

Google Tour: Using Google Tour Builder, students can create customized tours that combine photos, text, and targeted locations on Google Earth. These could be used to create tours that explore current events, historical periods or phenomena, science or geography topics, global research topics, students' personal histories or future plans, or completely fictionalized stories that take place in various locations around the world.

Infographic: On paper or using a tool like Piktochart, have students create an infographic to represent or teach about an idea or set of data.

Lesson: Have students write their own lesson on a chunk of your content. Provide them with the basic structure of a lesson to follow, including objectives, direct instruction, guided practice, and some sort of assessment to measure their success.

Model: Students can create a physical model representing some aspect of your curriculum, then photograph it from various angles or create a video tour of the model with their own narration.

Museum or Multimedia Collection: Have students curate a collection of artifacts representing a curricular concept, along with their own written captions, in a Google Slides presentation. Two fantastic resources for gathering these artifacts are the Smithsonian Learning Lab and the Google Arts & Culture website.

Podcast: Have students use the recording tools mentioned in the "Audio" section above or an app like Anchor to record a podcast where they express an opinion, tell a story, or teach about a content-related topic. If students have a lot of material, they can break their podcast into multiple episodes and do a series instead.

Scavenger Hunt: Have students participate in a content-based scavenger hunt and take photos to record their findings. An app like GooseChase can make this even more fun.

Sketchnote: Have students create a sketchnote to represent a content-related topic using paper or with a drawing app like Sketchpad.

Video: Students can create their own videos as creative, informative, persuasive, or reflective pieces. These can be public service announcements, commercials, mini-documentaries, instructional videos, short feature films or animations, or TED-style talks. Tools for creating these can range from quick response platforms like Flipgrid, to screencasting tools listed in the previous section, a tool that creates stop motion videos like Stop Motion Studio, or simple online video creators like Adobe Spark.

Website: Using tools like Weebly, Wix, or Google Sites, have students develop a website to document a long-term project or teach about a particular idea.

PART 3: GENERAL TIPS AND ADVICE FROM TEACHERS

Begin again.

If distance learning has been introduced suddenly, where it takes the place of face-to-face learning rather than being the standard from the start, treat the beginning of the shift the same way you'd treat the beginning of a school year, by establishing routines and protocols before digging deeply into content, and giving extra energy to rekindling culture and relationships on the new platform even if they were already established in the face-to-face setting.

Keep home responsibilities in mind.

When schools are closed district-wide, all children are out of school and under one roof. This means older kids may be shouldering some responsibility for caring for their younger siblings, and that could impact how well they are able to keep up with deadlines, log in for synchronous events, or respond to communication in a timely manner. Letting students know up front that you get this, and maintaining flexibility with deadlines, can go a long way toward keeping lines of communication open and avoiding misunderstandings.

Make social interaction a priority.

When we are kept apart from one another for whatever reason, our need for human interaction increases. So if you're teaching a distance learning course that was set up that way to begin with, it's important to build in structures to keep students interacting with each other and with you.

This principle is even more vital in situations where distance learning is coupled with large-scale social isolation.

Some of the tools and systems I mentioned earlier, like video conferencing and discussion boards, can meet this need; even your own outgoing video, audio, and written communication can be used for more "human connection" reasons. A good general rule to keep in mind is that you don't need to use 100% of your time for instructional purposes; allowing space for regular conversation, venting, and laughter can be incredibly important.

Keep messaging to a minimum.

I mentioned this earlier, but it's important so I'm repeating it. If kids and parents are receiving multiple messages from multiple teachers every day, and families have multiple kids, they can become overwhelmed really quickly, and things will start slipping through the cracks.

Try to limit the number of platforms you and your school are using for distributing information. Ideally, you'll have one clear channel for sending out announcements and messages, and those will be limited in number. Parents and students will have one place to look for all important information, and that "place" will be clean, simple, easy to navigate, and updated regularly so that all users can count on the information being current. The closer you can get to this ideal, the more smoothly things will go.

PART 4: TROUBLESHOOTING

Two specific problems tend to come up more often than any others when it comes to distance learning. Although neither one is completely solvable, here are some of the ways schools are addressing them:

1. Students Who Do Not Have Home Access to Tech

The whole notion of distance learning becomes a problem if some of your students don't have devices or reliable internet access. Here are some ways to address this problem:

Get more students connected. In a 2017 post, When Your School is Short on Tech, I showcased some ways that schools are getting unconnected families online, including information on how some schools partner with organizations like Kajeet to loan WiFi hotspots out to families. Although some of the solutions may not be relevant to a distance-learning situation, you may find some resources that can be helpful in your community, even if they can't be implemented right away.

Offer non-digital options. Some districts are working around the problem by offering paper resources for pick-up and drop-off. This is how we did distance learning in all the years before the internet, so it's certainly possible to do it again.

Use the phone. If you've tried other avenues and still can't get a hold of some families, a regular phone call might be your best option. If you want to keep your number private, you can set up a Google Voice account, which allows you to call, text, or message another phone without sharing your personal number, or use some of these phone settings to block your regular number. If you are reaching out to families that don't speak your language, try the free TalkingPoints app, which allows you to communicate with them in their language.

Use the mail. Although not ideal or cheap, it may be possible to mail materials back and forth (if you have office staff still going to school each day, they may be able to help with this). Even if instruction isn't possible this way, consider the impact it would make if you took ten minutes to mail a hand-written letter to an otherwise unconnected student, just to let them know you're thinking about them.

Consider home visits as a last resort. This isn't out of the question. And if you're deeply concerned about reaching students who can't be reached in any other way, it may be possible to just drive to their neighborhoods and, maintaining all precautionary measures and social distancing, check in with them. One visit might be all that's needed to at least establish a phone connection that you can maintain from that point on.

2. Meeting Special Education, RTI, and Language Learning Needs

So many of our students have individual needs that we have figured out how to meet in a school setting. When school moves to a distance-learning model, both teachers and parents are often at a loss for how to continue working with students with IEPs, those who receive RTI support, English learners, and other students who get one-on-one time with educators specifically trained to meet their needs.

Since this one is really far out of my wheelhouse, I reached out on Twitter for help. Really, your best bet is to read the replies to see what might work for you. You'll not only get some good ideas, you're likely to connect with people you can reach out to for even more good ideas.

Apart from that, I have a two more resources to share:

Microsoft has a growing suite of tools made specifically to make online learning more accessible for all learners. One or more of these may make it easier for you to meet more students' needs from a distance.

The TalkingPoints app enables teachers to communicate with parents in the parents' native language, and it even works if parents only have text-based phones.

As I neared completion on this post, I opened up my inbox and found five other resources that had been sent to me for possible inclusion in this post. Looking through them made me realize I had missed gobs and gobs of information here. I felt completely deflated and overwhelmed all over again, but then, as I have often had to do in the past couple of weeks, I took a deep breath, closed up the things that were distracting and upsetting me, and said to myself, "Today you have done enough."

I hope this has helped you in some way. If not, tomorrow is another day.

Come back for more.
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Distance Learning: A Gently Curated Collection of Resources for Teachers

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Sponsored by World101 and Listenwise Disclaimer 1: This post was written in the Spring of 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak, so a lot of the information here is discussed through the lens of distance learning launched by a global pandemic.

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Project Based Learning Archives | KQED Arts

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Educators use Project Based Learning to allow students to make projects as they learn certain subjects.

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What Is Design Thinking?

Every day, I ask my kids, "What did you make in school today?" Too often, they can't give me an answer. But on the days that they do, their eyes light up and they passionately describe their projects. It's in those moments that I am reminded that making is magic.

But here's the thing: this is hard to pull off. We all have curriculum maps and limited resources and standards we have to teach. We don't always have fancy maker spaces or high-tech gadgetry. Our time is limited and so creativity is often a lofty ideal that rarely becomes a reality.

This is what I love about design thinking. It works within the standards in every subject. It's a flexible approach that you can use with limited resources. It isn't something new that you add to your crowded schedule. Instead, it's an innovative approach to the work you are already doing - a process designed specifically to boost creativity and bring out the maker in every student.

This is why A.J. Juliani and I developed the LAUNCH Cycle. It's a design thinking framework specifically tailored to K-12 classrooms that you can use at any grade level. Think of it this way. Making is the mindset. Design thinking is the process. The LAUNCH Cycle is the framework.

The Student-Friendly LAUNCH Cycle

For the last 15 years, I've used design thinking. As a teacher, I used it for everything from coding projects to service projects to documentaries to engineering challenges. As startup co-founder, we used the design thinking cycle for product development. As an author, it's a framework I use for publishing. However, as a teacher, I realized that design thinking needed to be relevant, developmentally-appropriate, and simple enough that any child could use it.

A.J. Juliani and I realized the need for a student-friendly design thinking framework tailored specifically for a K-12 environment. We both had spent over a decade using design thinking and we had each added a few innovations, including an inquiry phase, a research phase, and a launch phase. After testing this out in multiple classrooms, we finalized the LAUNCH Cycle.

You can read all about it in our book Launch: Using the Design Thinking Process to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every

We created an acronym to help make it easier to remember:

L: Look, Listen, and Learn
In the first phase, students look, listen, and learn.The goal here is awareness. It might be a sense of wonder at a process or an awareness of a problem or a sense of empathy toward an audience.

A: Ask Tons of Questions
Sparked by curiosity, students move to the second phase, where they ask tons of questions.

U: Understanding the Process or Problem
This leads to understanding the process or problem through an authentic research experience. They might conduct interviews or needs assessments, research articles, watch videos, or analyze data.

N: Navigate Ideas
Students apply that newly acquired knowledge to potential solutions. In this phase, they navigate ideas. Here they not only brainstorm, but they also analyze ideas, combine ideas, and generate a concept for what they will create.

C: Create a Prototype
In this next phase, they create a prototype. It might be a digital work or a tangible product, a work of art or something they engineer. It might even be an action or an event or a system.

H: Highlight and Fix
Next, they begin to highlight what's working and fix what's failing. The goal here is to view this revision process as an experiment full of iterations, where every mistake takes them closer to success.

Launch to an Audience
Then, when it's done, it's ready to launch. In the launch phase, they send it to an authentic audience. They share their work with the world!

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Design thinking is a flexible process for getting the most out of the creative process. It is used in the arts, in engineering, in the corporate world, at universities, and in social and civic spaces. You can use it in every subject with every age group.

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8 Steps for Implementing Design Thinking in Your Classroom

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8 Steps for Implementing Design Thinking in Your Classroom

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Encourage deep problem solving with design thinking.

Design thinking started as a way of thinking about how to creatively design indoor and outdoor spaces with an emphasis on solving problems in ways that benefit or increase interaction. To accomplish this goal, the process relies on empathy, brainstorming, and re-designing solutions, looping back repeatedly to try to see designs from the viewpoint of users. The business and product-design industries embrace design thinking because it provides a way to focus on user experiences -- now it's time for our schools to embrace it!

Hearts and minds pave the way for creative problem solving.

As we use the design thinking approach in the classroom, we focus on key components such as empathy, the free flow of ideas, building prototypes, and gathering feedback, which results in creative solutions and ideas that might have never come to light otherwise. For example, in a design-sprint workshop this past spring, students were studying local and global problems and used design thinking to embrace creativity and solve some big problems!

As students worked on designing apps to solve some of these problems, they interviewed each other, sketched designs on index cards, and "tested" the usability and effect of their ideas.

This is how we do it.

In our classroom, we started a design thinking workshop where students started with lists of problems that they wanted to solve. As students worked on designing apps to solve some of these problems, they interviewed each other, sketched designs on index cards, and "tested" the usability and effect of their ideas. Our students worked by hand without technology in order to focus on being creative, as we didn't want students' limited coding knowledge to interfere with their design solutions. After completing the initial app design, students adjust their sketches.

One great example was created by a third-grade student -- the concept app allowed parents and students to see who needs a ride and/or who had free space in their car. The app would use maps, social networks, and messaging to find the closest options for the users. If you offer a ride, you earn points, which can be redeemed later with other users. This app was designed to help solve the problem of global warming -- on a small scale.

Students applied their learning to create a campaign that would change behavior in the school.

In a workshop with seventh-grade students, we used The D.School at Stanford University project of designing a wallet as an introduction to design thinking. Students applied their learning to create a campaign that would change behavior in the school. Each student group tested their ideas (with permission from our principal) and analyzed their results, made adjustments, and reported back to the class. One of our most interesting campaigns was getting students to stop saying, "No offense," before they said something offensive.

Start implementing design thinking in your classroom!

To teach design thinking in your class, an easy first step is to use the free materials from the D.School, where students design something physical like a wallet. You can do it in 1-2 hours with your whole class. The hardest task is getting all of the materials ready. The lesson plans are very clear, as are the learning outcomes.

The next step is to make design thinking a part of your classroom. You don't need to physically build things as long as students have materials to draw with. Here are eight steps to implementing design thinking in your classroom:
1. Generate a list of problems students want to solve, which can be big or small, design based or issue based.
2. Prepare materials to build and prototype with.
3. Pair students up and have them interview each other about the problem. Asking questions and listening to answers is one of the most important parts of the process. Students might not interview each other at this point -- they might be paired up with the people affected by the problem.
4. Give students time (but not too much time) to come up with some solutions to the problem, which they will sketch or plan out on paper.
5. Pair up again to share ideas, explain, question, and take notes.
6. Give students time to design and refine the prototype they chose with/for their partner.
7. Pair up one more time for feedback.
8. Make time for whole class or individual reflection.
This process can be completed in 90 minutes to two hours, or it can run for several days or weeks. If the problems you are tackling are complex and if students are going to actually build a solution, design thinking can transform a final assessment into a meaningful source of project-based learning.

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8 Steps to Implementing Design Thinking in Your Classroom | Common Sense Education

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Design thinking started as a way of thinking about how to creatively design indoor and outdoor spaces with an emphasis on solving problems in ways that benefit or increase interaction. To accomplish this goal, the process relies on empathy, brainstorming, and re-designing solutions, looping back repeatedly to try to see designs from the viewpoint of users.

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Join researcher and #1 New York Times best-selling author Brené Brown as she unpacks and explores the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the universal experiences of being human, from the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted.

Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She also holds the position of visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.

Brené has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She is the author of six #1 New York Times best sellers and is the host of two award-winning podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead.

Brené's books have been translated into more than 30 languages, and her titles include Atlas of the Heart, Dare to Lead, Braving the Wilderness, Rising Strong, Daring Greatly, and The Gifts of Imperfection. With Tarana Burke, she co-edited the best-selling anthology You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience.

Brené's TED talk on the Power of Vulnerability is one of the top five most-viewed TED talks in the world, with over 50 million views. Brené is the first researcher to have a filmed lecture on Netflix, and in March 2022, she launched a new show on HBO Max that focuses on her latest book, Atlas of the Heart.

Brené spends most of her time working in organizations around the world, helping develop braver leaders and more-courageous cultures.

She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Steve. They have two children, Ellen and Charlie, and a weird Bichon named Lucy.

Follow Brené

Brené Brown: Hi everyone. I'm Brené Brown. Welcome to the Unlocking Us podcast.

BB: Twelve years ago I bought a used microphone, I hooked it up to my laptop, and recorded a podcast on empathy and shame. It was very DIY from my kitchen table, but I fell in love with podcasting. It was intimate, raw, and most importantly it gave me a way to connect directly with you. Well, here it is a dozen years later, and I'm coming back, with Unlocking Us.

BB: I've given a lot of thought to how I want to spend this next decade, and one thing I know for sure is that I want to have more meaningful conversations. Conversations that help us unlock the deeply human part of who we are.

BB: Together we can explore ideas, stories, experiences, research, books, films, music. Anything that reflects the universal experiences of being human. From the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted.

BB: Some episodes of the new podcast will be conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, and maybe even ticking me off a little bit. Some days I'll just talk directly to you about what I'm learning and how it's changing the way I think and show up. We'll also have a way for you to send me questions for Ask Me Anything episodes. And, at some point, I'm going to hit the road and do some live shows too.

BB: Episodes of Unlocking Us will drop every Wednesday. You can find me wherever you normally listen to your podcasts.

BB: Here's the thing. I want to live, love, parent and lead with more courage and more heart. And that requires conversations that help us learn, grow, and challenge what we think we know about ourselves, about each other, and about this world. You can subscribe now, invite your friends, and I really cannot wait to have these conversations with you.

© 2020 Brené Brown Education and Research Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Brown, B. (Host). (2020, January 13). Introducing: Unlocking Us. [Audio podcast episode]. In Unlocking Us with Brené Brown. Cadence13. https://brenebrown.com/podcast/introducing-unlocking-us/

Join researcher and #1 New York Times best-selling author Brené Brown as she unpacks and explores the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the universal experiences of being human, from the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted.

Brené Brown: Hi everyone. I'm Brené Brown. Welcome to the Unlocking Us podcast.

BB: Twelve years ago I bought a used microphone, I hooked it up to my laptop, and recorded a podcast on empathy and shame. It was very DIY from my kitchen table, but I fell in love with podcasting. It was intimate, raw, and most importantly it gave me a way to connect directly with you. Well, here it is a dozen years later, and I'm coming back, with Unlocking Us.

BB: I've given a lot of thought to how I want to spend this next decade, and one thing I know for sure is that I want to have more meaningful conversations. Conversations that help us unlock the deeply human part of who we are.

BB: Together we can explore ideas, stories, experiences, research, books, films, music. Anything that reflects the universal experiences of being human. From the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted.

BB: Some episodes of the new podcast will be conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, and maybe even ticking me off a little bit. Some days I'll just talk directly to you about what I'm learning and how it's changing the way I think and show up. We'll also have a way for you to send me questions for Ask Me Anything episodes. And, at some point, I'm going to hit the road and do some live shows too.

BB: Episodes of Unlocking Us will drop every Wednesday. You can find me wherever you normally listen to your podcasts.

BB: Here's the thing. I want to live, love, parent and lead with more courage and more heart. And that requires conversations that help us learn, grow, and challenge what we think we know about ourselves, about each other, and about this world. You can subscribe now, invite your friends, and I really cannot wait to have these conversations with you.

© 2020 Brené Brown Education and Research Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Brown, B. (Host). (2020, January 13). Introducing: Unlocking Us. [Audio podcast episode]. In Unlocking Us with Brené Brown. Cadence13. https://brenebrown.com/podcast/introducing-unlocking-us/

Unlocking Us Podcast with Brené Brown & Ashley Brown Ruiz

Unlocking Us Podcast with Brené Brown & Ashley Brown Ruiz

Unlocking Us Podcast with Father Richard Rohr

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Join researcher and #1 New York Times best-selling author Brené Brown as she unpacks and explores the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the universal experiences of being human, from the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted.

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Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child

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Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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Executive function and self-regulation (EF/SR) skills provide critical supports for learning and development, and while we aren't born with these skills, we are born with the potential to develop them through interactions and practice.

This 16-page guide (available for download, below), describes a variety of activities and games that represent age-appropriate ways for adults to support and strengthen various components of EF/SR in children.

Each chapter of this guide contains activities suitable for a different age group, from infants to teenagers. The guide may be read in its entirety (which includes the introduction and references) or in discrete sections geared to specific age groups.

Suggested citation: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2014). Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

Download PDF

Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence

An activities guide for building executive function

Download PDF

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Activities Guide: Enhancing & Practicing Executive Function Skills

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Download free guides of executive functioning activities to support and strengthen skills, available for children ages six months through adolescence.

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TED: How to be your best self in times of crisis

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TED: How to be your best self in times of crisis

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Susan David: How to be your best self in times of crisis

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"Life's beauty is inseparable from its fragility," says psychologist Susan David. In a special virtual conversation, she shares wisdom on how to build resilience, courage and joy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Responding to listeners' questions from across the globe, she offers ways to talk to your children about their emotions, keep focus during the crisis and help those working on the front lines.

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Six Ways to Move Beyond the Classwork/Homework Divide (and Never Look Back)

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Six Ways to Move Beyond the Classwork/Homework Divide (and Never Look Back)

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Some years back, a friend of mine was part of a group of parents that had organized and armed themselves for a homework battle with their school. They had research. They had survey data. They had lived experiences of family misery from what they identified as excessively time-consuming, soul-crushing, and family-ruining homework. They had many parents on their team, all equally armed and angry.

When she described the movement and their battle cries, my reply: you couldn't prioritize homework if you wanted change; rather, you had to focus on the program, one that seemingly required a lot of homework.

There's no classwork + homework divide in online classes at Global Online Academy. There's just work (learning). Other settings, especially campus-based schools, can learn from online courses. Athletic teams also offer much to lean on: sports require practice, coaching, and intentionality, all requisite for most learning. Like online classes, these essentials rarely divide into "classwork" and "homework."

How might we reimagine learning (and practice)?

Here are six ways to aim at learning and disarm the homework battle.

Be intentional.

What do we want students to know and be able to do? What are the best approaches for developing that knowledge and those competencies? What outcomes will illuminate what students have learned and where they need practice?

These questions apply at the school level, the program level, the class, the unit, and the assignment levels. As well, they apply to the means used for leading students to build knowledge and skills.

Once competencies and outcomes are established, design learning experiences with intention and attention to what happens where (setting) and how (medium). Determine where online settings can serve learning intentions, e.g. an async discussion in a learning management system. Again, though, determine the why of the medium. Also, be sure to establish how to assess what students have learned and what to do if they fall short of learning outcomes.

Rethink what happens during class time. Go beyond the big, in-person discussion. How often does anyone talk with 18 people at the same time? What would enable more exchanges? Greater interaction? Clarity about the learning students leave with at the end of a class?

Design one week of learning that reimagines time, place, and approach. Use online settings and face-to-face time. Assign no homework. Gather data. Be intentional about what, why, where, and how; vary the where with what best serves the learning purpose, include the where, when, and how of practicing. Return to a typical week; bring back homework and familiar structures; gather data; compare.

Be clear.

Design with clarity about what it takes to learn something. Aim for "deeper learning" when you determine what students will do and demonstrate. Ask yourself how much to cover if you prioritize understanding of core content, application in new contexts, and building competencies for long term use and value well beyond the course.

Work with students on how to practice and self assess. Consider coaches' caution with practicing; they know how easily bad habits or "polished mistakes" (my son's cello teacher's phrase) develop. Be clear about what students can do to learn and to assess their learning; coach them: help them analyze their work and identify what to target and how to do so as well as how to unpack and learn from missteps or confusion. Pursue all of this with the goal of building student agency and autonomy. Inform approaches with what we know from neuroscience about sticky learning. Leverage video (and other media), widespread in athletics and online spaces (and not for lectures).

Learning to Ride a Bike

Be about learning.

It's easy to get lost in the content forest and end up stuck in coverage trees.

Of course, knowledge matters. Determine the knowledge students need and resist what we might want them to know. Emphasize the skills to gain knowledge. For example, teach data analysis (in the context of content), rather than a wander through dense data. Ensure students can apply skills to novel data problems and situations.

Prioritize learning and competency growth over completion and compliance. As a participant said in our recent professional learning course, Rethinking the Role of Content,"While the move toward a 'content curator' is an important step in our faculty's self-understanding, ultimately deeper learning requires faculty that primarily think of themselves as coaches for competency and dedicate more time and energy to providing feedback to students in those skill areas. To rethink the role of content in schools requires faculty to rethink their identity as teachers and gain sufficient confidence to give feedback to students about their skills."

Be real.

Gather excellent info and resist the "arms race." More isn't always better; it's sometimes just more. And, more quickly loses its appeal when volume prevents digging in on anything or a struggle to determine where even to start.

In "A Letter from Stanford's Dean of Undergraduate Admissions," Rick Shaw wrote "After six or seven Advanced Placement courses we have a pretty good idea of how academically capable a student is and that they're up to the challenge of college." And, remember, many students go to college and succeed, having taken no AP classes (and, increasingly, no standardized tests).

Be about students.

Design experiential ways, using design thinking, to build awareness of the student experience. Consider as well how faculty learning leads to student learning. What is the teacher experience? When and how do faculty learn in your school? Do teachers struggle to provide substantive, actionable feedback on student work? Is there too much work for everyone? Use human-centered, empathic approaches to be about students, learning, and the people who most influence student learning, teachers.

Be open to change.

How has your program evolved? Dig in courageously on what impedes change. Explore options for when, where, and how learning can happen and what practice is essential. Again, prioritize learning experiences that lead to "deeper learning"; determine the evidence you and your students can seek for measuring it and its long term value. Be ready to pivot or revise if such evidence reveals you need to.

There are models and partners for those seeking change. Big Picture Learning Schools are different. Challenge Success partners with schools "...to implement research-based strategies that promote student well-being and engagement with learning." The Mastery Transcript Consortium has assembled some 200+ schools that are exploring alternatives to our current system. And, these varied endeavors are moving beyond false dichotomies, such as that between content and skills. After all, how can we learn anything without the skills for doing so?

Finally, remember that we all learn better with sleep, with joy, with genuine interest and curiosity, and with clarity about the what, the why, the when, and, most of all, the how.

How are you rethinking homework and class time? Let us know on Twitter @GOALearning or write an email: hello@GlobalOnlineAcademy.org.

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Six Ways to Move Beyond the Classwork/Homework Divide (and Never Look Back)

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Some years back, a friend of mine was part of a group of parents that had organized and armed themselves for a homework battle with their school. They had research. They had survey data. They had lived experiences of family misery from what they identified as excessively time-consuming, soul-crushing, and family-ruining homework.

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COVID-19 - Racial Equity & Social Justice Resources

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COVID-19 - Racial Equity & Social Justice Resources

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COVID-19 - Racial Equity & Social Justice Resources

COVID-19 Racial Equity & Social Justice list includes information that we hope will help communities and activists as they work to understand and respond to the moment and for the long haul. Our COVID-19 Resources are arranged in categories to help you sift through the material:

Analysis includes a range of resources that look at the big picture - how the pandemic may reshape the world, the existing disparities it highlights, and perspectives on the virus' impact on different communities and issue areas

Resources and Tools includes tips and strategies for response, communication and framing, and addressing hate.

Healing and Community Care centers on how to care for ourselves and our people in this time, while continuing to center the needs and perspectives of the most vulnerable

Organizing and Solidarity has resources on actions people are already taking to bring attention to issues that intersect with the virus' impact, including worker and migrant rights, needs of specific communities of color, and more

Resource Building & Rapid Response - Includes lists of different funds currently available, guidance on resource building at this time and how foundations and donors need to be equitably responsive

Virtual Work and Online Engagement focuses on how we can stay connected to each other and to racial equity action while social distancing

List of Lists is a collection of resource lists shared by others that relate to equity, social justice and other areas in the context of the pandemic

Please use the following link, if you would like to submit a resource.

Analysis

Resources & Tools

Healing & Community Care

Organizing & Solidarity

Resource Building & Rapid Response

Virtual Work & Online Engagement

List of Lists

Also in this section:

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COVID-19 Racial Equity & Social Justice list includes information that we hope will help communities and activists as they work to understand and respond to the moment and for the long haul.

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121 Tools for Distance Learning & Strategies for Student Engagement 

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121 Tools for Distance Learning & Strategies for Student Engagement 

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With the rapid growth of preventative responses towards the COVID-19 outbreak, it seems distance learning is trend here to stay at least for the next 6-12 months. Being prepared to take your classrooms fully online can be stressful, and finding the right curriculum resources challenging when it may be your first foray into the EdTech space.

In this article, you'll get a comprehensive list of helpful learning tools, learn common benefits and drawbacks of remote learning, and learn a few strategies for keeping students engaged while remote to help you through this challenging time.

If we missed any helpful resources along the way, please and we'd be happy to add it to our list.

100+ Tools for Distance Learning

We've scoured the web for helpful apps, tools, and platforms to help you as you set up your distance learning environments during your school closures.

If we've found the organization has announced something confirming COVID-19 supports, we include the link within the description of the tool.

Full Curriculum Coverage Distance Learning Tools

Full Curriculum Coverage Distance Learning Tools

1. CK-12: Free and customizable K-12 open educational resources that are aligned to state curriculum standards.

2. : 100% free covering a wide range of subjects. Particularly strong in STEM subjects.

Return to the Table of Contents
Reading or English Language Arts Distance Learning Tools

Reading or English Language Arts Distance Learning Tools

1. Albert: Thousands of standards-aligned practice questions for grades 6-12. ELA content is high-interest, evidence-driven, with built-in differentiation. Learn more here.

2. ActivelyLearn: Standards-aligned ELA, Science, and Social Studies for promoting students to stop and ask questions. COVID-19 offer here.

3. ReadTheory: This is an online reading comprehension platform that is completely free for teachers.

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Writing Distance Learning Tools

Writing Distance Learning Tools
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Math Distance Learning Tools

Math Distance Learning Tools

1. Albert: Hundreds of free questions and explanations in Foundations of Algebra and . Aligned to Common Core, Regents, and TEKS standards.

2. SplashLearn: Game-based math learning program for grades K-5 available on iOS, Android, or Web. They're COVID-19 support announcement can be found here.

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Language Learning Distance Learning Tools

Language Learning Distance Learning Tools

Fabulingua: Teaches Spanish through magical interactive stories on phones and tablets specifically for kids ages 2-10. FabuLingua is suspending their subscription services and providing their entire platform for free to those impacted.

Science Distance Learning Tools

Science Distance Learning Tools

Computer Science Distance Learning Tools

Computer Science Distance Learning Tools

Minecraft Education Edition: Perfect for students to learn problem-solving - free lessons through June 30 with more details here.

Social Studies Distance Learning Tools

Social Studies Distance Learning Tools

1. Smithsonian Education: Features a Learning Lab that allows you to build collections and educational experiences for students. Also has a Game Center for younger STEM learners and an extensive library on AMerican history.

2. Zinn Education Project: Targeted towards grades 6-12 built off Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. Free downloadable lessons and articles you can use based on theme, time period and reading level.

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Music Learning Distance Learning Tools

Music Learning Distance Learning Tools

1. Cyber Fret: Video based guitar lessons.

2. Metronome: Online metronome.

3. Moosiko: Online practice tool for guitar teachers to help their students learn chords, play songs, and track skills.

4. Ultimate Guitar: World's largest source of guitar tabs.

5. Online Guitar Tuner: Tune your guitar online.

LMS and Communication Tools for Distance Learning

LMS and Communication Tools for Distance Learning

1. ClassDojo: 100% free. Used heavily in K-5 for keeping in touch with parents, managing classrooms and building community. Here's a beginner's guide to getting set up.

2. InScribe: LMS integrated community that helps colleges build an on-demand support system to connect students to the answers, resources, and individuals they need to succeed.

Distance Learning Tools for Class Presentations

Distance Learning Tools for Class Presentations

Quizzing and Formative Assessment Distance Learning Tools

Quizzing and Formative Assessment Distance Learning Tools

1. : Create quizzes from resources made by other users.

2. Poll Everywhere: Run live interactive presentations; similar features to Mentimeter. There is a free account that supports up to 25 participants.

3. ReviewGameZone: Free site that allows you to turn multiple choice questions into addicting review games using their free game generator.

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Tools that Promote Collaboration and Student Engagement

Tools that Promote Collaboration and Student Engagement

1. : Gives a student response system and grades your quizzes. Ideal for BYOD classrooms. The free plan supports up to 200 students.

2. Headspace: Promotes mindfulness and meditation for students to help relieve stress. They're offering supports for educators here.

3. Kapwing: Collaborative online image and video editor with a cloud storage workspace. Great for teachers making video materials or lessons to send to students or students to work on group projects. Free pro licenses are being offered here.

4. RethinkEd: Provides opportunities for students K-12 to develop social emotional skills. Specific COVID-19 supports can be found here.

5. Video Ask: Fun tool for asynchronous video interactions and Q&As. Free account here.

6. Start.me: With this you can build a simple start hub and give instant access to web tools and key information. Learn more here.

Screencapture and Instructional Video Tools

Screencapture and Instructional Video Tools

1. Nimbus: Screen capture for your browser. Allows for annotation. Free plan is a bit more restrictive than Screencastify and Loom.

2. WeVideo: Online video editor that allows students to collaborate with one another on video projects. They're offering support for impacted schools here.

3. YouTube: Tons of helpful educational content - just be sure to vet what you're sharing for quality.

Video Conferencing Tools

1. Google's webinar tools. They've extended supports that you can read about Hangouts Meet: here.

2. YouTube Live: Allows you to run a livestream with students with an interactive chat box. Commonly used by popular AP® teachers like Tom Richey .

General Education News and Trackers

General Education News and Trackers
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What are Some Benefits of Remote Learning?

What are Some Benefits of Remote Learning?

Students are able to study any time, and anywhere as long as they have reliable Internet.

Students are able to independently learn, with teacher guidance as-needed.

Students can learn at their own pace.

The plethora of tools allows for many opportunities for students and staff to build virtual communities.

EdTech tools are generally intuitive to use and require little set up time to begin using.

What are Some Drawbacks of Remote Learning?

What are Some Drawbacks of Remote Learning?

Most online tools require high-speed internet - not all students have this, requiring school districts to adapt rapidly and support accordingly.

Unless you use video conferencing, it's hard to actively monitor students aside from their progress in their online learning.

Not being able to be physically present with students can mean it's more difficult to interpret their body language and feelings to meet their needs.

Relationships require more intentional planning to nurture and maintain, both amongst students and staff.

7 Remote Learning Strategies for Classrooms and Schools

7 Remote Learning Strategies for Classrooms and Schools

1. Ensure students have safe ways to access the Internet; if not possible, consider ways to provide alternatives for students who may not have readily-available access at home.
Not every family has a computer or reliable Internet at home. Checking with your school or district about its plans for how to purchase or rent Wi-Fi hotspots and devices students can bring home is important to the success of any distance learning plan.

If this has not been done, it's advised you plan for a set pick up time and location to arrange devices and hotspots to be distributed.
2. Use Loom, 3. Draft and announce expectations with parents during this time. Screencastify, or a comparable screen recording software for anything that may be confusing.
These free Google Chrome extensions allow educators and administrators to record full-video or video-with-computer-screen screen captures. This can be particularly helpful when explaining key concepts as you would in the classroom, going over a new learning platform, or providing some semblance of normalcy with daily announcements for a school.

4. Replicate bell-ringers and regular routines digitally.
Many of these platforms provide basic user interaction opportunities, which allow for opportunities for educators to ask questions from students and have them type a response, or to react to a video, similar to how they might on a social media site.

Providing parents with clarity around digital classroom expectations is vital for having a system for accountability when you are not able to see your students every day.

This can be done in a multitude of ways, such as publishing distance learning guidelines in the Principal's Letter, sharing key announcements using systems like .
5. Provide opportunities for all to be heard and to have someone to talk to.
There are opportunities for administrators to continue building community as well with virtual school-wide competitions (for example, see how many questions 9th and 10th graders can answer by the end of the week vs. 11th and 12th graders on a digital learning platform). Or, if you prefer not creating a competition, you can make schoolwide goals such as the entire school spending on average 3 hours a week studying on an online platform.

As mentioned earlier with announcements, creating an environment that closely replicates the habits of a normal classroom can be crucial to the success of distance learning.

Running regular virtual staff meetings

Keeping general conference lines open for teachers (similar to the teacher's lounge)

Scheduling small group interdisciplinary meetings for teachers to share distance learning strategies with each other

Using virtual scheduling for students who may need to talk to a guidance counselor (i.e. or YouCanBookMe are free options).

6. Keep classroom calendars up-to-date with expectations for self-pacing, to-dos, and upcoming classroom conference calls.
Some ways to replicate bell-ringers are by creating interactive polls for students to start a class (tools like Mentimeter can do this) or asking questions and having students type in responses for participation points.
7. Encourage student collaboration with group projects and activities they can work on from home.
Aside from bell-ringers, if you regularly hold after-hours for students that would like extra help, you can do so with a Google Hangout, Zoom, or other virtual conferencing software at set times like your school's normal lunch time or immediately after normal school hours once or twice a week.

Not going to school for extended periods of time can be lonely for everyone involved and the uncertainty can contribute negatively to the mental health of students. Ensuring your classroom and or school has a process in place for providing support for students and employees to talk about how they're feeling through these times is crucial to consider.

Assign group projects based around Google Docs or Google Slides

Allow students to team up and compete with programs like

Have students work together to create their own blog or website

Example ways to do this include:

Ensuring your teacher webpage is kept up-to-date can help provide students the structure they need to succeed. Here is an example of how that may look for you:

Sometimes students can be each other's best teachers. It's important to continue to give your students opportunities to collaborate in small groups or teams.

Of course, this will look a little different than it does in the classroom. Examples of ways to allow students to collaborate from a distance include:

Phew! That's a wrap. We hope you've found this resource helpful as you begin navigating distance learning. If you found this helpful, please share this on your social media to help other educators.

If you have any feedback or want to share another tool, feel free to contact us here . Stay safe!

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121 Tools for Distance Learning & Strategies for Student Engagement | Albert Resources

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With the rapid growth of preventative responses towards the COVID-19 outbreak, it seems distance learning is trend here to stay at least for the next 6-12 months. Being prepared to take your classrooms fully online can be stressful, and finding the right curriculum resources challenging when it may be your first foray into the EdTech space.

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As schools adjust to and implement online teaching and learning, Folio is eager to assist school leaders as they support and guide their faculty and staff.

This page includes:
- practical, easy-to-use and downloadable Tools to help you lead and respond to your faculty and staff
- Insight and Tips for leading in the current, ever-changing school environment
- helpful Resources and Links to articles, blog posts and information about supporting teachers and managing online (including some created for other industries but applicable to independent schools)

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Tools, Insights and Resources - FolioCollaborative

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Tools, Insights and Resources As schools adjust to and implement online teaching and learning, Folio is eager to assist school leaders as they support and guide their faculty and staff. This page includes: - practical, easy-to-use and downloadable Tools to help you lead and respond to your faculty and staff- Insight and Tips for leading in ...

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NAIS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Schools

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NAIS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Schools

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Schools

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One Schoolhouse COVID-19 School Continuity Resources

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One Schoolhouse COVID-19 School Continuity Resources

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In a crisis situation, you want to create simple guidelines that are easy to implement across your school. Do not try to re-create the entirety of your academic program online, instead concentrate on the core academic program as a starting place -- it will be easier to add complexity later than to create a complex solution and have to simplify later.

Set "in your backpack" expectations with students and teachers:
​We know this advice is likely too late for most schools... but: Be sure all your students and teachers bring all materials home every night, including devices and textbooks. If school has to close without notice, you'll want to be sure everyone has everything they need. For Lower Schools, backpack readiness includes picking up a few grade-appropriate books from the school's library or some manipulatives.

For Upper/Middle Schools - Continue Core Academic Classes via Distance Learning:
​Move to a distance learning model, not an online learning model. What's the difference? In distance learning, you use the same face-to-face pedagogy through its remote learning equivalents. In online learning, you use a new pedagogy to take advantage of the medium. To give you a sense, it takes us six months to train an independent school faculty member to move to online learning for a One Schoolhouse course... you don't have that time.

Instead, move to a distance learning model where you replace face-to-face meeting times with video conferencing solutions (i.e., Algebra I in Ms. X's Zoom Room, instead of in Room 123). Have your technology department centrally create video conferencing accounts for all your faculty and then create new schedules for your student with the links to the video conference solution your school decides to use. An example might look like this:

We have learned that it will be important for schools to: 1) simplify schedules in order to create routine; 2) build in social/emotional check-points such as advisory, grade level meetings, and all school meetings; 3) consider having teachers record live sessions for students who cannot attend in real-time; and 4) consider only including core academic courses for the first week or two, in part because schools may need to have teachers of those subjects available as substitutes.

Create a Distance Learning Handbook Addendum, Distance Learning Plan (articulating how you are carrying out distance learning at your school), and a Faculty/Staff Distance Learning Handbook Addendum. For Lower Schools - Continue Learning: ​
Lower School plans are likely -- though not always -- different from the Middle/Upper School plan described as above. If the plan is different for younger grade levels, it will be important to communicate both the differences and the rationale for the differences to families. Some considerations in this first phase include:

Be clear with families about what to expect. We've seen some schools send messages such as, "If school is closed, we will provide you with learning resources and activities, but the volume of work will not keep students busy for the number of hours they're usually in school." Teachers should not work under the expectation that parents, grandparents, or older siblings will be able to teach their students all day.

Create a weekly "packet" of learning activities for your students. Use resources that students will have access to at home from their backpack readiness, and other online resources that your students already use regularly (perhaps: Dreambox, IXL, etc.). Teachers can also scan documents to send them home.

Consider asking students and/or families to do a daily (or multiple times a day) video check-in with the teacher. Also, consider engaging students in small groups or one-on-one; the focus would be on social-emotional wellness and community rather than instruction.

Create community and foster trust.
Schools are wonderful communities. This can be true at a distance too, when you keep your mission front-and-center and your values consistent. You'll want to consider:

Gathering regular, open feedback, and act on that feedback predictably. Without the ability to walk the halls of school or say hello to parents in the car-pool lane or at the soccer game, you'll want to survey constituents to understand how your distance learning program is going. Gather statistics for key areas such as time spent on schoolwork, accessibility of required materials, manageability of schedules, and comfort with the tools in use. Open-ended questions will be more valuable than multiple choice questions. Respond to the feedback. Communicate the adjustments you are making, likely on a regular schedule (every two weeks?) so that your community can know what to expect.

Maintain structures in place already. Keep communicating with families, in a variety of formats, and leverage the expertise of the professionals on your team, such as continuing with parent conferences, dorm meetings, and other important community connection points. This is the time to be creative too. When we put the question out on the Academic Leaders listserv, we learned about schools that are using video conferencing in new ways; some are having virtual parent coffees or even happy hours (after a virtual bedtime story from the HOS).

Get creative with traditions. This is a tradition-rich time in schools. Assemble the right team to make recommendations about how to handle traditions. Consider what each tradition contributes to building community. How can that contribution be made in another way? What questions do you need to ask and who needs to be involved regarding these traditions before you can make decisions? Make sure to ensure that student and parent voices are included. We've heard two ideas on this front recently. First, many schools are using the creativity of their student government to brainstorm and flush out ideas. Second, we've seen some schools publish graduation dates tentatively into the future -- if not, June X, then July X; if not July X than August X.

Support your faculty and staff. Faculty disorientation is highly likely. Faculty will be in various stages after the first initial push in the opening weeks of distance learning. Leaders will need to build in support structures for all faculty and staff members that are responsive to their circumstances so that they can, in turn, provide support to students and parents. Our friends at FolioCollaborative have great advice here.

Support students and maintain school policies, as possible.

Set up structures for student support. You will want to consider three key questions: how we will identify who is going to need support, who is going to provide the support, and what support are we going to provide? Almost certainly, you will want to think about engaging parents differently. And, you will want to consider a system for faculty members to raise concerns that they have about individual students. Read the advice from Liz Katz, Director of School & Student Support, here.

Adjust student discipline procedures. At this point, academic administrators should look at your general policies relating to student disciplinary procedures, and consider what changes you need to make in order to honor the intent and practices you normally have, while adopting them to a distance learning reality. You should make sure to publish changes to your normal practice for students and families alike, likely as part of a handbook addendum for distance learning.

Articulate school values related to academic honesty. As soon as we made the shift to distance learning, faculty began asking questions and raising concerns about academic honesty. We suggest reviewing the work of Challenge Success related to academic honesty as a place to set the framework for how and why students cheat, and the things that schools can do about it. One of the most important things that academic leaders can do is consistently articulate school values around academic honesty.

Don't change grading practices, at least at the start. Some schools are considering or have announced that they will move to a pass/fail grading system this spring. A few weeks into distance learning, that move is premature. There are a number of reasons for this, including: you do not want to signal that your program this term is "less than" for a variety of legal and regulatory reasons; you don't yet know the "rules of the road" from a whole host of entities that rely on grades from regulators to scholarship organizations to others, like the NCAA.

Begin to consider summer programming. Summer programming will almost certainly be different this year for schools. Begin to consider how you might use online or in person (if possible) summer programming to meet the needs of your community, including those of students who were not able to fully participate in distance learning programs this term and students who developed gaps in knowledge this term. One Schoolhouse has revised it's summer programming to include review courses for students who need them.

Consider the changing legal landscape.
The legal and regulatory landscape is changing quickly. Stay abreast of how the law is impacting your plans. Our friends at Venable LLC continue to update their guidance for independent schools here.
​Projections from public health authorities strongly suggest that schools should be prepared for an unsettled learning environment in 2020-21 school year. Significant impacts to schools' calendars and weekly schedules could be widespread or localized, should outbreaks occur and school-closing or stay-at-home orders be put in place. There may be times when campus is open, and other times when campus is closed. And, even when campus is open, only some students may be physically present. Some students may primarily receive in-person instruction, while others receive most of their instruction online; there will likely be movement between these two groups.

The right approach for finishing the school year was to move to a distance learning model to allow school to quickly be online. With the situation more fluid heading into next year, and an expectation that some learning may happen on-campus and some learning will almost certainly have to be online, now is the time to pivot to developing a Hybrid learning is a pedagogical design that allows for maximum flexibility between online and on-campus instruction. Highly functional hybrid environments are based on a few solid principles. At a foundational level, a robust design (including a learning management system, used by all faculty) provides a common platform for learning and offers a consistent user experience for teachers, students, and families. At the instructional level, faculty must have a shared set of skills in conceptualizing and building courses and teaching in multiple modalities (in-person, online, and blended). With common principles and a common platform underlying instruction, student learning continues seamlessly even as modalities change. hybrid learning model.

These principles of hybrid learning are predicated on the assumption that the school has a strong, effective, and mature curriculum and culture of learning and that the school's engaged community can thrive across modalities.
What is hybrid learning in this context?
These principles draw heavily on both the Principles of Independent Curriculum and Congruent With The Mission And Values Of The School
A hybrid learning program aligns with the stated mission, values, culture, and strategic priorities of the school.

The Student-Teacher Relationship Forms The Foundation For All Learning
A hybrid learning program keeps students and teachers in community whether online or in-person. Teachers are equally responsive in any learning modality.

Responsive To The Interests, Capacities, And Aspirations Of The Students Being Taught
A hybrid learning program serves the actual students in each class, regardless of modality, and is designed and implemented to meet students' interests, abilities (both developed and developing), aims, and requirements in all dimensions.

A Sufficiency Of Technology
A hybrid learning program relies on robust, ubiquitous, and curated technology tools that empower the delivery of the program but do not dictate teaching or learning.

Multiple Modes Of Assessment
A hybrid learning program supports the measurement of student mastery of articulated competencies and standards through a full range of assessment tools and techniques, both formative and summative.

Structure And Organization Are Essential Operational Elements
A hybrid learning program provides predictability and consistency in uncertain and fluctuating circumstances.

Inclusive And Just
A hybrid learning program recognizes the variety of students' multiple perspectives, fluctuating situations, experiences, and access to resources.

Wellness And Balance
A hybrid learning program relies on a deep understanding of the developmental, social-emotional, and physical needs of learners and educators alike. ​​

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In a crisis situation, you want to create simple guidelines that are easy to implement across your school. Do not try to re-create the entirety of your academic program online, instead concentrate on the core academic program as a starting place -- it will be easier to add complexity later than to create a complex solution and have to simplify later.

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Global Online Academy COVID-19 Resources Page

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Global Online Academy COVID-19 Resources Page

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Resources and Strategies for Schools Dealing with Coronavirus-Related Closures

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Free online resources for school teachers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Find support and best practices for online teaching and learning, setting up your digital classroom, how to flip the learning, how to assess in online learning, how to keep students engaged, provide feedback in an online environment, resources for communicating with families, and more.

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self-determination theory and online learning

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self-determination theory and online learning

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Today we're covering COVID-19 and how it impacts the education system. Depending on when you're listening to this podcast, you're likely facing your school's physical environment shut down, or soon to be doing so. In Ohio, all schools are now expected to have at least three weeks out starting on Tuesday - and schools are frantically trying to prepare how they'll tackle this shift.

Most districts across the United States are continuing the expectation of academic coursework across this disruption - and we have no idea how long it will last. Most teachers do not have formal training in adapting their class to a virtual environment, nor does everyone have even close to a 1:1 environment. This episode will assume that educators are dealing with a virtual shift, and looking for a place to start, further resources will be posted in the show notes concerning paper-based methods.

GUESTS

Jesse Stommel, a leading expert on digital critical pedagogy, hybrid pedagogy, and assessment. He is the Digital Learning Fellow and Senior Lecturer of Digital Studies at University of Mary Washington. Further, Jesse is the co-author of An Urgency of Teachers: the Work of Critical Digital Pedagogy, and a documentary filmmaker.

RESOURCES

FURTHER LISTENING

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65: Virtual Learning and COVID-19 w/ Jesse Stommel PhD - Human Restoration Project - Progressive Education Nonprofit

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Today we're covering COVID-19 and how it impacts the education system. Depending on when you're listening to this podcast, you're likely facing your school's physical environment shut down, or soon to be doing so.

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A Step-By-Step Course to Launch and Lead An Equitable Online Classroom

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A Step-By-Step Course to Launch and Lead An Equitable Online Classroom

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Supporting educators with the tools and resources necessary to ensure equity at their school.

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Resources for Teaching Online Due to School Closures

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Resources for Teaching Online Due to School Closures

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How would you feel if someone said you need to change your whole approach to teaching immediately? Imagine if, instead of interacting face to face with students in your classroom, you had to create and deliver a virtual program.

Perhaps you'd feel nervous? Overwhelmed? Excited? Unqualified? Inspired? Or perhaps plain lost.

During April 2020, remote learning became a reality for over 90% of students worldwide. Teachers, students, families, administrators, departments, and whole communities are being forced to respond and adapt quickly.

Referring to COVID-19 (coronavirus), UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay warned,

...the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education.

The rates of school closures have soared in the last month:

In mid-February, China was the only country mandating school closures.

Two weeks later, 22 countries were closing schools.

As of April 3, 188 countries have implemented nationwide school closures.

If your school is still open, it's never too soon to calmly plan and prepare. Things are changing rapidly and exponentially.

Want a live update on school closures across the globe? Check out UNESCO's tally.

What's In This Post?

Our guide will give you insights into how educators around the world are approaching school closures.

Thousands of teachers worldwide are currently sharing snippets of their experiences via social media or their blogs. We've compiled, curated, and built on some common themes and ideas to create this extensive guide.
Click on the links in the menu below to help you navigate the post.
This post also includes a range of useful graphics to help you that you're free to use and share. If you use the images in your own work, please attribute our article and link back.

Here's a sneak peek of some of the graphics:

Let's dive right in to the resources!

Daily Structure Options

The first question educators might be asking themselves is what does a "school day" look like when it's no longer happening in a school?

Let's talk about timetables, hours, and the overall structure you might implement.

In most cases, your school day will have to be based on technology although some departments, such as New York, are open to the option of mailing out work the old fashioned way. This is a good fallback if technology can't be used but you may not want to get into the habit of only handing out packets (worksheets) if you can avoid it.

📌Note: It's important to find out about students' technology/internet access at home and we have a Google Form survey you can adapt to survey your parents towards the end of the post.

The old fashioned approach can also work well to complement online learning and is important for younger students. Check out the fabulous "Learning Boxes" staff in Vietnam put together for their young learners.

We'll discuss many useful technology tools further on.

The issue of daily structure and timetables is a major consideration and some schools are constantly tweaking their approaches.

Do you stick to your regular school timetable? You could, but many schools are finding a modified approach is more realistic.

Lessons can take longer for students to complete at home for many reasons including:

Technology difficulties

No teacher guidance to keep students on track, engaged, and informed

A busy household (multiple family members and responsibilities)

Varying degrees of parent/caregiver involvement (there can be barriers like language, competence with technology and the curriculum, parenting younger children, or trying to keep up with work responsibilities)

Illness (let's not forget the reason for the school closures)

Some teachers are finding what they could get done in one period of class requires two periods when it's online.

Consider a "Percentage" Approach

Most teachers who have some experience with online schooling realize that the pace is slower and expectations need to be reduced.

Some teachers provide and expect a certain percentage of the normal student workload. For example, an elementary student might have a 50% workload, although a senior high school student may be given a 90% workload.

Suggesting a percentage might give teachers and families a ballpark if they're wondering what to expect.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Learning?

A question that may come up a lot as you plan and tweak your approach to online learning is whether your program will be synchronous or asynchronous. That is, whether it will be conducted in real-time or whether students will complete tasks according to their own schedules.

Here's a quick comparison:

You might find a mix of both is a useful strategy. Your own unique situation, including your students' age, might have a big impact on this decision too.

For some families, asynchronous learning can be more convenient: if parents are working, they may have more time to support/supervise student learning outside of business hours.

Other schools are finding synchronous learning is a powerful way to keep the class connected.

If your teaching and learning program involves video then you'll once again face the question of synchronous (e.g. live conferencing) or asynchronous (pre-recorded videos or screencasts).

We'll dive in to the video options further on, however, let's take a quick look at how some teachers are weaving conferences and recorded videos into their weekly schedules:

Examples of how Video Conferences are Being Used:

A 10 minute video conference to begin the day.

A whole class video conference at regular times during the week (e.g. 30 minutes every Monday and Friday afternoon).

A whole class video conference to introduce important lessons or projects.

A video conference to check in with each individual student each week.

On-demand video conferencing - students can sign up during a teacher's "office hours" if they want to book a session.

Small group video conferences for students with similar needs.

Optional "live recess" to allow students to connect and hang out.

Examples of how Screencasts or Recorded Videos are Being Used:

A video introduction or screencast for key lessons (might not be possible for all lessons).

A short welcome video each morning and/or reflection video each afternoon.

A screencast to offer feedback on student work and progress.

Student created screencasts to demonstrate learning.

Let's look at some specific options for daily timetables.

More Flexible Option: Distribute a Daily "To Do List"

When schools decide on expectations, they often need to consider whether they should give lesson guidelines that can be completed at any time, or stick to a traditional structure.

For example, if you were offering a flexible program, you could build on a checklist like this:
Today you need to complete:
It's optional whether you give an actual time requirement (e.g. 30 minutes) or just a task, however, a time suggestion can be helpful so students don't spend either all day working, or not enough time on task.

More Structured Option: Distribute a Timetable

Alternatively, students might be issued with a structured timetable that all students will complete at the same time, e.g.

Factoring in time for catching up seems to be proving extremely useful for many schools. You might schedule learning activities in the morning and leave the afternoons free for catching up and offline pursuits. Alternatively, you could schedule one day a week for completing unfinished work or even have a weekly "screen-free" day.

Here's an example of a weekly screen-free day from Shekou International School in China.

#Grade4SIS has implemented a device free day each week during #onlinelearning... & I had so much fun creating this week's choice board for our learners! #choice #learnerprofile #SISrocks #ISSedu #flipclass #disted #mlearning #elearning @SISGeckos @ISSCommunity pic.twitter.com/tNoKEIzjjn

- Mr. Peter Damroth (@PDamroth) March 25, 2020

Rather than a daily approach, some schools are taking the whole week into account and giving projects or assignments that need to be completed or worked on over 5 days. Based on progress, a new plan might then be made for the following week.

Example: Kindergarten

Ashley in the middle east is not doing any live teaching via video conference due to cultural and religious reasons.

Ashley's team sends a weekly plan to the parents of their kindergarten students along with a suggested timetable. There are no expectations that the timetable is followed exactly due to parents working and a variety of family situations.

The planners are given out two weeks in advance to help families plan ahead. The links to learning tasks go to YouTube videos and Ashley's Office 365 cloud account of activities or readings. Ashley's kindergarten class also uses Flipgrid.

Example: 5th Grade

Laura Faulk at ASIJ (American School in Japan) is a 5th grade teacher who has recently started teaching online.

Her team created a daily planner using Google Docs. They share it each morning on a website that was created for their new distance learning program.

They are currently surveying families to find out whether they'd like to have the planner in advance.

The Google Doc planner has links to all the students' classroom and specialist work. The students are given a guide as to how long to spend on each activity.

The ASIJ team adapted their ideas from the work of Hong Kong International School (HKIS have a fantastic home learning website that is worth checking out too!).

You can follow Laura and her team on Twitter (@asij_g5).

Example: Google Slides

Some teachers put their planners on a Google Doc, or Sheet. Google Slides can be another awesome way to send out a daily plan and work (but even better if these Slides presentations are added to a blog, LMS, or website so they don't get lost).

You can include text, links, and videos of yourself teaching to a Slides presentation amongst other things.

One major benefit is you can copy and edit your planner so you don't have to start from scratch each day.

Check out this post by Alice Keeler for more advice on using Slides in remote learning.

We also have a beginner's guide to Google Slides on The Edublogger for a broader overview.

Here's an example from US kindergarten teacher Megan Peschke @MeganPeschke). Don't be put off by the age group. This idea could be adapted for any age!

Click here to view the Google Slides presentation in a new tab.

Instructions for Editing and Using Megan's Google Slides

1. Click on this link:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Bl534rtloR0AjD2wgfLPVrJs2Q6BDS9DEz2G2m9Fzgs/copy
2. You will be prompted to make a copy (screenshot below).

3. The Slides will be saved in your Google Drive.

4. You can edit the Google Slides to suit.

SlidesMania have also published a fantastic free weekly planner template that can be used in Google Slides or PowerPoint. Find it here.

Help Students Plan Their Day

Some teachers, especially those who are giving out ongoing assignments or projects, encourage their students to plan out their own days. You could give them ideas or a template.

Here is an example which you're welcome to copy and adapt,

People seemed to like the student planners a non-twitter teacher created for our #continuouslearning students, so here is blank version. Feel free to make a copy and make your own! https://t.co/3ZzKKpUA2F

- Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) March 5, 2020

Instructions for use:

1. Click here to open the Google Doc

2. Go to File > Make a copy

3. Type a name and choose where to save it

4. Click Ok

5. You'll then find an editable copy of the Google Doc in your Google Drive

How do you Plan an Online Lesson?

Once you have ideas on how your school day will be structured, you might start zooming in to the planning of actual lessons.

What do lessons look like when they're online rather than face to face?

Despite being physically distant from your students, you still want to be as present as possible virtually. Online teaching and learning isn't a "set and forget" situation.

Like all lessons, you may want to start with learning outcomes, and possibly success criteria (your school might already have a framework for this). The delivery of the lesson will be the part that might just look a bit different.

Remember, there's nothing wrong with keeping your lessons quite simple, and in many cases they'll be similar to what you'd do in the classroom, perhaps with more autonomy and technology.

For example, your normal lesson structure might involve a warm up, revision, an explanation, student activity that aligns to outcomes, then reflection. The same sort of structure is possible with virtual lessons.

Easily Adapting to Virtual Lesson Planning

Timothy Malan (@timothy_malan) is a middle school science teacher at an international school in Spain. He has created a detailed video to explain how a regular classroom lesson can be transformed into a virtual lesson. He reassures teachers that it doesn't have to be overly complicated!

The first 12 minutes of the video goes through the framework, and then Timothy dives in to an example lesson.

5E Model for Creating Online Lessons

Have you heard of the 5Es framework? It's an instructional model that's been around for 20+ years. Using the model, teaching and learning progresses through five phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.

Author and educator, Catlin Tucker has published a post called, Tips for Designing an Online Lesson Using the 5 Es Instructional Model.

In her post, Catlin provides a simple framework that shows how the 5Es can be used to create online lessons. Catlin has also recorded a video for each "E" that explains the model further.

While the 5Es approach is far from the only way you can go about designing online lessons, it may be a useful framework for those who don't know where to start.

💡 Catlin also shares a good tip about using Google Docs to share lessons with students. Google Docs are easy to copy and edit. That means teachers can create different versions of the same lesson with minimal work. Any suggested videos, readings, or activities can be differentiated to meet the individual needs of learners.

Useful Online Tools

For some teachers, the technology part of virtual learning will be the scariest obstacle. Before we dive in to useful options, take a deep breath and remember:

Less can be more: you don't need to be using a huge range of different tools.

Start with tools students and teachers are already familiar with: there are probably some technology tools, apps, or platforms you've used in class that can be useful.

Remember, despite technology being a crucial tool for most closed schools, teaching and learning isn't about the technology. Try to focus on the core business of schools: relationships and learning.

Virtual Home Base or Online Platform: 3 Step Approach

There are some awesome tools out there for learning and creativity but first consider what you'll be using as your home base. When your classroom and school assembly halls aren't in use, your virtual hubs are more important than ever.

What will communication look like and where will learning take place? Here are three common steps you might see:

1. Communication will probably begin with information from the school district or state education department.

2. Then a school website might provide an overview of your plan for the whole community. (Need a better school website? CampusPress can help with that!).

3. From there, you could have individual class blogs or other approaches like a learning management system (e.g. Moodle, Canvas, or Google Classroom), a Facebook group (for older learners), Slack, or Seesaw.

Read on for more information and examples of this three-step approach.

1) District/State Education Department

Let's zoom out for a moment. When a school is to be closed and learning is transitioning to online, the first step is often clear communication from the top level - your district or state education department (if your school falls under one of these authorities).

Here's an example from Northshore District School in Washington state. They published a blog post on their district website to inform everyone in the school community of school closures.

It's an honest and dynamic announcement as they're still figuring out arrangements. The beauty of blog posts is you can keep publishing as more information is made available.

Of course, a blog post or website update may be followed up with a direct notification to families to ensure the news is received (e.g. SMS or email).

2) School Website or School Blog

A school website (or temporary site) can be an important next piece in the puzzle. It can provide an overview of your plan for the whole community to ensure everyone is on the same page, knows what to do, and knows where to seek help.

Website Example: YIS Continuous Learning Plan

Yokohama International School (YIS) in Japan has been closed since early March. They're becoming leaders in the community of global educators scrambling to find out how to approach school closures.

YIS has created a website to communicate a clear approach to their changed schooling format,

Although campus is temporarily closed, "school" continues as we engage students with experiences that continue the planned learning program and help them to stay connected with teachers and classmates. These learning experiences offer authentic opportunities to focus on key concepts, knowledge, and skills. They emphasize interaction and creativity, and involve a balance of on-screen and off-screen tasks that help connect to previous learning and the current curriculum.

Vice principal, Rebekah Madrid, explains the choice of the term "continuous learning",

For the first day, people weren't sure what we meant by "continuous learning". But now it makes sense for us. We didn't want online (because not always online) and we didn't want distant (because that's not the vibe we wanted). So continuous worked for us.

- Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) March 3, 2020

3) Classroom Hub: Blog, LMS, or Other Online Community

The third step is an online hub where you can distribute student learning tasks, share resources, gather feedback, and keep everyone in the loop.

While you could just email out assignments to students, there may be better options (emails can be better for one on one communication; they can get lost and can be hard to refer back to.).

You might already be using a learning management system or other platform (e.g. Seesaw, Sensei LMS for WordPress, Google Classroom) at school that you can continue to use after your school closes. If so, there is probably no need to reinvent the wheel! Go with what you and your students know.

But maybe you don't have a place set up already where you can post learning tasks and resources that students can use on a daily basis.

Google Classroom is a popular choice. If you want to learn more, check out this demo from Alice Keeler and Vicki Davis. This cheat sheet from Ben Cogswell also goes over the basics.

Consider a Blog For Your Classroom Hub

A blog is a free, basic, and flexible tool that acts as a classroom hub and more.

Here are some reasons why you might consider a blog as your online classroom while your school is closed:

A blog is a space you can own (you don't have control over some online spaces like social media).

It's a place where all the bits and pieces you create and explore in the online and offline world can be housed.

Blogs aren't just text and images, you can include videos, slideshows, infographics, podcasts, posters, polls, charts and more. Here are just six tools that allow you to create interactive learning content for your blog (online worksheets, games, and so on).

Blog content can be organized in a systematic way and searched for as needed.

Comments and forums allow two-way interaction.

Blogs can be public or private (learn more about the pros, cons, and options in this article).

💡 We have a post that compiles some examples of class blogs from a range of age groups and locations. You'll notice that there is a lot of flexibility in the way blogs are used.

Team 2 Eagles Blog Example

Becky Versteeg is a wonderful grade two teacher in Canada.

She is using her class blog to share daily ideas. Her posts include videos, printables,photos from students and fun ideas to try at home.

Class Blog And/Or Student Blogs?

You might be only interested in having a class blog to share learning resources and so on. Alternatively, you might want all students to use their own blog to complete learning tasks, publish online, reflect on their experience privately, or even connect with the world.

My Class is a free management tool from Edublogs that brings a class blog and all your student blogs/accounts together. It makes it easier for teachers to set up and monitor their classroom blogging program.

Learn more about My Class in this post.

Example: Art Blog

Here is an example of a fantastic blog with lessons for home art activities by Chris Gadbury.

One of the great things about the blogging community is you cannot only make your own blog but benefit from other educators' blogs as well!

Want To Start Blogging But Not Sure How?

Check out our Blogging 101 page. It includes a 15-minute tutorial video and all the help guides you'll need to get going!

Educators and students can set up as many blogs as they need using Edublogs for free (no ads or time limits). Compare all the features here.

Videos And Online Learning

You can come up with fantastic tasks for students to work on at home but your program will run so much better if students can still feel your presence as a teacher. Videos are such an important part of online learning and a great way to maintain relationships.

Your familiar face will grab students' attention while building engagement and understanding.

Nervous about being on camera? Don't worry! Just start small. It will be worth it. Many teachers are nervous to start and want to re-do their video over and over (some students are like this too!). It won't take long for you to realize your videos don't have to be perfect and students will appreciate your efforts.

Let's take a look at some options.

👉🏽 Note: If you want to look at using video more deeply, check out our new Educator's Guide to Using Video in Teaching and Learning.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Videos

There are two main options for sharing videos with your learners:

Synchronously: That means real-time streaming. It could be a live stream (like on YouTube) or an interactive video conference (like on Zoom).

Some synchronous videos can be recorded so they can be viewed again at a later date. This is useful if students can't attend the live stream, they have technology issues, or need to revise the content.

Asynchronously: That means you record videos that can be viewed (and reviewed) when it suits the student. Your videos could be a simple "piece to camera" or a screencast.

Screencasting is where you narrate a video recording of your computer screen. Sometimes it's just audio and sometimes you can see your face in the video as well.

The benefit of asynchronous videos is there are no time pressures, however, the connections that can be formed in synchronous video conferences can't be underestimated.

Popular Tools for Synchronous (Live) Video Conferences

There are many tools out there that allow you to connect with students via video. This can really help to unite the class.

Four of the most popular video-conferencing options for teachers and schools include:

Zoom - Robust software designed exclusively for video conferencing.

Google Hangouts Meet - The evolved version of classic Hangouts that's part of G Suite.

Microsoft Teams - Communication and collaboration platform that's part of Office 365.

WebEx - Cisco tool for video conferencing, online meetings, screen share, and webinars.

These tools all allow video conferences with screen sharing capabilities.

The teacher can start the conference and share the access link with the students.

Students can access the conference at the specified time using any device (e.g. laptop or tablet).

Some users like to use external microphones, headphones, or webcams, however, the camera and microphone attached to your device are probably fine for getting started.

Here is a quick comparison of the free/free education plans for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts Meet, and WebEx Meetings:

Notes on Live Video Tools:

Safety comes first! Your school or district probably has advice about which video conferencing tool you should use and which settings should be employed. As an example, Zoom has released some best practices in this PDF.

Zoom, Meet, and Webex temporarily upgraded their free plans for educators but these offers have now ended for Meet and Webex. If your school Zoom account hasn't already been upgraded, you can apply here to remove the 40 min time limit.

Some teachers are also experimenting with live streaming on YouTube. For teenagers, it's a platform they're often already familiar with and they can comment in real-time.

Mix it up: Principal at International School of Dongguan, Todd Brink, suggested that, "One-on-one, small group, or whole group sessions are a must. Just like the classroom!" Video conferencing software allows these sorts of options.

Example Video Conferences From Teachers

Teachers at American International School of Guangzhou are doing a fantastic job of setting up engaging video conferences using Zoom.

Here are two examples that were recently shared on Twitter,

Using #zoom_us to create a collaborative story this morning ... once we had our order, can we work together to build a story one word a time? A myth about an earthquake that goes with our #unitofinquiry #howtheworldworks ? Even better! #AISGZ #onlinelearning #virtuallearning pic.twitter.com/W4EvYnGK2B

- Katie Robbins (@krobbins84) March 5, 2020

Another #zoom meeting with second graders. I think they only come to see a mess I make doing my science experiments. Today there were beans spilled all over my coffee table and the smell of vinegar is overpowering. Science #onlinelearning is still fun. #aisgz #pypchat #sciencefun pic.twitter.com/XSjc19ltCQ

- Inga Bela (@inga_bela) March 5, 2020

Jennifer Wathall is a teacher from Hong Kong who began teaching online earlier than most of the world. She shares her tips for teaching online, most of which apply to synchronous video conferences.

John Sowash shared these tips for running a virtual lesson on Google Meet (they can apply to other video conferencing tools as well).

Popular Tools for Recording Asynchronous Videos and Screencasts

There are a number of tools available to record screencasts. Like many online tools there are free plans and paid plans.

Let's compare four of the most popular screencasting tools teachers are using for recording lessons.

This chart compares the features of the free plans (paid plans have more features).

Note: As of March 12, Loom Pro is now free for teachers and students forever. The chart below has been updated.

Notes On Screencasting Tools

I've written a blog post specifically about Loom if you want to learn more. There are no age restrictions so students can use Loom if you want them to make screencasts.

You'll remember that Zoom is a popular tool for video conferencing. To record a screencast using Zoom, you start a meeting with yourself as the only participant and record the conference. You can't record if you're using the Zoom iOS app.

Record a Piece to Camera

Your videos don't have to be part of a video conference call or a screencast. You can record a simple piece to camera using your phone or webcam.

That is, a video of your happy self teaching and talking!

In our Educator's Guide to Video on The Edublogger, we outlined ten tips for recording a piece to camera. Read the full post (you'll find a PDF copy to download) or check out the summary below.

Video Editing

Made a video and want to edit it? Maybe it needs trimming, captions, or other effects?

For quick video editing on my phone, I love two free apps from GoPro called QuikStories and Splice. QuikStories puts everything together for you with music, transitions, and other cool effects. Splice is handy if you want to make more manual edits and don't necessarily want too many effects.

Try not to get carried away though, it can be a lot of fun creating videos but a raw edit is fine!

We have more advice about editing and other video tools in our Educator's Guide to Video in Teaching and Learning.

Example Videos from Teachers

This year 1 teacher from Tokyo International School demonstrates a wonderful reading lesson,

@Ms_SarahVaughan nurturing 'reading as thinking' remotely. #distancelearning keeping @tcrwp as alive as possible during this #peskycoronavirus @holleytcrwp @clemenkat pic.twitter.com/cWeCWnUBIX

- TokyoIS (@TISlearns) March 5, 2020

For older students, here is an example from two creative art teachers.

E-learning commenced today @TISLearns worried that Middle School Art & Design teachers Sara and @mandurubell Andrew might 'make it' as the next celebrity YouTube stars! If they earn their fortune and leave us what would happen to our Arts department and staff room giggles?! pic.twitter.com/ZQYpvpTLvR

- Christopher Frost (@FrostChrissy) March 4, 2020

For more tips on using live or recorded video in your online teaching program, check out this article from Richard Byrne. He has some great suggestions such as keeping your webcam on, using check-in questions, and using a $20 whiteboard.

Other Online Tools to Consider

So you have your home base set up, you've considered recording some videos to share with students, now what other online tools can you use to engage students and fuel their learning?

Here are some suggestions with a very brief summary of each. This list is far from exhaustive Leave your own ideas in a comment!

Create fun learning games for your students called Kahoots. Classes can play live against each other or students can complete the quiz at their own pace.

*Premium features are currently free for schools facing closures. Learn more.

A free tool that allows students to study information via learning tools and games (flashcards, quizzes etc). A new individual mode has just been replaced so students can play together while they are physically apart. The free account has advertising.

*Learn how to use Quizlet for remote learning here.

These short educational videos are fantastic for online learning. There's also BrainPOP Jnr. for K-3 and BrainPOP ELL for English language learners.

*Currently free for educators affected by coronavirus school closures. Learn more.

Online tool that allows you to make all sorts of graphic designs (perfect for communicating with students and families). Learn more about Canva in our guide on The Edublogger.

*Educators can get a premium account for free (not just during school closures).

A popular tool to create interactive YouTube videos to check students' understanding. Basic plans are free for teachers and students.

Design lessons with interactive question s, polls, quizzes, and formative assessments. Works with Google Slides.

*Pear Deck Premium is free for 90 days for schools affected by closures. Learn more.

Anchor.fm is a popular free service for recording, hosting, and distributing podcasts. Check out our guide on The Edublogger to learn more about using podcasting with students.

Create grids to facilitate asynchronous video discussions that are very engaging for students. This tool is totally free.

Padlet is an online bulletin board where you can display text, images, video, and more. Padlets can be embedded in blog posts. It used to be free but now there is a limit of three Padlets before you need to upgrade.

Students at the International School of Buscan recently used Padlet for a virtual art show!

Today's Grade 3 Virtual Art Exhibition on @Padlet is brilliant! #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/rqJqwiN5Nt

- Simon McCloskey (@SimonJMcCloskey) March 5, 2020

Simple tool for younger students to create books or learning journals that combine text, images, audio and video.

*Schools that are closed for COVID-19 can get 90 days free of the premium plan. Learn more.

Cloud based video editing tool that allows students and teachers to get creative. Students could have fun responding to some of learning tasks as a video and can collaborate with peers on projects. WeVideo have also recently introduced screencasting.

*WeVideo For Schools free for schools affected by COVID-19. Learn more.

Real world texts at different reading levels with built-in activities.

*Free for schools affected by COVID-19 closures until the end of the 2020 school year. Apply here.

A curation tool that allows you to save, organize, tell stories, and share content from around the web. See the example Wakelet embedded below.

Read all about how to use Wakelet in this post.

More Ideas for Online Tools

To stay up to date with more useful online tools that teachers are using as they switch to online learning, follow this Wakelet by Erin Flanagan (@erintegration).

There's also a huge list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings by Amazing Educational Resources that is updated regularly. You can check it out here.

A Note on Students and Books

What's a classroom without books! If you're going to be teaching virtually you might be wondering where to find reading material for your students. Some students might be lucky enough to have a lot of reading material at home. No doubt, many will not.

Here are a few ideas for sourcing digital reading material:

📚 Modern books/interface

Local libraries often offer free access to eBooks and audiobooks (e.g. OverDrive, Tumblebooks, Libby, BorrowBox etc.). Find out what your local library offers and tell families how to become members if they're not already.

Newsela - Real world texts presented so that children can access the same text at different reading levels (currently free for schools).

Rivet - Free app that families can download with thousands of modern leveled readers.

Epic - Digital library of modern books aimed at children under 12. Always free for teachers and librarians (and students can access it during school hours).

ReadingIQ - Similar to Epic. There are thousands of modern digital books for readers under 12. Access is free for closed schools - learn more here.

Oxford Owl - 100 free eBook readers for young children. Free but you need an account.

Story Shares - American not-for-profit group who shares stories online, that are aimed at older students who read below grade level.

📚Less Modern books/interfaces

Don't be put off by the "old school" designs of these websites. Many allow access to older works with expired copyright that can be ideal for classroom use.

International Children's Digital Library -- A collection of international books for children aged 3-13 presented in 59 languages.

Project Gutenberg - 60,000+ eBooks that can be downloaded for all ages (most are older works with expired copyright).

Faded Page - 5000 plus eBooks that are completely free to download. Not designed for children but there are many classics for older students (like Project Gutenberg they are mostly older works with expired copyright).

Open Library - Catalogue where you can borrow books for free (lots of options for older students).

Lit2Go - A free online collection of stories and poems in MP3 (audiobook) format with accompanying text. Includes many classics with expired copyright.

Sue Waters has written a post that shows exactly how to find and read eBooks. This is a helpful guide for both educators and students.

Can I Read Aloud to my Students?

This question is being asked over and over by the online education community in recent weeks.

Many teachers are keen to read aloud to their students using video, however, remember there may be copyright issues.

If you're in the USA, you should be covered by "fair use" as outlined by EdSurge.

Some publishers are now allowing teachers to read books to their students during school closure. Kate Messner explains here.

Pernille Ripp and Kate Messner have both written about other places to find online read alouds.

My favourite site for free read alouds (by professional actors) is Storyline Online.

Some authors are hosting their own online storytimes during the pandemic. Find the details in this post.

10 Tips for Virtual Teaching and Learning

Transitioning to online schooling is a learning journey for everyone. While everyone's circumstances are different, these tips might offer you some food for thought. Chime in with your own tips in a comment!

Here's a summary and read on for lots of ideas and examples:

1) Encourage Fun, Play, and Activity

In the traditional classroom setting, many teachers plan physical activity breaks for good health and productive learning.

Many PE teachers are leading the way, sharing their creative approaches to get students moving. If you follow the hashtag #HPEatHome on Twitter, you'll find a plethora of movement activities. Many are being added to a Google Drive of resources that you're free to access.

These PE teachers in Vietnam are sharing daily "Get Up and Go" videos with students. No doubt students love seeing their teachers on screen.

A PE teacher in China is using Flipgrid to teach dancing. Great to see parents getting involved too!

This made me smile. Mother and daughter working together on @flipgrid to learn the dance. It is great to see her mum supporting her during this unique e-learning time. note: this video has been posted with permission from both dancers #aisgzhpe #physed #elearning #movementmatters pic.twitter.com/KGqjx8Hky3

- Adam Tomassen (@AdamHPE) February 28, 2020

Well known Australian P.E. teacher Andy Hair has made up an easy game that his students can play while in lockdown at home.

If you haven't yet tried GoNoodle or Cosmic Kids Yoga (free on YouTube) I highly recommend them for elementary-aged students.

The only problem is, they still involve technology so you probably want to consider some options that give students a break from devices.

Minimizing screen time is becoming a big concern for parents and teachers.

Perhaps you could publish a daily challenge to keep students active and off screens? Take it a step further by asking students to send in a photo of their experience.

Here are some ideas. You're welcome to use this resource however you see fit.

📌 Download a PDF copy of the poster

Many teachers are also trying to set learning tasks that are offline (such as "hands-on" math for younger students - baking, measuring objects, shape hunts and so on).

British International School in Hanoi ran a LEGO Challenge and asked students to send in photos of their creations. What fun!

This teacher asked her students for their own ideas of how they like to spend their time offline.

Grade 4 came up with ideas to stay balanced and get offline sometimes during these days of #virtuallearning. They connected their tips to the #pyp #learnerprofile. They were thoughtful, funny, realistic and relevant. Thanks for the idea @ALMcCloskey #isblearning pic.twitter.com/fe2g4K56kE

- Laura-Claire Corson (@LauraClaire_C) March 3, 2020

2) Communicate Clearly and Frequently

When the school community is scattered, clear and ongoing communication is essential!

Ensure everyone knows how messages will be communicated and what channels they should be checking in on (e.g. email, LMS, blog, school website).

Make sure students and parents know how they can contact teachers for learning support and how they can get tech support. Some teachers are holding "office hours" (e.g. I am available for email support from 10am to 2pm daily; or "I am available for Google Hangouts Meet sessions from 12.30-1.30pm each day").

You might err on the side of overcommunicating to ensure everyone feels connected, supported, and confident.

Make instructions as clear and concise as you can. Effective communication will really pay off.

3) Seek Feedback Regularly

On the flipside of communicating, it's important to also seek feedback from students and families.

The team at Google recently made a suggestion that many closed schools are already trying out,

Using Google Forms, create mood check-ins for students to share their emotional state on a daily basis. Within the Form, students can request a conference with the teacher if they need extra support.

Jennifer Findley has created some great Google Form check ins that you're free to copy and use. There are forms for the start and end of the day.

This situation is new for most schools and families. Engage in a cycle of continuous improvement and refinement based on feedback from families, teachers, and students.

Check out our Google Form later in the post that can be sent to parents if planning for a school closure to find out about their devices, confidence, resources etc.

4) Give Choices

There's never been a better time to empower learners and offer choice. Online learning can offer a lot of flexibility so it's a great idea to take advantage of that.

By giving students some choice in the demonstration of their learning, you can also naturally differentiate and cater to a variety of learning styles and needs.

You've probably heard of a choice board? It's a graphic organizer that allows students to choose different learning activities. They're set up in a grid, perhaps with a choice of 9 activities. Some teachers like to include one mandatory activity.

💡 Kim from Seoul Foreign School created this photosynthesis choice board for her 8th grade students.

💡 US teacher Pernille Ripp created a " Choose Your Own Adventure " two-week exploration.

This, hopefully, continues the honoring of their individual needs and desires, while still helping them with their growth. There are different levels of independence for them to choose from, as well as choices for recording or writing their responses. There are different levels of teaching involved that will unfold once they select their choice.

Check out Pernille's post for more details.

💡 In his post on online learning, John Spencer presented an amplified version of choice boards.

John's variation goes beyond choosing topics or activities and allows for some student ownership of the learning targets and resources.

Something else to think about as you move forward and become more confident with online learning.

5) Set Up Guidelines

School guidelines are an important part of the transition process to online learning. These guidelines can be established even before your school has closed.

Not sure where to start? Check out this advice and examples from International Schools Services. You'll find online learning policies, parent guidelines and more.

Guidelines for students are also important but for a lot of students, a simple PDF with slabs of text won't be an effective way to communicate.

Yosef Tewolde in China shares a clear overview in a student friendly format.

VS basic ⁦@ncpa_china⁩ . Sending out tips for students each day in our VS daily bulletin. #onlinelearning #issedu #pulaoproud pic.twitter.com/R8bkTeZOHo

- Yosef Tewolde (@YosefTewolde) February 12, 2020

American International School of Guangzhou shared this appealing resource on Twitter about videos.

Here's another great example from teachers at Seoul Foreign British School,

#virtuallearning guidelines for primary students collab with @emcslack and Becca Cook. https://t.co/XCoRPuWNq7 #onlinelearning #sfs1912 @SFBritishSchool pic.twitter.com/zVH2jvtV1W

- Jill Zappia (@JillZappia) March 5, 2020

6) Ensure Teacher Wellbeing

This meme inspired by teacher Nancy Breau sums up online teaching pretty well,

It's crucial to consider teacher wellbeing. Teaching is hard enough in the traditional sense but moving online with minimal preparation or planning can be very stressful. In addition, some teachers are also trying to teach their own children whose schools have closed.

Effective leadership and communication are key. As a teacher, try to take care of yourself. Go offline at the end of the day, take breaks, keep moving, eat well, drink water, get fresh air... you know the drill!

Perhaps you could set up a little routine for yourself at the end of the day, This checklist for health care workers in the UK might give you some ideas.

Will Arnold is a teacher in Guangzhou, China, who wisely told me via Twitter,

My perspective from week 6 is that "how will teachers/staff be supported" should move to the top of the list. It's like putting your own oxygen mask on before you help others.

Touche, Will, touche.

7) Consider Student and Family Wellbeing

Switching to an online schooling program presents many challenges to students and families. Listening to families and sharing tips to ensure their wellbeing is very important.

There are many ways to go about this. You might be able to get the help of school counselors or welfare officers. Or, you might invite students and families to share their own tips on what they're doing to stay happy and healthy during this challenging time.

The International School of Busan shared a short video on their Twitter account with basic tips for families.

Staying healthy in a virtual learning environment. #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/HdcwWWlxol

- International School of Busan (@ISBLearning) February 29, 2020

It's also important to remember that it can be hard to predict which students might struggle with the virtual school program. For example, students who generally thrive in the classroom may find the adjustment very difficult. Keep the lines of communication open and don't make assumptions!

Rebecca Barrett-Fox wrote an article called " Please do a bad job of putting your courses online " (hat tip: Raymond Rose in the comment section below). Rebecca does a great job of stressing that students and teachers are currently facing enormous and diverse pressures. The article is designed for higher ed but can definitely be extended to K-12. Show as much empathy as possible and keep things as simple as possible.

📌 Tips For Parents With Young Children

In terms of helping families switch to teaching their children at home, check out my post with 10 tips for teaching younger children - many of these apply to older students as well.

This is a guide that you can share with families for practical help and ideas.

You'll also find a sample home schedule (there is a blank version that can be downloaded as well).

8) Embrace the Online Community

School closures are fast becoming a global issue. You might have a million questions racing around your head but you're not alone. There has never been a better time to connect with the online communities of teachers who are keen to offer tips, support, and examples.

Facebook

There is a Facebook Group set up by Kirsten Durward that is very supportive and helpful. It's called Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Learning.

Click here to find the Facebook group and remember to answer the questions that pop up when you request access.

Also, use the search function or click here to find a breakout Facebook group. Due to the huge growth of the group, there are now many breakout groups that are regional, subject specific, year/grade specific.

No idea how Facebook groups work? We have a guide that will help!

Twitter

You'll also find some fantastic posts from community minded teachers on Twitter. Many teachers are using the hashtags #schoolclosures #virtuallearning and #onlinelearning. At this stage it looks like #schoolclosures is the leading hashtag?

New to Twitter? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Twitter to get started. It'll be worth it!

9) Keep Your Class Connected

Keeping your class connected can be a challenge when students are scattered around the community (and around the world in some areas).

As we've mentioned, video conferences are a good way to overcome this. While most video conferences would be lessons, consider adding in some fun conferences that are either structured (e.g. play a game together) or unstructured (e.g. live recess where students can just hang out).

If you're not using conferences, consider a tool like Flipgrid where students can respond to each other with short recorded videos.

You might be able to come up with ways for students to work on group projects together. This can add a layer of stress for students who might be struggling so of course, you'd gauge whether group work is a positive option.

Librarian ‎Jen Caressimo (@Zenkenjen) runs Virtual Spirit Weeks to bring the school community together. She invites you to check out her Google Drive of examples.

Camps and field trips are a great way to bring your class together. Did you know your class can also take virtual school trips. Check out this list of ideas from Freedom Homeschooling or this one from Mrs. Fahrney.

Maybe you can hold virtual assemblies for your whole school or year level, just like these folks in South Korea,

Today's virtual learning highlight - The PYP Assembly! Puppet shows, dance-offs, jokes and shoutouts. The PYP team broadcasting live to the Elementary School. What a fabulous way to end the week! I'm lucky to work with so many wonderful educators. #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/JHFu0SA0zX

- Simon McCloskey (@SimonJMcCloskey) March 6, 2020

10) Keep it Simple 💓

The message you'll hear over and over from school leaders and teachers who have been at this for a while now is clear: keep it simple!

Don't overthink things and create complicated lessons.

Don't invest in expensive technology or reinvent the wheel.

Don't expect that you will be able to cover as much as you would in the classroom.

Just do your best. That is enough!

Obstacles and Issues Created by School Closures

The rapid school closures we're seeing across the world raise concerns for teachers, parents, students, and the wider community.

Some issues that are currently being navigated include:

Students/Families

Do all students have access to devices and the internet?

Who will look after students who are home from school? Are some students being left home alone?

How can parents manage their own careers? Do their employers allow them to work from home or have time off?

What about students who rely on getting free or subsidized meals at school? How can they be supported? What are the ramifications for farmers and food suppliers if orders are suspended?

Are there concerns with excess screen time and lack of physical activity?

How can students stay connected to peers?

How can students with disabilities or additional learning needs be catered for?

Teachers

How can educators juggle teaching if they have their own children home from school?

How can teachers maintain work-life balance?

Can teachers work from home or do they need to be on campus? Are teachers trusted and supported to work remotely?

Do teachers need PD? Can the transition to online learning happen immediately or does there need to be a bridge (for example, students are provided with work/a packet for a week while teachers set up the online learning program)?

What role will non-teaching staff take on?

Who will take classes if teachers become ill?

Will teachers continue to get full pay during ongoing school closures?

Schoolwide issues

Will testing and report cards need to be delayed? What other assessment and reporting concerns are there?

How is attendance monitored? For some, attendance or class numbers are linked to school funding.

Should teachers/administrators chase up students who aren't participating?

What will non-teaching staff do during school closures?

How should the school day be balanced with synchronous and asynchronous learning that's both online and offline?

How can individual students be catered for and work be differentiated?

How can you prevent all the student work from becoming a scattered mess? Are they going to publish items on a digital portfolio (e.g. blog) or something similar?

Will you face copyright issues if you try to use learning materials online (e.g. replicating textbooks or reading picture books aloud?)

For private schools with longer closures, will parents continue to be charged full fees?

What will the transition back to online schooling look like?

What sort of "gaps" may need to be filled if students miss out on essential learning or assessment?

Are their implications for senior students graduating and moving on to tertiary education?

Schools, teachers, and families may also face different issues depending on whether they are part of an international school, private school, or public school. Each situation is unique and throws up so many different variables.

As you can see, these issues are broad and complex. Perhaps at this stage there are more questions than answers.

Planning for a School Closure: Parent Survey

No matter where you live in the world, it's highly unlikely that you can now rule out the possibility of your school closing in the future.

Now is the time to plan. If you don't need that plan, great! However, many schools around the world are closing suddenly with minimal preparation. Teachers and staff end up scrambling to get their virtual learning programs together.

The first step in planning for a possible school closure may be to survey your parents and families. It's important to find out what technology, child care, and other resources they have available.

We created an example survey in Google Forms. You're welcome to use it or adapt it for your own school. You'll find instructions on how to make a copy under the Form below.

Instructions for Editing and Using the Google Form Survey

1. Click on this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1viFs7kqOmJOBs-vzVX6pCbhd8rgSda0K-00LAjqruLM/copy
2. You will be prompted to make a copy (screenshot below)

3. You can edit the Google Form to suit your own school

💡 Google Forms Tips:

Planning for a School Closure: Taking Home Resources

If your school hasn't closed yet and you're planning for an upcoming closure, you might be thinking about what you should take home with you.

Every situation is different but in some schools, no one is allowed on the campus once the school is closed. In other schools, teachers are actually required to work from the school (while students are at home).

If you'll be working remotely, you might think about taking home some of the resources listed on the graphic below.

Checklist for Administrators and Educators Facing a School Closure

This post has covered a lot of information and offered a lot of ideas and options.

The following checklist might be a useful starting point if your school is beginning to discuss an upcoming or possible school closure.

Of course, this is just a very simplified checklist for schools that are beginning to think about transitioning.

📌 Click here to download a PDF copy of the checklist

Over to You

We'd love to keep this post updated with practical information. Please leave a comment if you have any tips, questions, or examples. We want to hear from you!

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Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures

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This extensive guide will give you insights into how educators around the world are approaching school closures due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Learn about options for structuring the school day, using video, and using online tools. You'll also find a checklist for schools facing a closure and tips for virtual teaching.

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Leading Equity Center: COVID-19 School Resources and Support

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Leading Equity Center: COVID-19 School Resources and Support

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As cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) spread throughout the world, and into our communities, how are you and your students doing? How are you feeling?

As this virus spreads, it seems to affect mostly older people and those who have compromised immune systems. But even young students have older grandparents or know community members who may have compromised immune systems.

Access to health and doctors is one area where our resources can be inequitable. Not every person in the U.S. has access to excellent health care.

School district leadership teams and school administrators will have official messages to share.

Depending on the age of the students with whom you work with, you may want to think of how to convey a couple of ideas in an age-appropriate way to your students because they know you and would trust your message.

The Novel Coronavirus is a virus; other types of infections include the flu virus. COVID-19 is different because it's new and we don't have a lot of information about it. We know it is capable of spreading quickly.

There are things we can do to stay safe and healthy.

Think of what you can do or say to help alleviate your student's fears. Most people don't die from this, but some can become very ill and may die.

Are you in a school or district that encourages such conversations with students? Some administrators take the view that it's up to a child's parents to tell them what they want them to know. Unfortunately, if the parents don't speak English well, or don't follow the news, or work several jobs, so they are not home - the conversation may not take place.

Students may be getting their information - and misinformation from other students.

Federal officials warned that it might be necessary to close schools.

"It's not so much of a question of if this will happen anymore but rather more of a question of exactly when this will happen," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a news briefing.

The CDC recommends common-sense precautions such as

Stay home when sick

Cover coughs and sneezes

Washing hands with soap and water frequently

Clean frequently touched surfaces

Here is a serious question: has anyone who has written this guidance tried telling students, especially younger students, not to touch their faces or noses or put their fingers in their mouth after touching a surface? In my school's leadership meeting, the topic of students sharing food and lip balm came up. If you have any suggestions, please share them.

Some states have declared a State of Emergency, and some colleges and universities are closing for up to two weeks and holding online classes.

For schools that have opted to transition to online education, I've put together a free course. I want to invite you to share this resource with your colleagues as many of us are working to create an equitable online learning space for our students.

The problem is that not all students have internet access, so trying to hold online-school as South Korea is doing while schools are closed for two weeks, or Japan, where schools are closed for a month, may not work in some rural, suburban, and urban homes.

Some students depend on free and reduced meals provided by their schools. Some students receive a backpack of snacks to take home for the weekend. How will these students manage if schools are closed? In the summers, some schools offer free hot lunches, but with a potential virus, that may not be the best option.

Some students are homeless. Do we have a plan to meet their needs? Some shelters do not allow people to remain there during the day.

What else could you do? Could you plan or adjust the assignments? Or send home packets? The problem is that we don't know if/when the virus will spread in your community, and which schools will be affected. Some K-12 and Higher Education institutions in the United States are currently closing for two weeks or more. Graduations have been canceled as well.
How are we advocating for our Asian students?
Please be aware that there have been multiple instances of bullying of Asian students - not just students from China or Chinese students because the first instances of the transmission of this virus were in China. Still, there have been references to the Chinese virus and the Wuhan virus. Some of these students were born in the U.S. to parents who were born in the U.S. and may have never been to Asia. Students who are Japanese or Korean or Thai or Vietnamese are also being bullied and ostracized. You may have to have a conversation about racism in such assumptions with your students and staff.

National Public Radio reported,
"Thirteen-year-old Sara Aalgaard told us that since the outbreak, many middle-school classmates of hers have been targeting the small population of Asian Americans at her school in Middletown, Conn. "People call us 'corona,'" she said, or ask if they eat dogs. Rebecca Wen from North Brunswick, N.J., told us that her 9-year-old son reported that his 11-year-old classmate said: "You're Chinese, so you must have the coronavirus."

Other recommendations include avoiding crowded places such as parks, shopping malls, and religious services, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked companies who can do so to allow people to work from home and has suggested that those who can commute by walking or bicycling do so rather than using public transportation.

New York City has canceled in-person parent-teacher conferences scheduled for this week. The meetings will be held by phone or video chat instead.

As an indicator of the spread, one person In New York who had not traveled is considered the common denominator in as many as 37 cases. The person's spouse and children have the virus, and so does a neighbor who drove the ill person to the hospital, a friend of the spouse, and several others. Their entire neighborhood is currently under quarantine with the National Guard assigned to clean public spaces and deliver food within the quarantine zone.

Recommendations include making sure that your school has a plan in place, including a communication plan for administrators, staff, parents, students, and the community.

If a student develops symptoms including a high fever, a cough, and trouble breathing, take them to the nurse's office, and keep them separate from other students until they can be checked.

In many cases, by taking common-sense precautions, many of those who have the virus have recovered. In some countries, there are few cases, and most recover.

For now, the best suggestions include making plans, getting enough sleep, making sure that you and your students are sufficiently hydrated, and washing your hands frequently.

There is no need to panic yet - as we wait for more testing kits to become available and distributed widely, and look for a vaccine. We need to support each other in staying healthy and ensuring that we take care of ourselves, our families, our students, and our community by being aware and proactive.

Here are some links to articles that you may find to be helpful:

1. iTeach Continuity Resources

2. How to help kids increase their sense of self-control

3. Talking to Teens and Tweens about Coronavirus

4. A comic exploring coronavirus

5. An article from Education Week.

Yours in health and equity,

Sheldon

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As cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) spread throughout the world, and into our communities, how are you and your students doing? How are you feeling?

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How to Collaborate Effectively if Your Team is Remote

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How to Collaborate Effectively if Your Team is Remote

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Executive Summary

People who work on remote teams face communications challenges consistently. As more and more of our interactions happen digitally, we will continue to experience new forms of miscommunication and misunderstanding. The solution lies in building a skill set that reflects the demands of our digitally-driven age. For instance, when communicating digitally, don't assume that others understand your cues and shorthand. Spend the time to communicate with the intention of being ultra clear. Don't bombard your team with messages - it's ineffective, and annoying. Consider creating team acronyms for digital communications like "Four Hour Response (4HR)" and "No Need to Respond (NNTR)" that bring predictability and certainty to virtual conversations. And remember to create space for celebrations and socializing with remote teams, which can strengthen relationships and lay the foundation for future collaboration.

Hulton Archive/Hayon Thapaliya/Getty Images

Remote communication isn't always easy. Do you recognize yourself in any of these examples?
At 10 p.m., a corporate lawyer gets a text from a colleague and wonders (not for the first time) if there's a protocol about work-related texts after a certain hour. After a long and liquid client dinner, an advertising executive opens an email from his boss reminding him to submit his expenses on time. Annoyed by this micromanagement, he immediately responds with his uncensored thoughts. On the weekly team conference call, a remote team member is confused about whether her colleague is really "on mute" when she delays a response to a question or if she's just not paying attention and is using this as an excuse.
When it's possible to be set off by a phone's mute button, it's safe to say that we're living in challenging times. The digital era has ushered in a revolution in communication that's equivalent to the one surrounding the invention of the printing press. It's changing how we speak - often in bullet points. And it's affecting what we hear, as the jumble of information coming at us can lead to frequent misunderstandings and confusion.

People who work on remote teams face these challenges consistently. According to recent estimates from Gallup and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22% of Americans work from home, while nearly 50% are involved with remote or virtual team work. This continuing shift calls for a new range of behaviors and skills.

You and Your Team Series

Remote Work

Why do remote teams demand new collaboration skills? What's missing from our texts, emails, conference calls, and other digital communications? Body language. Even when we're co-located, the tone of a text or the formality of an email is left wide open to interpretation, to the point that even our closest friends get confused. These misinterpretations create an anxiety that can become costly, affecting morale, engagement, productivity, and innovation.

Remote communication can distort the normal pace of our conversations. The delay between our messages can often postpone or hide emotional reactions to our comments. How many times have you written an email and, immediately after hitting send, felt concerned about how it would land? Would your boss see your late night email and consider it to be an intrusion on her private time? Would she tell you if it was? While we may have become used to these types of asynchronous interactions, they can still conflict with our normal rules for social interaction. Lacking an immediate response, we can become distracted, second-guess ourselves, or even grow frustrated with our teams.

To perform at the highest levels, remote teams have to find new and better ways to operate.

First, consider that there are three kinds of distance in remote collaboration: physical (place and time), operational (team size, bandwidth and skill levels) and affinity (values, trust, and interdependency). The best way for managers to drive team performance is by focusing on reducing affinity distance. Try switching most remote communication to regular video calls, which are a much better vehicle for establishing rapport and creating empathy than either e-mails or voice calls. And design virtual team-building rituals that give people the opportunity to interact regularly and experience their collaboration skills in action.

When remote teams communicate well and leverage their strengths, they can actually gain an advantage over co-located teams. Here are some best practices to master:

Don't conflate brief communications and clear communications: In our efforts to be efficient, we sometimes use fewer words to communicate. But such brevity can mean that the rest of the team wastes time trying to interpret your messages. (And then misinterprets them anyway.) Don't assume that others understand your cues and shorthand. Spend the time to communicate with the intention of being ultra clear, no matter the medium. Indeed, you can never be too clear, but it is too easy to be less clear than you should.

Don't bombard your team with messages: Do you follow up on a task by email, text and phone? Do you tend to ask people if they got your previous message? Abusing those access points can be a form of digital dominance, a relentless and uncomfortable form of harassment. The medium you choose creates different demands on the time of the receiver. Using all of them for the same message is ineffective (as well as annoying). Choose your digital volume wisely.

Establish communication norms: Remote teams need to create new norms that establish clarity in communication. Companies such as Merck have created acronyms for their digital communications like "Four Hour Response (4HR)" and "No Need to Respond (NNTR)" that bring predictability and certainty to virtual conversations. Individual teams can also establish their own norms - e.g., to use or not use Slack, Google Docs, or Whatsapp groups. And norms can also exist on an individual level, such as people's preferred response time, writing style, and tone. For example, some individuals prefer short and quick messages, while others favor lengthy and detailed responses; people also differ in their preference and tolerance for humor and informality.

While we often tend to regard human predictability as a defect, few qualities are more sought-after at work, especially in virtual collaborations. We are all unique, but our consistent behaviors help others predict what we do, and in turn help them to understand us - and we all benefit from being understood. You can make that easier for others by establishing a clear personal etiquette and sticking to it consistently.

See the hidden opportunities in written communications: Being behind a screen can create new opportunities for certain team members, making space for those who might be less inclined to speak out in groups. Text-based communication places less importance on interpersonal skills and physical appearance, offering an effective way to share power and decision-making. Research shows that introverted individuals are less inhibited in online versus offline interactions. However, you need to watch out for virtual unconscious bias, where punctuation, grammar and word choice might reveal prejudiced attitudes towards certain groups.

And the absence of body language doesn't necessarily mean that we're not giving away more than we intend to when we communicate remotely. There's still a great deal of meta-communication and virtual leakage that happens in digital environments, and it only takes paying attention to read between the lines. For example, the use of exclamation marks or a negative emoji after referring to someone's gender, nationality, or religion is as powerful a marker of disapproval as a disgusted face.

Create intentional space for celebration: Old school birthday cakes are still important for remote teams. Creating virtual spaces and rituals for celebrations and socializing can strengthen relationships and lay the foundation for future collaboration. Find ways to shorten the affinity distance. One company we worked with celebrated new talent by creating a personal emoji for each employee who had been there for six months. You can find your own unique way to create team spaces for social connection. How you do it is less important than whether you do.

As more and more of our interactions happen digitally, we will continue to experience new forms of miscommunication and misunderstanding. The solution will not come from new technologies (although, no doubt, developers will keep trying to bridge that gap). Instead, the solution is in understanding the new rules of engagement; in building a communication skill set that reflects the demands of our digitally-driven age.

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How to Collaborate Effectively If Your Team Is Remote

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Executive Summary People who work on remote teams face communications challenges consistently. As more and more of our interactions happen digitally, we will continue to experience new forms of miscommunication and misunderstanding. The solution lies in building a skill set that reflects the demands of our digitally-driven age.

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5 Ways to Work from Home More Effectively

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5 Ways to Work from Home More Effectively

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Constantine Johnny/Getty Images

More people are foregoing a lengthy commute and working from home. Whether you are a full-time freelancer or the occasional telecommuter, working outside an office can be a challenge. What are the best ways to set yourself up for success? How do you stay focused and productive? And how do you keep your work life separate from your home life?

What the Experts Say
The days when working from home conjured an image of a slacker in pajamas are rapidly disappearing. Technological advances and employers looking to lower costs have resulted in more people working outside an office than ever before. By one estimate, telecommuting increased in the U.S. by 80% between 2005 and 2012. "The obvious benefits for workers include flexibility, autonomy, and the comfort of working in your own space," says Ned Hallowell, author of the forthcoming Driven to Distraction at Work. And done well, working from home can mean a marked increase in output. A Stanford University study last year found that the productivity of employees who worked from home was 13% higher than their office-bound colleagues. People often feel they make more progress when working from home, says Steven Kramer, a psychologist and author of The Progress Principle, and "of all the things that can boost people's work life, the single most important is simply making progress on meaningful work." Here's how to work from home effectively.

Maintain a regular schedule
"Without supervision, even the most conscientious of us can slack off," says Hallowell. Setting a schedule not only provides structure to the day, it also helps you stay motivated. Start the day as you would if you worked in an office: Get up early, get dressed, and try to avoid online distractions once you sit down to work. Whether you just started working at home or you've been doing it for months or years, take a few weeks to determine the best rhythm for your day. Then set realistic expectations for what you can accomplish on a daily basis. "Make a schedule and stick to it," says Kramer. Make sure you give yourself permission to have downtime. If you have to work extra hours on a project, give yourself some extra free time later on to compensate.

Set clear boundaries
When you work at home, it's easy to let your work life blur into your home life. "Unless you are careful to maintain boundaries, you may start to feel you're always at work and lose a place to come home to," Hallowell says. That's why it's important to keep the two distinct. One way to do that is to set aside a separate space in your home for work. You also want to make sure your friends and loved ones understand that even though you are at home, you are off limits during your scheduled work hours. "If the doorbell rings, unless I'm really expecting something, I'll ignore it," says Kramer. That not only helps you stay focused, but makes it easier to get out of work mode at the end of the day. "Schedule your time with your family, and with yourself," says Kramer. "Put those on your daily calendar as seriously as you would your work." And don't worry about stopping for the day if you're on a roll with a project. Pausing in the middle of something will make it easier to jump into the task the next day - a tip that is valid for everyone, but especially those working from home. "Ernest Hemingway would try to leave in the middle of a paragraph at the end of the day," says Kramer, "so when he sat down again, getting started wasn't hard because he knew where it was going."

Take regular breaks
It may be tempting to work flat out, especially if you're trying to prove that you're productive at home. But it's vital to "take regular 'brain breaks,'" says Hallowell. How often is best? Researchers at a social media company recently tracked the habits of their most productive employees. They discovered that the best workers typically worked intently for around 52 minutes and then took a 17-minute break. And these restorative breaks needn't take any particular form. "It can be as simple as staring out the window or reading the newspaper," says Hallowell, anything to give your brain an opportunity to briefly recuperate. "The brain is like any other muscle. It needs to rest," says Kramer. "Go for a walk, get some exercise, stretch. Then get back to work."

Stay connected
Prolonged isolation can lead to weakened productivity and motivation. So if you don't have a job that requires face-time with others on a daily basis, you need to put in the extra effort to stay connected. Make a point of scheduling regular coffees and meetings with colleagues, clients, and work peers. Get involved with professional organizations. And use online networking sites like LinkedIn to maintain connections with far-flung contacts. Since visibility can be an important factor in who gets promoted (or scapegoated) back at the office, check in as often as you can with colleagues and superiors. "Tell people what you're doing," says Kramer. Share some of the tasks you've accomplished that day. "It's critically important not just for your career, but for your psychological well-being," he says.

Celebrate your wins
When you're working on your own at home, staying motivated can be difficult, especially when distractions - Facebook, that pile of laundry, the closet that needs organizing - abound. One smart way to maintain momentum is to spend a moment or two acknowledging what you have been able to accomplish that day, rather than fixating on what you still need to do. "Take some time at the end of the day to attend to the things that you got done instead of the things you didn't get done," says Kramer. You might also keep a journal in which you reflect on that day's events and note what you were able to check off your to-do list. The daily reminder of what you were able to finish will help create a virtuous cycle going forward.
Principles to Remember: Do:

Make a schedule and stick to it

Focus on what you've accomplished at the end of each day to keep yourself motivated

Create a dedicated workspace and let your family know that you are unavailable during work hours

Don't:

Try to work all day without regular breaks - your productivity and motivation will suffer

Isolate yourself - go the extra mile to meet up with colleagues and peers to talk shop

Neglect to check in regularly with colleagues and bosses - it's important to make yourself 'visible' even if you aren't in the office

Case study #1: Stay organized and adjust
Freelancing from home for Heather Spohr, a writer and copywriter based in Los Angeles, wasn't her choice. After 10 years in the corporate world, she was laid off from a six-figure sales job in 2008, but "I had a baby at home, so I just sort of shifted my focus," Heather says. Today, she writes articles for everyone from parenting and banking sites to "car companies, drug companies, beauty companies, you name it," she says.

Despite wanting to keep regular working hours, Heather often finds that the pressures of finding new writing jobs in addition to executing the ones she's already landed often push her into overtime. "It can be very hard maintaining a schedule because freelancing is so feast or famine," she says.

To give more structure to her working life, she sits down each Sunday evening after her kids have gone to bed and maps out of the following week. "I'm huge on lists," she says. "I make daily schedules and prioritize tasks. Then everyday I revise that schedule because things come up." She also makes it a habit to include an hour of flex time into her daily schedule. That way, "if my sitter's going to be an hour late, it's not going to wreck my day," she says. "Once I started doing that, my stress level dropped considerably."

She insists on taking regular breaks, setting a timer that goes off every 45 minutes. "Then I give myself 5 to 10 minutes to get up, get a snack, look at Twitter, play Candy Crush, whatever," she says. "At first I felt guilty for doing it, but I would remind myself that when I worked in an office, I'd get interrupted so much more than that. Even with these breaks, I'm still getting more done."

What Heather finds most challenging is the isolation. "I'm very social and extroverted, and I love being surrounded by people," she says. To combat loneliness, she schedules time with fellow writers and friends for face time. She has also found a thriving network of other work-at-home writers in various online discussion groups. "There are lots of people I've clicked with through Citigroup's Women & Co. group and LinkedIn, and there will be chat rooms I'll pop into to say hello and connect," she says.

Case study #2: Maintain work-life boundaries
When Catherine Campbell launched her own branding and strategy business in Asheville, North Carolina, earlier this year, she already had some experience working from home. Her last job, as marketing director for a copywriting agency, was a virtual one, but she knew that launching her own company would require more discipline. "Managing my time and not overworking was going to be the biggest challenge," she says.

From the start, Catherine set strict rules for keeping her work life distinct from her home life. "It's all about boundaries and mindset," she says. She never uploaded work emails to her phone, so that she wouldn't be tempted to check messages at all hours of the day. She is only available on Skype by appointment and explicitly states in her email signature that her working hours are 9am to 5pm EST. "When you leave a traditional office, you're often done for the day," she says. "You have to approach it the same way when maintaining a home office."

She also tries to block out the first hour of each day to check email, do her own promotion and marketing, and make a list of daily goals. "Allowing what I call a quiet hour for myself just to get focused and to knock out some of the smaller tasks allows me to really jump into the larger client work for the rest of the day," she says. She also makes it a point to leave the house everyday, rain or shine, at 5pm. "I go for a walk, pick up my son, go to a networking group, grab that last item for dinner, or meet with a friend or colleague to talk shop," she says.

She also doesn't sweat the times when she has to work late on a project because she gives that time back to herself later on. "It's what I would call 'smart scheduling,'" Catherine says. "You say to yourself, OK, I have this extra client this week or this project emergency so I'm going to work these two nights. But then I'm going to cut back on Friday and get out of the office at 2 pm."

"Working from home is always a fine line," she says. "You have to learn how to give and take with yourself so that your business doesn't take over who you are."

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5 Ways to Work from Home More Effectively

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More people are foregoing a lengthy commute and working from home. Whether you are a full-time freelancer or the occasional telecommuter, working outside an office can be a challenge. What are the best ways to set yourself up for success? How do you stay focused and productive?

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7 Big Ideas as You Shift Toward Online Teaching

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7 Big Ideas as You Shift Toward Online Teaching

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A few days ago, we found out that all of the schools here in Oregon will be off until the start of April. Many of the universities have asked professors to switch their courses from face-to-face to online. This is a move that school districts across the U.S. and throughout the world are making. Needless to say, these are unprecedented times.

As a K-12 teacher, I had extensive experience with blended and hybrid teaching. As a professor, I've helped professors pilot new online courses and transform their face-to-face courses to online courses. And yet, I was reticent about writing this article and creating the eBook and toolkit that accompany it.

Why?

Because I still have times when I mess up with online learning. I still have lessons that tank. I still have times when I haven't developed as tight of an online community as I would have hoped. I am constantly learning and evolving as I move through new iterations in distance learning. And yet, I also see value in sharing what I've learned along the way. With that in mind, I thought I would offer my perspective and share my free resources.

The bad news? You can't convert your course.

As an education professor, I had the opportunity to work as a Digital Fluency Mentor helping professors develop online, hybrid, and virtual courses. One of the most common questions people asked me was, "How do I convert my face-to-face course into an online course?"

The truth is, you can't convert it. Learning isn't like a file that converts between a .doc and a PDF and a Google Doc. We can't simply substitute new tools and do the same exact activity. In other words, that rich, spontaneous, Socratic Seminar simply won't work in a discussion board or through a video conferencing system. That amazing collaborative design challenge doesn't transfer easily when students move out of the makerspace and into their own homes.

See, the problem with the idea of converting instruction is that you only see the limitations. You take a great in-person activity and then you try to do your best to substitute it with digital tools. But this will always lead to a deficit.

The Mindset Shift: From Converting to Transforming

But what if we chose a different approach? What if we asked, "How do I transform my course?" rather than "How do I convert it?"
With transformation, you think about the creative and connective capacity of technology to design learning experiences that would have been inconceivable before.

This idea is at the heart of the SAMR Model. With the SAMR model, the first two layers focus on using technology to enhance the learning process while the next two layers focus on transforming the learning. The first level, Substitution, uses technology as a direct substitution for the learning task with no significant change. So, a student who types an essay on the computer merely swaps a pencil for a keyboard. With Augmentation, the technology acts as a substitution with some augmentation. So, that paper essay moves to a Google Doc, where students can not only type and edit but also comment on one another's work. With Modification, technology enables significant task redesign. So, that essay is now a blog post. Students engage in online research, work collaboratively on a shared document, and publishing to an authentic audience. It is no longer an essay for a teacher. Instead, it is an article crafted for the world. With Redefinition, the technology allows for tasks that were previously inconceivable. So, that same essay is now a multimedia package, with a blog post, a podcast, and a short video. The research, too, includes video conferences with experts.

Note that Redefinition isn't necessarily better. Sometimes you simply need to substitute or modify a task with technology. At the same time, we also want to avoid the trap of handing students digital worksheets and essentially shifting toward packet work.

Equity Matters

The following are ideas we need to consider ahead of time:

If you're reading this right now, there's a good chance your school is moving quickly from face-to-face to online instruction. With COVID-19, there are many classrooms doing a quick shift toward online instruction. You are likely a K12 educator but you might be a professor at a university where your school has suddenly shifted classes online without any warning.

It's easy to step into digital spaces and forget that they are not socially neutral. The systems that perpetuate injustice off-line exist online as well. With that in mind, I'd like to remind educators to remember the following:

1. Not everyone has the same access to technology. Not every student has the same device or the same internet connection. Not every student has the same access to a quiet workspace at home. Please work with key stakeholders to address the issue of equity of access.

2. Power dynamics exist online. Pay close attention to the role of gender and race in your online instruction. There's a tendency for people to assume a false social neutrality online but you need to address power dynamics. Please consider finding experts in culturally responsive pedagogy and ask them for a critique of your online materials so that you can find areas where you need to improve.

3. Be sure to provide linguistic support. Please remember that some of your students might not be native English speakers and they deserve access to sentence stems, visuals, front-loaded vocabulary and other accommodations that you provide in-person.

4. Embrace a Universal Access and Universal Design mindset. Re-read the IEPs and 504 plans to provide necessary accommodations. Lean in to the special education teachers and disability support staff to think through how you will make your instruction universally accessible. For example, you will need to check that closed captioning is available on all videos and that transcripts are available for podcasts. You might need to provide additional assistive support technology. Often, librarians and instructional designers will have key information for you in these areas.

Seven Big Ideas as You Shift Toward Distance Learning

The following are a few ideas to consider as you shift toward online / distance learning.

Big Idea #1: Students should be creating original content.

In education, we often use consumer language to describe instruction. How do you deliver the lesson? Did the students get it? And there is some truth to this. We need to engage in direct instruction. We often model a particular skill that students then copy. Other times, we help students attain knowledge by reading articles, watching videos, or listening to lectures.

This is especially common in online courses, where the predominant model is to consume content and then discuss the information afterward.

However, at some point, we want students to engage in meaningful projects. We want them to be problem-solvers and makers and designers. In other words, we want students to develop a maker mindset.

This is why, ultimately, they need to engage in creative work online. But what does this actually look like?

Blogging: Thematic blogs are blogs based on a student's interests, passions, and ideas. It could be a foodie blog, a sports blog, a fashion blog, a science blog, or a history blog. They choose the topic and the audience. It's a great way for students to practice writing in different genres (persuasive, functional, informational/expository, narrative) with specific blog topics they choose. They can also add multimedia components, like slideshows, pictures, videos, and audio.

Podcasting: With podcasts, students create audio recordings that they then share with an authentic audience. They can work individually, with partners, or in small groups. It can be more scripted or more open. If you want, you can have students edit the podcasts and add music by using Garage Band or Audacity. But you can also do a simple recording with smartphones.

Videos: Video creation is a little more complicated. They are often more time-consuming and sometimes require additional skills. However, if students are at home, they might just be willing to spend the additional time creating a video. A simple option for video creation is the annotated slideshow. Here, students create a slideshow and then record the audio as they move through it. They can do this on PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides.

Not sure where to start? One idea is a Wonder Day:
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You can also get the Wonder Day project as well as the blogging and podcasting resources when you download the eBook and toolkit at the bottom of this article.

Big Idea #2: Be sure to leverage the power of online collaboration.

We live in a world where there are countless online tools for communication and collaboration. We can send instant messages, edit on a shared Google Document, hop onto a video conference, and easily send files back and forth. And yet, when it comes to distance learning, teachers often craft tasks that are entirely independent and individual. To make the most out of online learning, we need to leverage digital tools for collaboration.

Synchronous:
Chats, including Gmail chat or Slack
Video chats, including any video conferencing software (Hangouts, Zoom, Skype)

Asynchronous:
Shared documents, such as Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, and Google Slides
Project management software, such Trello
Voice chats, including Voice Thread

Synchronous/Asynchronous Hybrids:
Walkie Talkie apps, such as Voxer

Note that you need to know ahead of time which tools are COPPA and CIPA compliant. You need to check in with your district about your local policies. However, you should find a few key areas where you can have students work collaboratively even if they aren't in the same physical space.
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For online collaboration, you might try a small mini-project, where students engage in shared research and then come together to make something new (think the previously mentioned Wonder Day). Other times, they might collaborate by working on independent projects and sharing their processes with others.

Big Idea #3: Empower your students to own their learning in an online environment.

We often talk about what it means to move from compliance to engagement. It's the idea of creating an environment where students want to learn rather than have to learn. But if we want students to be creative, self-directed learners we need to go beyond student engagement and into empowerment. But this requires some paradigm shifts.

That's right. We're going to be talking shift.

Here's what I mean: The empowered classroom is a shift from giving choices to inspiring possibilities It's what happens when you move from making the subject interesting to tapping into student interests; when you go from saying "you must learn this" to asking "what do you want to learn?" It's a shift from taking assessments to assessing your own learning, it's an iterative process full of mistakes that ultimately lead to success. It's a shift from the teacher asking all the questions to the students asking their own questions, where they chase the inquiry process and take learning off-road. It's a shift from uncritical consuming to critical consuming and creating. Here, students move from critical consuming to inspiration to creativity, where they use the design process to launch their work to the world. It's a shift from differentiating instruction to personalizing learning And it's a shift from rigid to adjustable systems so that students own the process. They can set their own pace, choose their own formats, and decide what resources they want to use to accomplish their goals. It's a shift in mindset from compliance to self-direction. In other words, it's a shift toward student ownership. When that happens, our students become the creative, critical thinkers who change the world.
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This is a challenge in a physical classroom, with each student learning at a different pace. But that's actually the hidden advantage of online learning. The physical distance actually makes it a little less chaotic as we embrace student ownership.

The following are a few areas where you can incorporate student ownership:

Students owning the assessment process

Students choosing the topics

Students selecting the scaffolds

Students choosing how they present their learning

I go in-depth into the process in the free eBook you can access at the bottom of this article. I also include the suite of assessments that you can use in online learning. Note that because you aren't available to do in-person formative assessment, it is even more important that students engage in self-assessment and peer assessment.
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Here's a small sample of what it looks like to incorporate student choice in your online class:

Traditionally, choice menus allow students to choose how they will present what they are learning. It's a great first step for students who aren't used to having as much voice and choice in their learning. While choice menus are great, I thought I would share a variation on the choice menu that goes beyond choosing topics and toward student ownership of the learning targets and resources. Here's what it looks like.

As a teacher, I would keep an ongoing online curation of resources for each unit that I taught. Any time I saw something fascinating or relevant, I would copy and paste the link into a document. Then, I would use that curated list of resources in the choice menus. When students chose podcasts, videos, etc., I would link the option to a one-page topic-neutral document with a list of best practices, tutorials with instructions, and rubrics for that particular option.

So, if students were learning about forces and motion in science, they might select a specific standard. Then they would watch a video or podcast and then click on the slideshow option where they could see reminders of best practices (remember to use visuals, use a solid contrast in colors, cite sources, etc.) and begin creating their product.

Notice that with this choice menu, students are deciding either the topics, concepts, or skills and then deciding on their own resources and strategies before ultimately deciding on their final product.

Big Idea #4: Provide opportunities for vintage and digital mashups.

When we think of online teaching, we tend to imagine a student sitting at a computer completing work. However, some of the best tools are low tech and lo-fi. Yes, we need students to use a laptop. But we also need students to use pencils and paper and cardboard. In other words, you need to take a vintage innovation approach.

Vintage innovation happens when we use old ideas and tools to transform the present. Think of it as a mash-up. It's not a rejection of new tools or new ideas. Instead, it's a reminder that sometimes the best way to move forward is to look backward. Like all innovation, vintage innovation is disruptive. But it's disruptive by pulling us out of present tense and into something more timeless

Vintage Innovation is a both/and mindset. It's the overlap of the "tried and true" and the "never tried." It's a mash-up of cutting edge tech and old school tools. It's the overlap of timeless skills in new contexts. Vintage innovation is what happens when engineers use origami to design new spacecraft and robotics engineers are studying nature for innovative designs.

As you move toward online teaching, consider how you might embrace this mindset of a mash-up.

Big Idea #5: Be intentional with the design of your online classes.

User experience design theory (sometimes abbreviated as XD, UX, UXD or UED) focuses on the user experience of a platform. This might include accessibility, usability, enjoyment, and the overall flow of the experience. UX design focuses on both on how we use digital tools and on how we inhabit digital spaces. It focuses on systems in a way that is deeply human. What does it feel like for people? What does it look like for them? What are their processes?

The best systems are the ones that feel invisible. You step into it and immediately know where to go and what to do. Don't get me wrong. Confusion can be a great thing in a classroom if it is leading toward deeper learning. But confusion caused by poorly designed courses leads to disengagement and frustration. It cuts learning short and disrupts creative flow.

There are a few key elements of UX Design that we can incorporate into our online instruction:
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One simple step is to do a UX Design audit. I've included a template in the toolkit and eBook that you can download at the bottom of this post. Use this form as a way to self-assess the design of your online course. Focus on using this diagnostic tool as a way to improve the overall design. It helps to picture your course through the lens of a student who is accessing it for the first time.

Big Idea #6: Take a "show and tell" approach.

We tend to assign homework that asks students to take schoolwork into their world. Often, students fail to turn in their work. But what if it's shows and tell? Suddenly, kids can't wait to bring in an item from their world and share it with the class.

Show and tell is essentially the opposite of homework. It's a chance for students to bring their world into the school rather than school into their world. This approach honors student agency. When I taught eighth grade, I encouraged a "show and tell" approach to homework. Here, they could bring in experts, resources, videos, or audio from their own community as they worked on projects in class. It was always optional but many students choose to complete it, since it was a chance to bring their world into class.

As educators, we need to remember that home learning doesn't have to require us to send schoolwork home. It's about building a partnership between school and home and recognizing the ways that students might learn within their own environment.

We can take this same approach as we design distance learning experiences for our students. One small example is to ask students to share their interests and passions through a Geek Out Blog.

Big Idea #7: Be present and available as a teacher.

Distance learning doesn't mean we have to be distant. As teachers, we can be intentional about creating a sense of presence with our students. Here are a few ideas that I've found helpful:

Video announcement: This starts with he first week, where you do an on boarding video of the course and explain how it will work. But after that, you can create a weekly or even daily short video with a preview of what students will do. Although pre-recorded, these short, unstructured videos create a sense of presence for you as a teacher.

Small group check-ins: Here, you can schedule small group meeting and use video conferencing to meet with groups and look at their progress.

Email check-ups: There are a few options here. First, you can send out a whole class email with expectations, deadlines, etc. But the second option is just a short email to each student asking how they're doing. If you have 180 students in a class, rotate with 18 per day and make sure each student gets an individual email every other week. You can create an email template and personalize it.

Short text check-ins: With this option, you can ask students to use the chat function to send questions or comments as you go.

Surveys: Ask students to fill out a course survey each day where they share what their experiences have been in an online course.

Scheduled conferences: On the next page, you'll see the 5 minute conference system. With a whole day of working from home, you can easily schedule these conferences with students and let them know you are there for them.

There are so many other ways to be present and I'm sure that you, as a teacher, have other ideas of strategies you can use to build relationships and be present with your students, even as you shift toward distance learning.

Ultimately, there is no one single way to do online teaching. It's an experiment and it varies depending on your subject, your context, and your students. You'll make tons of mistakes - and that's okay. The beauty is in learning from those mistakes and iterating toward better and better instruction. Lean in to the experts in your own institution and be humble about what you don't know. Ask students for their input along the way. And over time, you'll develop some amazing distance learning units.

Below, you'll find the a free eBook, along with a toolkit full of resources you can use as you shift toward online teaching. You'll find lesson plans, writing prompts, entire projects, protocols, and guides.

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7 Big Ideas as You Shift Toward Online Teaching

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A few days ago, we found out that all of the schools here in Oregon will be off until the start of April. Many of the universities have asked professors to switch their courses from face-to-face to online. This is a move that school districts across the U.S.

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Some tips for teaching (mostly) higher ed online

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Some tips for teaching (mostly) higher ed online

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Across the United States right now, people are feeling isolated and afraid. As schools and businesses close, people are worrying about their health, their families, their jobs and their future. All of these worries make sense, and of course there's nothing wrong with being afraid. But as people share news, fears and concerns, some people are sharing something else, as well: racism and xenophobia.

Obviously, Chinese people are not responsible for a virus simply because the first reported cases were in China. But some politicians and media figures have taken to referring to the "Chinese Coronavirus." They've used stereotypes about the different foods people eat around the world or made jokes that rely on "Chinese-sounding" words or phrases to make light of the crisis and somehow suggest that Chinese people are to blame. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that China should apologize for the virus.

While it might be tempting to think we should just shake this kind of language off and focus on larger concerns, the truth is that racist and xenophobic words have real-world effects. Across the U.S., Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders report being harassed at school, in stores, on the streets and on the subway. Last month in London, a Singaporean man was assaulted, kicked and punched by a man who said, "I don't want your coronavirus in my country."

We know that racist "jokes" can quickly become racist rants, and those rants can turn to violence. So it's up to all of us to make it clear that we're not OK with racist responses to this crisis.

To do that, Teaching Tolerance recommends a four-step process for speaking up against bias:
Interrupt
Question
Educate
Echo
Here's what speaking up against racism during the coronavirus might look like now.

Interrupt

Interrupting means taking a time out. It shows the person you're talking, texting or chatting with that what they've said is important enough to pause your conversation to address-that you need to talk about the racism before you talk about anything else. Here are a few phrases to try:

"Hang on. I want to go back to what you called the virus."
"Just a second-let's get into your point that the virus is somebody's fault."
"Before we talk about that, I want to talk about the language you just used."

Question

We're all familiar with "questions" that are really warnings: What did you just say to me? or Are you really going to do that? But in this context, the goal of questioning really is to better understand why the person said what they did. You might ask:

"Why did you call it the 'Chinese Coronavirus'?"
"Why do you think that?"
"Where did you get that information?"

One note: Asking someone to explain why a racist joke is funny is a great way to stop them from making racist jokes to you again. But if you want to have a real discussion about what they've said, it might work better to ask something like, "What made you say that?"

Educate

The key to educating is to continue the conversation. The goal here isn't to just provide facts about the topic generally to the person you're talking to with, but to explain why what they've said needs rethinking.

That means that, to educate folks around racism associated with the coronavirus, we need to understand not only the virus but also the racism.

For example, you might explain that it's actually not common anymore to name a disease after its place of origin, that there's a long, bad history of associating diseases with specific groups of people and that the name COVID-19 was chosen very carefully to avoid repeating those mistakes.

If someone doesn't understand why a comment they made was racist, you can educate them about the long history of stereotyping immigrants-and Asian people, specifically-as people who bring disease. You can explain how this stereotype is both wrong and harmful.

And if someone tries to play down racist phrases as "just a joke," you can educate them about the discrimination and racism many AAPI folks are facing right now, so they better understand the impact of their words.

Echo

It takes an effort to speak up against racist ideas and language. This is particularly true of people who are targeted by that language. That's why we need to have each other's backs. When someone else speaks up, echo them. Thank them, and emphasize or amplify their message any way you can. This not only encourages more speaking up-it also ensures that no one thinks your silence in response to biased ideas or language means you're OK with it.

Of course, echoing is harder while we're social distancing, but there are many ways to do it. Online, we can re-share antiracist messages. And in chats or conversations, we can respond to offer support and agreement.

In the coming weeks, we're all going to have to make an effort to take care of one another. We'll probably need to make some more sacrifices to ensure that our communities stay as safe and healthy as possible. Speaking up against bigotry, particularly if you're not the target, costs very little.

If we all commit to interrupting, questioning, educating and echoing to fight racist rhetoric, we can start making our communities safer and healthier today.

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Across the United States right now, people are feeling isolated and afraid. As schools and businesses close, people are worrying about their health, their families, their jobs and their future. All of these worries make sense, and of course there's nothing wrong with being afraid.

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Six Key Design Elements of Successful Online Learning

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Six Key Design Elements of Successful Online Learning

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For nearly a decade, GOA has been offering online courses to students. Because our classes are made up of teachers and students located around the world, we've focused on creating primarily asynchronous courses that are interactive, passion-based, and student-centered. How do our teachers develop high-quality online instruction that works in a mostly asynchronous online environment? Here's the truth: just like with brick-and-mortar learning, there is no one "right" way to design online learning experiences. Many of the best GOA courses are very different from one another, but they do share some common design elements.

1. Transparent Goal-Setting

From the beginning of an online experience, be clear with the students about the goals of the unit. On module introduction pages, GOA teachers clarify which competencies and learning outcomes students will develop and how they will be assessed. Those learning outcomes populate rubrics in the unit and serve as the hooks on which teachers hang their feedback. At the end of the module, students reflect on and provide evidence of their progress toward mastery of each of those competencies, and they set some goals for the coming weeks. Whether you work in a competency-based environment or not, it's a best practice to get clear with your students (and yourself) about the standards, competencies, unit goals, and/or essential questions that will drive your work together. Below is an example from our iOS App Design course.

GOA's iOS App Design course and all other courses feature call-outs like this one on the first page of each module, highlighting the competencies and outcomes that will be the focus of the unit. Note the use of visual elements to support the meaning of the competency. This is from Jim Bologna's (The Windward School) course.

Don't underestimate how much you implicitly-rather than explicitly- emphasize and reiterate your goals for your students when you are together with them every day. To support the student-driven navigation required for online learning, lay the goals out immediately, use them to assess student work, and close your unit with a metacognitive activity where students reflect on their progress toward those goals.

2. Proactive, Planned Communication

In brick-and-mortar classrooms, we might be accustomed to announcing assessments or other major events in advance, but online, even smaller interactions require advance planning. If students are going to connect with one another via video for small group conversations (we use Zoom), they need to form those groups and coordinate the timing of the call with their classmates (we use Doodle for this). If you want that conversation to happen before the end of the week, lay out the steps on Monday. If there is an online discussion forum that students will participate in multiple times throughout the week, be very clear about that from the beginning. It's useful to design a system of reminders (or even better, a system in which students remind one another) to keep everyone on track. Note the way GOA teacher Kim Banion of Pembroke Hill School uses a screencast to walk her GOA students through some of these details in the module introduction video below.

Prisons and the Criminal Law, Unit 1 Walkthrough

3. A Balance Between Structure and Choice

While it's true that collaboration and discussion require advance planning in online classes, it's also true that online learning design facilitates student choice and differentiation more readily than in-person classes. Multiple pathways and personalized pacing are more easily managed in online classes than in face-to-face settings precisely because you are not together in one room. Note the balance of structure and choice in the work that GOA Entrepreneurship teacher, Becky Green, outlines for her students below. Leveraging a simple system of links via a page in your Learning Management System (LMS) or something like a hyperdoc can change how students navigate learning. Becky's introductory video is below, followed by an image of the wayfinding system she created.

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Six Key Design Elements of Successful Online Learning

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For nearly a decade, GOA has been offering online courses to students. Because our classes are made up of teachers and students located around the world, we've focused on creating primarily asynchronous courses that are interactive, passion-based, and student-centered. How do our teachers develop high-quality online instruction that works in a mostly asynchronous online environment?

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What Teachers in China Have Learned in the Past Month

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What Teachers in China Have Learned in the Past Month

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An American whose classroom in Beijing is now online shares what she and her team have learned since the coronavirus hit, just as U.S. teachers make the same shift.

Since February 17, I've been teaching 11th-grade humanities writing to students who are self-quarantined in China. Our teachers were in the same position several weeks ago that U.S. teachers are in now-we were expecting to teach in classrooms in Beijing. Now we're teaching virtual classes remotely from our homes in China and countries around the world. We had about half a week to prepare for online school, including setting up a digital platform that none of us had ever used before.

For the first few weeks, we needed to be very flexible and patient. Everything we would have done in person took longer virtually as we learned to navigate online learning. But we've worked out many kinks and are now engaging our students in high-quality learning experiences online.

Since our students have stopped physically attending school, their Chinese classes happen in real time following the regular schedule, using a Chinese app. Our international team teaches using Moodle, an open-source learning platform that has the ability to do live video conferencing with digital whiteboards and break-out rooms. We also use it to give students feedback, do partner and group work, and publish class materials-things that can be done through Google Classroom as well.

Here is some of what we've learned so far about teaching students who must stay home. Start by continuing to use lessons that are clear and simple, and don't introduce new programs for teachers and students to learn if you can help it.

Asynchronous Teaching

Our international teachers are on four continents across eight time zones, so most of our classes are asynchronous, meaning our teachers post assignments and recorded lessons and students complete work at different times. Teachers respond using a rubric, comments, and sometimes recorded video or audio feedback through our online learning platform.

Most of our teachers have at least three live classes each week in addition to the asynchronous classes. This helps build community in the class, engages students, and makes the learning more interactive. Some teachers have found it more effective to teach live classes daily.

It's Not All About Screens

It's easy for students to spend a lot of time in front of screens for their online school. As much as possible, we're assigning students tasks that get them up and moving and away from their devices. We've also been working out ways to have students continue to create art without screens.

Videos: A first-grade class recently had a homework assignment where students needed to describe a pet. One boy's mother video recorded him while he used descriptive language to introduce the audience to his two cats. Students can also write and perform plays, or create and cook recipes and conduct interviews, and submit these assignments through video.

Workbooks and drawing: Many of our classes at school intentionally used workbooks and paper-based tasks instead of laptops to reduce students' screen time. We're continuing this by having students complete some assignments on paper, taking a picture of their completed work, and uploading the photo to submit the task. Similarly, our art classes are continuing to have students work on drawing, and they are taking pictures of their work to submit it to their teacher and share with the class.

Teacher Office Hours

In addition to asynchronous and live classes, our teachers all have daily three-hour office hour shifts. They log into Moodle for the duration and are visible as "online" for any student visiting the page. This enables students to contact a teacher for help as they're doing their schoolwork, and it helps our teachers maintain regular schedules.

This resource is comforting to both students and parents as a way to maintain instant communication with the school and teachers in real time. It's also a way for everyone to feel a little less isolated.

Office hours are not for tech support. Early on, we clearly communicated to families how to reach our IT support staff for technical help. We remind families and students regularly-at first we did this daily-who to go to for what types of support. We also have our teachers' office hours schedules and IT contact information clearly posted on our online learning site.

Tech Support

Tech support is vital to your remote learning being successful. Decide as soon as possible who will be responsible for what types of IT support, and how they will be reachable by students, families, and staff. Make sure all of your stakeholders know how to reach out for support.

Give teachers, students, and families video and written instructions on how to use your platform so they can answer some of their own questions before reaching out for help.

Many students don't have laptops at home, but in the U.S., most families have access to at least one smartphone that has internet. Fortunately, Google for Education and other online learning platforms typically have good user experiences for smartphones and tablets, in addition to computers.

Involve Families

Between having to find childcare and supervise squirmy young learners, remote learning can be a very stressful experience for parents. Proactively and regularly communicate with them in mediums and languages that you know they'll actively check and understand. Give them clear directions and resources. Solicit, listen to, and act on their feedback.

And, as you would with regular school, make sure to reach out to parents with news of great work their children did. Specific work-related praise goes a long way to strengthening relationships with both families and students.

Teacher Support

At school, our team has weekly professional development sessions. We've continued this using our online platform every week with consistent start and end times. Agendas are developed with our instructional leadership team and distributed to teachers in advance. We split our time between continuing to work on our year-long focus of developing our unit plans, modeling how to use our online platform, and answering questions teachers have in real time.

In addition to professional development and regular communication, we teachers are working on maintaining our sense of community. We celebrate birthdays and share photos and videos of where we are in the world. There's even talk of doing virtual yoga classes together.

Apps We've Found Helpful

When building digital lessons, it's helpful to reduce the number of external links on your online learning platform. For example, if you want students to read an article, it's safer to upload a PDF, rather than a link to an external site that may or may not work. This helps ensure that students are always able to access their digital learning resources.

Collaborating: All of our planning materials are shared on Microsoft OneDrive. Like Google Drive, this platform lets us share documents among staff and send students links to documents and folders.

Video: We download YouTube and other videos locally to our computer using the free app 4K Video Downloader, and then upload them to OneDrive (you can do this with Google Drive as well). Make sure to download captions.

Readings: When assigning students articles from sites like Newsela and CommonLit, we download the articles onto our computer as a PDF and then upload them to OneDrive. This allows us to label files by reading level and have all the resources for a lesson in the same place.

Videoconferencing: Moodle has its own video conferencing platform, but Zoom is a very convenient way to have live classes with students-and it is now free for schools. The platform also lets you share your desktop, which is helpful for PowerPoint presentations, reviewing student work with a class, and modeling how to do online research.

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What Teachers in China Have Learned in the Past Month

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An American whose classroom in Beijing is now online shares what she and her team have learned since the coronavirus hit, just as U.S. teachers make the same shift. Since February 17, I've been teaching 11th-grade humanities writing to students who are self-quarantined in China.

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A new REALM: IFSEL’s Tips for Distance Learning

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A new REALM: IFSEL’s Tips for Distance Learning

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A new REALM: IFSEL's TIPS FOR DISTANCE LEARNING

With many schools moving to Distance Learning during this pandemic, IFSEL is pulling from our collective and creative forces to support teachers to help students have virtual experiences full of human connection and joy in learning.

We know that when it comes to Distance Learning there is an inequitable distribution of resources and tools. For our most vulnerable and disadvantaged, school closures pose many critical risks to the physical, social, and emotional health of our whole community.

The team at The Institute for Social and Emotional Learning has created and curated ideas that, we hope, will address some of the social and emotional needs that students and educators are experiencing.

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Rituals

Start and end virtual class meeting with opening and closing rituals. Rituals provide a grounded and predictable form for connection - essential in a Distance Learning classroom. Repeated over time, rituals invoke meaning and create a space for students to enter each day.

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Invite students to sit back in a chair. Say: "Feel your feet on the ground for a few breaths. Pull shoulders up to your ears and then gently let them fall back down. Again. Breathe some easy breaths with your own timing - in.... And then with the out breath."
Offer one of the following Check-in prompts at this point. Vary them throughout the weeks. Do every day, or every other day - whatever you feel is best to build buy-in.
Say: "Let's spend the next 8 minutes giving everyone 20 seconds to share how they're feeling, and a little bit about why they feel that way, if they wish. It's ok to pass."
Emotional/Physical Well-being Check-in - Metaphors
- What color or blend of colors best represents how you're feeling today? Why?

- If your feelings were described by a specific shape or two, what would it be?

- If you made or used an Emoji that best represents your moods right now, what is it?

- Imagine the way an animal of your choosing looks, lives, moves; which one best matches your feelings this morning?

- Across our planet there are many landforms - geysers, streams, craters, mountains, hills, forests, valleys; which one or blend of forms represents your feelings at the moment.

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For any of these check-in's, students could find an image of their check-in (animal, emoji, landform etc.) and, when it is their turn, share it through the chat/message function of the online platform.
Emotional/Physical Well-being Check-in with specific materials or things from around the house.
- Find a favorite item from their room or kitchen that provides a good memory or comfort for the moment.

- Create a drawing or sketch that uses line, color, shape, to represent your feelings.

- Showa piece of ribbon, scrap of cloth/fabric, buttons that make you think of the emotions you are having now.
Emotional/Physical Well-being Check-in with items from Nature.
- Ask your students to come to Check-in with something from Nature that resembles the emotions they are feeling that day.

- Leaves, rocks, collection of sticks, a flower blossom, etc.

- An image of a place from the natural world.

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You may also wish to design your Check-ins around their worries or excitement around academics, social experiences, etc.

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Share a word that describes a quality you are feeling right now. Write it down on an index card and hold it up to the camera. Teacher reads them.

Create a frozen sculpture pose to show how they're feeling right now.

Energize

Bringing energy for focus and on-screen effort during the learning sessions will challenge our students and ourselves.Pausing to be "off-task" for a few minutes can actually create more on-task behavior, not less, during the rest of the lesson.

Say: "Reach and stretch your hands up to the ceiling and imagine touching the roof, even the sky. Take in a big breath. Sweep your arms out to the side like you are pushing the air down or making a large arc like a rainbow. Breathe all the air out and as you do, feel yourself get taller. Repeat a few times.

Then, feel your feet firmly planted on the ground and stand for a few breaths. Imagine breathing in through your feet and pulling the breath up to your head and breathing out, back through your feet.

Notice how you feel. When you are ready, sit back in your chair. Sit up tall and place both feet on the ground. Pull your shoulders up to your ears and then away from your ears."

Say: "Stand as if you are a tree. Deep roots. Many branches outward. At first, sway with a gentle breeze. Now, as the wind picks up, twist and bend, yet stay rooted."

Appreciation and Gratitude

Gratitude and practices of appreciation have been shown to physiologically increase our sense of well-being. Being grateful can become a contagious mindset and will help connect your students to each other.

Say: "Think over what we did and learned so far during the Distance Learning class today. What is something you are grateful for? Consider someone or something you've noticed who supported your learning, helped you to think differently, or kindly encouraged you."

- I liked it how...

- It was cool when...

- Thank you for the way that you...

- I miss seeing you... and... I am appreciating...

- Even though we're not together...

Journal Writing Prompts for Gratitude

Say: "Choose from any of the following prompts and write and sketch your response for 10 minutes."

Then, ask for volunteers to read aloud.

- I assumed after we left school ..., and worried that..., but today I appreciated how...

- I have been surprised about how... and I hope...

- I want to appreciate and remember the time at school when...

- I'm really thankful that...

- Being away from school is so different now and what I didn't think about that I can appreciate is that I get to....

Lighten

If your students come to know your virtual learning lessons as offering a few minutes of playful interactions, it will raise motivation, and help to keep the group bonded, all essential at this time.

Goosechase (9-12) is an online scavenger hunt recommended from Hong Kong Academy, a school that is just now transitioning back to classroom work.

An online collaborative puzzle game is Edpuzzle (6-8).

GoNoodle (K-8) offers educational physical and mental health practices.

Have students use "snail mail" and write and send each other an uplifting, handmade card. You can choose the person they will be writing to and send the name via email, or there can be a random selection done together, with students keeping the name of their persona surprise.

Take a laughter break. Do something silly like play "Sound Ball" in a pre-determined order from person to person or play a version of Pictionary using Aggie.io.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment, aware of the emotions, sensations, and insights one is experiencing. Mindfulness is based in research and can help people feel more at peace, become less stressed, and shift perspective.

Invite students to stand up and find as mall or large open space near the computer screen where they can walk around. Play some music... maybe try Vitamin String Quartet... and ask them to notice placing their feet on the ground with every step...

Remind or teach students a range of breathing practices they can do. Share videos or articles about athletes and celebrities that talk about the importance of breathing exercises, or tell students about your own preferred practices.

Some examples:

- Diaphragmatic Breathing (Deep Belly Breathing)

- Long Exhale Breathing

- Humming Bee Breathing

- 4-7-8 Breathing

Instructions for all of these can be easily found online.

The IFSEL Team is pulling together more resources and ideas and will be sharing these here and through webinars in the days ahead.

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A new REALM: IFSEL's Tips for Distance Learning

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With many schools moving to Distance Learning during this pandemic, IFSEL is pulling from our collective and creative forces to support teachers to help students have virtual experiences full of human connection and joy in learning. We know that when it comes to Distance Learning there is an inequitable distribution of resources and tools.

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Educators' Well-Being During the COVID-19 Outbreak

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When a crisis or a disruption like the COVID-19 school campus closures occur, we all respond differently and our responses will change over time. These closures may remind us of past traumatic experiences like the outbreak of a war or civil unrest, or the sudden destruction of an earthquake or terrorist attack.