# data[].attributes.body
Teaching In Person and Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Concurrent Classroom: Using Blended Learning Models to Teach Students In-person and Online Simultaneously - Dr. Catlin Tucker

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers all over the country are being asked to teach "concurrent classrooms" in which some students attend class in person and others attend virtually. The teacher in a concurrent classroom attempts to meet the needs of the students in class and online simultaneously. This is the most challenging scenario I can imagine in our current [...]

# data[].attributes.body
Lesson Planning for Face-to-Face and Remote

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Back to Basics: Lesson Planning for the Concurrent Classroom - Dr. Catlin Tucker

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers juggling the concurrent classroom with some students physically attending class and others joining remotely via video conferencing are trying to balance the demands of teaching in two learning landscapes simultaneously. In a previous post, I described how blended learning models could make this challenging teaching assignment more manageable; however, that post assumes that teachers [...]

# data[].attributes.headline
Strategey for Teaching Remote and Face-to-Face at the Same Time

# data[].attributes.subject
Strategey for Teaching Remote and Face-to-Face at the Same Time

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's has been great to be back in schools working shoulder to shoulder with teachers and administrators as I kicked off year two with the Corinth School District in Mississippi. Until this point, most of my interactions with educators have been through virtual presentations, workshops, and coaching. Now don't get me wrong as this has been incredibly fulfilling and a great learning experience for me. However, you just can't replace face-to-face professional learning, in my opinion. Body language, eye contact, verbal discourse, collaboration, and relationship building are much more powerful when people are physically together.

Even though I have been on-site for workshops since the start of the pandemic, last week was my first time working with educators in small groups and visiting classrooms with students. Before I dive into this post topic, I must say how impressed I was with what the teachers and administrators have accomplished. Their growth has been astounding as they have successfully implemented many of the pedagogical strategies emphasized last year, which has made the transition to a hybrid learning model more manageable. As I visited each school, I felt like a proud parent and can't say enough about their collective efforts to improve professional practice.

There are still challenges, though. Like many districts, Corinth has given parents the option to send their kids to school or learn remotely. In some cases, it hasn't been easy to effectively manage both face-to-face and remote learners during the same class period, which is the case for almost every school district. It is important to remember that no one was trained for this, and pedagogically-sound models are just starting to appear. Teachers not only in Corinth but across the world, are exhausted. I learned from working with educators virtually and on-site the toll that hybrid learning is enacting on educators. During a very candid conversation with a small group, I experienced firsthand that the single most impediment was time. The number of hours that some educators are working is just not sustainable.

The key is to either free up time or think about how it is being used. This was overcome by having a dedicated teacher assigned to all the remote learners at the kindergarten through the sixth-grade level. Unfortunately, having a dedicated remote teacher for the upper-grade levels isn't an option in smaller school districts. After listening to some teacher concerns at the middle school, I began to map out a framework that could help teachers manage their time better while in school. As I scribbled on a large whiteboard, I simultaneously bounced ideas off the principal Nathan Hall. The end result was a simple rotational model preceded with direct instruction followed by a summary activity or closure. Since Corinth Middle School has fifty-minute periods, I suggested ten minutes for each rotation as well as the mini-lesson and closure activity.

Content still matters, but there has to be some prioritization of standards and, from there, a mini-lesson. My advice is to keep it short and sweet. Depending on the block of time, this can be either ten or fifteen minutes. Teachers can record this as it is being streamed live using a video conference tool and then uploaded to a learning management system for all kids to refer to whenever they want. Another option is to use the flipped approach and record the mini-lesson for all kids to watch at home before class. Within this first small chunk of time, it is critical that relevance is imparted, and the best way to do this is through a quick anticipatory set. The last segment of the class could consist of a formative assessment or a closure activity.

Now let me discuss conceptually what the rotational model could look like in a school. The teacher has two options here. Either group all the remote students together or use data to regularly group and regroup kids as they work to approach, meet, or exceed standards.

Station 1 (Targeted instruction): After a general overview of the lesson during the opening minutes of class the teacher can then dive deeper through more extensive modeling and checks for understanding. During this time, students can also have their questions answered.

Station 2 (Personalized or adaptive learning): In this station, students can work through the curriculum and concepts based on strengths, weaknesses, or personal interests. There are both free (CK-12, Khan Academy, Prodigy, Freckle) and paid (HMH intervention tools, Waggle, IXL) programs. Here is where data can be collected and analyzed for groupings if the right tool is used.

Station 3 (Independent or collaborative work): Initially, I would go with independent work as it takes less time to plan for than cooperative learning. Activities could consist of scaffolded practice problem sets, independent reading, or the use of a self-paced personalized tool if you decide to make the other station purely adaptive.

The entire premise of the model presented above is to make the best use of available time during a class period where a teacher is managing both face-to-face and remote learners. I suggest only three rotations to begin, but you can definitely add more if you are working with a more extended block of time. Or you can even tweak it to meet your specific needs as this is what Nathan Hall did for his staff. Below you will see what two Corinth Middle School teachers developed and integrated with Canvas.

Once you are comfortable, consider utilizing choice boards, playlists, or flipped lessons if these won't turn into a time sap. Or you can plan for some sort of cooperative learning using virtual breakout rooms. To ensure success, it is also a good idea to commit to a learning management system such as Google Classroom, Canvas, or Schoology. It becomes more difficult managing remote learners if you are not using one of these solutions. I loved visiting with Corinth High School science teacher Sally Beth McCullough recently and seeing firsthand what she has implemented successfully. Below you will see how she is effectively using Canvas and choice boards.

I still have 18 more days with the Corinth School District this year and can't wait to see what their teachers and administrators accomplish.

Managing face-to-face and remote learners at the same time can be a challenging task for teachers and schools as a whole. My hope is that the framework and examples above can serve as a baseline to think about how to best use the time available without succumbing to burnout. As teachers, always lean on your colleagues near and far. They are your best resource. If you are an administrator, be flexible with your staff and demonstrate empathy. They need your support more than ever. Finally, always be on the lookout for professional learning opportunities that can fill in the gaps and provide needed feedback for continuous improvement. You all will get through this as educators always rise to the challenge.

Be sure to check out my entire #remotelearning series.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Pedagogical Framework for Managing Face-to-Face and Remote Learners at the Same Time

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's has been great to be back in schools working shoulder to shoulder with teachers and administrators as I kicked off year two with the Corinth School District in Mississippi. Until this point, most of my interactions with educators have been through virtual presentations, workshops, and coaching.

# data[].attributes.body
- Weekly plans with links and tasks
- Videos verbalizing plans and assignments
- Office hours for students to ask questions

# data[].attributes.body
-Weekly schedule with routines
-sent through Remind to parents too, & posted multiple place on Google classroom
-Quarantine emails updating on work/inviting questions

# data[].attributes.body
We are trying to be flexible with our remote students and their work schedule as to when they turn in work or attend meetings.

# data[].attributes.body
For students in quarantine: even though they are supposed to complete work while they are out, I am giving them the opportunity to make-up work when they return to school because not every student has technology access at home. For students who are remote: I also give some flexibility, especially students who are identified.

# data[].attributes.body
This year I am not really taking late points on assignments. I feel like kids are in and out so much this year that it would be unfair to expect them to always follow deadlines.

# data[].attributes.headline
Set clear communications for all students. For example, I will grade each assignment only twice: upon initial submission and once again during chapter test for late submissions.

# data[].attributes.subject
Set clear communications for all students. For example, I will grade each assignment only twice: upon initial submission and once again during chapter test for late submissions.

# data[].attributes.headline
I feel like I have provided more flexibility in my class with different situations and scenarios that have occurred this school year.

# data[].attributes.subject
I feel like I have provided more flexibility in my class with different situations and scenarios that have occurred this school year.

# data[].attributes.headline
Adjusting according to student schedules. Asking about family, health issues, etc.

# data[].attributes.subject
Adjusting according to student schedules. Asking about family, health issues, etc.

# data[].attributes.headline
Keeping open lines of communication and being an encouraging!

# data[].attributes.subject
Keeping open lines of communication and being an encouraging!

# data[].attributes.body
I have never been able to work with my colleagues so closely with planning and pace. Our content team has similar goals and we set out time to meet each week so that we are all aware of what is happening in the next week/lesson. It has helped me become more aligned in my teaching but also gave me confidence while out in quarantine that my team could help my substitute with issues, because we were all doing similar activities.

# data[].attributes.headline
I have students take pictures (with their phones) and send them as attachments when they're unable to "submit" assignments per Google classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
I have students take pictures (with their phones) and send them as attachments when they're unable to "submit" assignments per Google classroom

# data[].attributes.headline
I am working individually with students to avoid awkward video/audio situations that are beyond my control.

# data[].attributes.subject
I am working individually with students to avoid awkward video/audio situations that are beyond my control.

# data[].attributes.headline
Definitely using the disruption to my advantage.

# data[].attributes.subject
Definitely using the disruption to my advantage.

# data[].attributes.headline
Accepting a variety of ways to turn in assignments.  Truly knowing kids are doing their best - they want to be here!

# data[].attributes.subject
Accepting a variety of ways to turn in assignments.  Truly knowing kids are doing their best - they want to be here!

# data[].attributes.body
Checking in on one another, especially the remote teachers -- sharing ideas that are working, suggestions for things to "let go," etc.

# data[].attributes.headline
Being a regular communicator with parents and students.

# data[].attributes.subject
Being a regular communicator with parents and students.

# data[].attributes.body
Using Google Forms to check in with students' stress levels, content confidence, etc.

# data[].attributes.headline
Communication and requests from other remote teachers (Algebra, etc.) to assist their remote students is great. There are times I'm able to assist students when their typical teacher is not available.

# data[].attributes.subject
Communication and requests from other remote teachers (Algebra, etc.) to assist their remote students is great. There are times I'm able to assist students when their typical teacher is not available.

# data[].attributes.headline
Have been meeting with students in small groups.

# data[].attributes.subject
Have been meeting with students in small groups.

# data[].attributes.headline
I have worked closely with other remote teachers to discuss different strategies to use with remote learning.

# data[].attributes.subject
I have worked closely with other remote teachers to discuss different strategies to use with remote learning.

# data[].attributes.body
In my current remote teaching situation this is impossible since kids have multiple 8th period classes. However, in a situation where the entire district were to be remote, I believe this would be easier to do. I would probably set a schedule that would remain consistent so kids would always know when they had live meetings.

# data[].attributes.headline
I think we all need to be accepting of the unique situations our kids are in. No kid should be feel like they have to prioritize one class over the other because of inflexibility

# data[].attributes.subject
I think we all need to be accepting of the unique situations our kids are in. No kid should be feel like they have to prioritize one class over the other because of inflexibility

# data[].attributes.headline
Using new platforms in my courses that I wouldn't have implemented otherwise.

# data[].attributes.subject
Using new platforms in my courses that I wouldn't have implemented otherwise.

# data[].attributes.body
I post a weekly agenda for both in-person and remote classes for what to expect each day, and what to watch/complete. For my remote class, I also send a weekly email and post on the Google Classroom stream. I have found that several students do not check their email, but they are checking Google Classroom regularly.

# data[].attributes.body
Especially for kids who are quarantined, deadlines are much more flexible. With remote kids, I'm staying flexible with tech issues when trying out a new website or system.

# data[].attributes.body
We show compassion through our actions and behaviors!  Our students and colleagues are people and we have to show empathy and compassion!

# data[].attributes.headline
I've been wanting to use google classroom for years but it took this disruption for me to figure it out.

# data[].attributes.subject
I've been wanting to use google classroom for years but it took this disruption for me to figure it out.

# data[].attributes.headline
Letting parents/caregivers know what activities will be completed the next session.

# data[].attributes.subject
Letting parents/caregivers know what activities will be completed the next session.

# data[].attributes.headline
We are modifying the work based on their IEP goals.

# data[].attributes.subject
We are modifying the work based on their IEP goals.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sharing small victories with each other daily!

# data[].attributes.subject
Sharing small victories with each other daily!

# data[].attributes.body
I currently meet with my remote class three days a week. This gives them a couple of days to complete work on their own time, or live their daily lives.

# data[].attributes.headline
This forced us to think outside of the box and be creative. 

# data[].attributes.subject
This forced us to think outside of the box and be creative. 

# data[].attributes.body
Instructional videos for remediation. Scheduling one-on-one Google Meets.