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Schools in Covid : Care in drawing lessons

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Schools in Covid : Care in drawing lessons

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Schools in Covid : Care in drawing lessons

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As the conversation broadens from how to deal with the pandemic? to include what can we learn, what systems to change in light of covid 19?...

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An International School REOPENING Toolbox: Leadership Ideas,Templates and Protocols

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An International School REOPENING Toolbox: Leadership Ideas,Templates and Protocols

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An International School REOPENING Toolbox.docx

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Free curriculum materials & ideas from the Marshall 🤬

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Free curriculum materials & ideas from the Marshall 🤬

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We are all in new territory with a threatened pandemic, placing our leadership skills into high gear. Your days are full, keeping everyone informed and safe. It is far from school as usual. In support, AAIE will continue with our COVID-19 factual and every-other-day briefings. We will also ensure continuing online discussions with the most critical leadership question, "What are you learning that can help others meet this invisible and silent challenge?" Let us know if you are not receiving the briefings. The leadership you provide now is essential to the welfare of everyone in your school community. Just as you are staying the course for so many of all ages, be sure to keep safe yourself. Your community needs you. And let us know how we can best support...because we are all in new leadership territory. The AAIE Board and Mark

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association for the advancement of international education

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Association for the Advancement of International Education

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We are all in new territory with a threatened pandemic, placing our leadership skills into high gear. Your days are full, keeping everyone informed and safe. It is far from school as usual. In support, AAIE will continue with our COVID-19 factual and every-other-day briefings.

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Here is another post from the depths of #onlinelearning. Being a #teacherparent in this time has made me realise something - I really love getting my hands dirty.

I have always known that I love getting involved in big projects/challenges as a teacher. But living in a social distancing world for the best part of 8 weeks now has made me realise that this is something that I love in all areas of my life.

It all started off with my wife and I, thinking about what projects could we start around the house whilst we are pretty much stuck here. This has lead to us digging a big hole and getting our garden beds in order. But the most fun part has been doing projects with my kids.

I love how kids can really engage in a project when someone they care about gets in with "hands and feet". This could be a sibling, family member or teacher. In this case, both of them have been roped into projects with their mum and dad.

It is obviously cool to see what things we have been able to do together - their own mini garden, built a stone wall, built a bike seesaw, gone on a climbing adventure, and many more. But what has been more amazing is witnessing how much my children have grown.

All of these experiences have involved all of us going all in and "getting our hands dirty". Often we didn't have a clear idea of the end point but we made it up as we went along and adapted where needed. In all of them we found that the kids were the ones taking the lead and making adaptations as needed.

It is strange to say but this whole online learning experience has given me a totally new insight into how children learn. I guess living and learning in the same space 24/7 for weeks in a row has provided me with an opportunity to see how children connect with learning.

When they are engaged, they are really all in. When they are not it is a challenge to get much out of them. I know this from my experience in my own classrooms over the years but for some reason this feels different.

I took a bit of time to reaquaint myself with the research behind Project Based Learning and I realised that all of these experiences pretty much hit at all the areas that PBLWorks describe in their Gold Standards for PBL design. There was very little intentionality in where our ideas came from but they emerged quite organically and while they developed they touched on all areas of this standard. Obviously we had the luxury of time but it made we wonder how can we take some of this "goodness" when were eventually return to school.

I would describe myself as an inquiry driven teacher with a good bit of PBL & Design Thinking sprinkled in. This online learning experiment and my own thinking around projects has reconfirmed my thoughts on the importance of engaging students in "meaningful" learning. I wonder how my thinking and practice will evolve when we are able to move back into the classroom.

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Here is another post from the depths of #onlinelearning. Being a #teacherparent in this time has made me realise something - I really love getting my hands dirty. I have always known that I love getting involved in big projects/challenges as a teacher.

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Between closed schools, social isolation, food scarcity and parental unemployment, the coronavirus pandemic has so destabilized kids' support systems that the result, counselors say, is genuinely traumatic.

Sarah Kirk, an elementary school counselor in Tulsa, Okla., is especially worried about her students who were already at-risk, whose families "really struggle day to day in their homes with how they're going to pay the next bill and how they're going to get food on the table. Being home for this extended period of time is definitely a trauma for them."

For so many children, Kirk says, "school is their safe place. They look forward to coming. They don't want to leave when the day is over. And to take that away from them, I do worry about the traumatic experience that will cause for many of our students."

Counselors say part of the trauma comes from students being isolated from each other.

"In a middle school, that social piece is so important," says Laura Ross, a middle school counselor in Lawrenceville, Ga. Yes, they do a lot of connecting via social media, and that's still happening, "but that face-to-face and being with their friends... they're missing that."

Students are also experiencing a kind of grief "over what they've lost," Sabens says, especially seniors. "Losing out on the end of their senior years - something that they've dreamed about their whole life... has really been overwhelming for them. So there have been a lot of tears. There have been a lot of questions... 'What did we ever do to deserve this?'"

Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Instead, Sabens says, she tries to let students know "that it's OK to not be OK. I mean, most of the world is not OK right now... It's OK to grieve about what you're losing because it is tragic."

Brian Coleman, a high school counselor in Chicago, says trauma is nothing new to many of his students, but he hopes awareness of the potentially traumatic effects of school closures means "trauma-informed care is going to really, really explode in ideally healthy, meaningful ways."

That means school leaders should right now be planning for the future, asking how they can best support students when they come back to school, Ross says, "making sure that we're prepared to deal with some of those feelings that are going to increase - of anxiousness, of grief, of that disconnect that they had for so long."
Broken connections
Not only are many students grieving and struggling with new trauma, it's also harder now for school counselors to help them. That's because counselors have lost one of the most powerful tools they had before schools closed: access. Before, counselors could speak to entire classrooms about bullying and how to manage their feelings, plus they enjoyed office space where students could drop in for a quick visit or schedule a tough conversation.

"I think about my eighth graders," says Laura Ross in Lawrenceville. "My office is in their hallway. I mean, they just stop by to say hello. They stop by when they're upset, just to come in and talk and, you know, figure out their feelings."

But all of that has changed. Today, a face-to-face video meeting is the closest a counselor can get to the old ideal. Before that can happen, though, Sabens says she has to find her students.

"Email, email, email, email - lots of emails," she says, calling it her "primary mode of communication with the students."

Connecting is even more complicated for elementary school counselors whose students generally don't have cell phones or email addresses. In Tulsa, Sarah Kirk says this inability to speak directly with children is "exactly what keeps me up at night."

So far, Kirk has mostly been in contact with parents and caregivers. "That's whose [phone] number I have... But it's really up to the parent if they want to hand the phone over [to the student]." She worries that, if a child is not OK at home and needs help, she won't know.

Kirk's focus on these calls has also shifted away from academics toward "the basic needs of our kids... making sure they have enough food. We're making sure they're safe."

Evelyn Ramirez, a first-year middle school counselor in rural Redwood Valley, Calif., agrees: "Our main priority right now is just to check the welfare of each student."

Ramirez, a first-generation Mexican-American, says online learning can put additional strain on immigrant and low-income families. "I feel for the students whose parents don't know English or don't really know how to help their students."
"It's no longer private"
NPR spoke with counselors across the country, from California to Georgia, Oklahoma to Ohio, and nearly all said they worry about even the best-case scenario - when they're able to connect with a student face-to-face using video chat technology. Their fear: privacy.

At school, "we have some sort of office space... where students can feel like they're having a private conversation with counselors," says Coleman in Chicago. "Now we're asking them to be vulnerable in some capacity at home. And for so many students, home is a space where they're triggered or they don't feel comfortable sharing ... because it's no longer private."

Yes, the student's bedroom door may be closed, says Ramirez in Redwood Valley, but "at any given point, someone can walk in or, you know, mom's down in the living room. She can probably hear [our] conversation." And that might keep students from really opening up about things like basic stress or even abuse.

The same holds true for many elementary school counselors.

"We do small group counseling for kids [who] are adjusting to a variety of changes, and there's an element of confidentiality that's built into that group," says Marie Weller, an elementary school counselor in Delaware, Ohio. "So I can't do a group online. I can't use Canvas or Zoom or Google Hangouts for a group because I can't get the confidentiality. So [I'm] trying to figure out, how can I check in?"
Getting creative
In Lawrenceville, Laura Ross admits: These have been trying times. But there's also a surprising upside, she says. The distance from students has forced her to get creative about how she uses technology to build a bridge back to them.

Before the outbreak, Ross helped create an after-school club for students who identify as LGBTQ+. When school closed, Ross set up a Google Classroom and asked if the club's members wanted to continue to meet virtually. "They definitely did. And the reactions were just a relief that they were still going to have the support of that club... the place that they could truly be themselves."

Ross says they even meet at the same time each week, just on Zoom.

On her last day in the office, before Ohio closed its schools, Marie Weller remembers starting to leave - then hesitating beside the childlike puppets she sometimes uses in her classroom counseling presentations. "Huh," she thought. "Maybe I'll be able to use these."

Weller and her fellow elementary school counselors say one important part of their job is making sure all students have the social-emotional skills and coping strategies they'll need to navigate a complex world. How can they do that now, from home?

Weller improvised.

She set up a smartphone camera in her house, surrounded by those puppets - a kind of surrogate classroom audience - and set about recording mini counseling lessons from her kitchen. Instead of the chime she normally uses to begin a lesson, she rings a mixing bowl with a red spatula. To teach kids about how and why they should filter what they say, leaving hurtful thoughts unspoken, she opens the coffee maker to show them how a real, paper filter works.

Weller does her own editing and even got permission from folk music favorites The Irish Rovers to use their song "What's Cooking In The Kitchen" as her opening theme. The resulting videos are brief, rich and charming, with lines like, "Your brain's amygdala acts like a guard dog."

And in Tulsa, Sarah Kirk is doing something similar, posting videos where she's sitting on the floor of her house, surrounded by colorful pennants and stuffed animals. Her dog, Crew, a cuddly 80-pound sheepadoodle (nearly as big as Kirk), even makes a camera-blocking cameo.

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How Closed Schools Are Creating More Trauma For Students - MindShift

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Between closed schools, social isolation, food scarcity and parental unemployment, the coronavirus pandemic has so destabilized kids' support systems that the result, counselors say, is genuinely traumatic.

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Hamilton Education Program student performers in Los Angeles. The program, known as EduHam, has existed almost as long as the musical "Hamilton." (Gilder Lehrman Institute)

Now, students from coast to coast can proclaim that "Hamilton" is in the house. Their house.

Not the film version of the megahit Broadway musical; that is planned for release in October 2021. What's on-screen today is the popular companion in-school program known as EduHam, which is being made available digitally through August, free of charge, to teachers, parents and pupils everywhere.

The launch of EduHam at Home was announced Tuesday by "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and his partners in the venture: producer Jeffrey Seller, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which developed the curriculum. The program uses a love of the musical to spark students' interests in creative pursuits and tie them to historical research.

EduHam was born as an offshoot of "Hamilton" itself, and Miranda says the project - in which 250,000 students nationwide have participated - has proved to be a hit as much with cast members as younger people.

"It quickly became our favorite thing we do as a company," Miranda said in a telephone interview. "I am so inspired seeing what these kids draw on and are able to create."

The digital version, available for download at gilderlehrman.org/eduhamhome, has been in development for a while. The launch was moved up as Miranda and others recognized a need for kids to have educational projects at home during the coronavirus-induced shutdown of classrooms.

"As a parent, I've been so grateful for the curriculum that has popped up online," the actor-composer said, adding that he's been a de facto "kindergarten teacher" for his own children: Sebastian, 5 and Francisco, 2. Other Broadway hits are unveiling home online versions of their school-based curriculum now, too: Disney Theatrical Productions, for instance, has just released "The Lion King Experience" ( LionKingExperience.com), which trains students in the process of staging their own versions of the musical.

In its original form, EduHam was designed for Title 1 schools - that is, schools in low-income areas receiving federal aid - to bolster the teaching of history. "Hamilton" has, up to now, offered it in cities in which the musical is performing, whether on Broadway or in Chicago or on tour. It asks students to research figures and events from American history and, as in Miranda's work, compose songs, poems, scenes or hip-hop numbers based on what they've learned. In the live version, students performed their work at the end of the unit; in the digital version, students will submit their work online. Cast members will choose the 10 best every week, to be featured on the website and shared through social media.

"This whole thing is in the DNA of 'Hamilton,' " said James G. Basker, professor of literary history at Barnard College and president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute. With the encouragement, too, of historian Ron Chernow, who wrote the biography of Alexander Hamilton that Miranda used as his source, Gilder Lehrman adapted the EduHam program for the online version. It was then tested with students in a pilot program involving 70 schools in 37 states.

The instructional aspect of the program, Basker said, is to familiarize students with using primary source material. On the website, he explained, users will find an instructional video by Miranda and 40 characters from the Revolutionary period: some of them figures in "Hamilton," and others, such as Dolley Madison, wife of the nation's fourth president, James Madison. Fourteen historical events - for example, the Boston Massacre - are detailed, and a trove of original documents from the period will be available. It's the students' job to pick from among the references as an inspiration for their song, spoken-word piece, or rap number.

Basker framed the experience in Miranda terms: "He was looking at the Founders, getting at their ideas, and putting them in the idiom of now."

"I think it could be the best way to save some parents," said Seller, "Hamilton's" lead producer, who was also one of the producers of "Rent." "This is a great opportunity for kids and their parents to work together and use 'Hamilton' in an educational manner in a way to be both entertaining and super-instructive."

The program has the additional advantages of keeping "Hamilton" current, and forging a connection to the musical in parts of the country that it has not been able to reach in person. The show itself, which employs 450 people in its six companies, is temporarily sidelined, as are some of Miranda's other projects. He said he was two weeks into directing a Netflix film version of "Rent" creator Jonathan Larson's musical "Tick . . . Tick . . . Boom! " when the virus forced production to shut down. As a result, Miranda's directorial debut is on hiatus, too.

"It's a time to cope, for the most part," he said of the suspension of normal life. "That's not, though, not to mourn the alternate timeline."

In this timeline, the hope is that a groundbreaking musical can continue to play a leading role in sparking young imaginations.

"It would feel good to us," Basker said, "if EduHam and 'Hamilton' were in the homes of hundreds of thousands and even millions of kids."
An earlier version of this story had an incorrect caption with the photo of three performers. They were located in Los Angeles, not New York.
In the midst of the virus, theater migrates to the Web. The results are spotty.

The nightly ovation for hospital workers may be New York's greatest performance

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Rejoice, 'Hamilton' fans: Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his student program free online

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Now, students from coast to coast can proclaim that "Hamilton" is in the house. Their house. Not the film version of the megahit Broadway musical; that is planned for release in October 2021. What's on-screen today is the popular companion in-school program known as EduHam, which is being made available digitally through August, free of charge, to teachers, parents and pupils everywhere.

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Happening April 25, free, completely online

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Happening April 25, free, completely online

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A Project Zero toolbox for home/distance learning!

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A Project Zero toolbox for home/distance learning!

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The "At Home with PZ" toolbox was developed to help you answer that question. The activities you'll find here provide ways to adapt Project Zero strategies and frameworks for use in different settings: for virtual classrooms and for home learning; guided by a teacher working remotely or by a parent or caregiver in person.

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Distance Learning Unit for Teachers from Google Education

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Distance Learning Unit for Teachers from Google Education

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What data are you collecting during distance learning?

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What data are you collecting during distance learning?

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I believe that now more than ever, the argument that data plays a crucial role in eLearning has become obvious. But what data is most valuable? And how should we collect it? Here are 4 types of data I have been collecting that have helped me make decisions, be informed, and be creative with my practice.

1. Time-On-Task Data

Early on, we identified that learning activities for secondary students should last around 45 minutes. A recent study out of MIT saw patterns of around 3-4 hours per day for secondary students and less for younger learners. To see time on task, the best way is to poll both students and teachers and after my first round of polling, I noticed a difference:

Now this was only simulated data based on the first survey result across numerous teachers - however this graph helped us all understand the demand we might unknowingly be putting on students.

Other types of Time-on-Task data I'm collecting:

Learning Management System logins

Practice and Quiz apps that record the engagement time of users

2. Activity Completion Data
My personal belief is that engagement and connection is more important than mastery during this unplanned eLearning. More simply, I care if they are participating and less about how they are participating. I created this distance learning activity tracker ( click here for the template) for teachers to track engagement:

If a name turns yellow, I reach out with a positive message of support and if a name stays green, they get encouragement as well. We also found it really beneficial for teachers of the same course to share their documents with one another.

Other types of Activity Completion Data I'm Collecting:

Completion reports from online practice tools

Assignment submission data on our Learning Management system

Discussion post participation

3. Learning Preference Data
Moving into Distance Learning - in literally one day's time - meant we were all novices again. I found the best way to find the elusive best practices was just to experiment with lesson design and ask for feedback. My favorite way to gather this feedback is during my synchronous sessions. A video I watched from this Indiana University professor gave a tip about "the Social 5" - five minutes of time at the beginning to connect with students as others hop on:

During the first few minutes of a class, I'll ask students how they are doing, what they've been up to, and how my online lessons are going. I do this every time I hold a live lesson and take notes.

Other types of Learning Preference Data I collect:

Survey data on how a lesson is structured (see blog post here)

Targeted emails reaching out to parents and students

4. Achievement Data
I keep going back to this Webinar with leading thought gurus Thomas Guskey, Lee Ann Jung, Ken O'Connor, and Rick Wormeli. My favorite quote comes from Dr. Jung when she says, " it is not just to think about how we move it to remote learning, it is how we pare it down to what matters most."

Therefore, what matters most in achievement, is not making a judgement about students' mastery, but instead using achievement data to inform myself about my own teaching. I make daily exit slips and twice monthly check-ins on Edulastic, where I can track performance against standards and clusters:

This data is then compared against these grade level priority documents from achievethecore.org to highlight, and have conversations around, areas of relative strength and challenge for next year's teachers.

Other Achievement Data I collect:

Student video responses explaining a concept

"What about this...?" Discussion posts where students explore an extension of an idea

The data we collect now is not only important during Distance Learning, it will be important for the start of next year and beyond.

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4 Types of Data to Collect During Distance Learning

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I believe that now more than ever, the argument that data plays a crucial role in eLearning has become obvious. But what data is most valuable? And how should we collect it? Here are 4 types of data I have been collecting that have helped me make decisions, be informed, and be creative with my practice.

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Resources to Support FAPE for Students with Disabilities

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Resources to Support FAPE for Students with Disabilities

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This is a very stressful time for  school staff and families  since,  as schools shift to remote lessons, an  Individualized Education Program (IEP)  must continue to be maintained from a distance in order for  students with disabilities to continue having access to the general curriculum.   Resources have been aggregated on this page to provide a central location to find current and relevant resources for educators and families  to help them plan for instructional continuity.

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FAPE for Students with Disabilities and Instructional Continuity Planning

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FAPE for Students with Disabilities and Instructional Continuity Planning

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Early Years Learner Profile booklist from Maggie Hos-McGrane

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Early Years Learner Profile booklist from Maggie Hos-McGrane

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A question I often get asked when doing workshops or school visits is how to talk about the attributes of the learner profile in a way that is authentic to young children. For some schools, it is often a challenge to build a collective understanding of the learner profile attribute with parents and the wider community. Yet, it is our responsibility as teachers to ensure that students understand and demonstrate the learner profile attributes.

Of course, it is possible to notice these attributes in students as and when they occur. However, I have found that a more proactive and impactful approach is for teachers to use children's literature as a provocation to talk about these attributes with their students.

My approach when creating this booklist

There are literally thousands of children's books and many teachers can be overwhelmed by which books are the best ones to use.

As I put together this list, (4 books for each learner profile) I carefully considered the balance between genders, humans, and animals. I also focussed on choosing books of authors from various countries in order to support the IB's mission of promoting international-mindedness.

You will find that many of the books from this list are useful for more than one learner profile attribute. They're also helpful while dealing with some of the concepts that are addressed in units of inquiry in the early years programme.

To increase accessibility of the resource, I also looked for books that are easily available with videos on YouTube. Some children respond really well to classroom read alouds by the teacher, while others may prefer more engaging forms like multimedia - the sounds and music that may accompany the stories when viewed as a video.

How you can use this booklist in your classroom

Since many early years children cannot yet read, the books have been chosen for their use as read alouds. Read-alouds are important for early readers as they engage students in the reading process and help the development of vocabulary and comprehension. Children who are read to frequently are usually keen to become readers themselves.

How to make your read-aloud sessions engaging:

When reading books aloud, think of this almost as a "performance". Use different voices for different characters, add changes in your narration pace, volume, pitch, and tone.

Pause frequently and ask students questions to check for understanding.

Engage your class by asking them to predict what happens next, or ask them to comment about what they're hearing. This will develop their listening and speaking skills, as well as help them connect what they're hearing to their prior knowledge.

If you're teaching remotely:

Since many early years children cannot yet read, the books have been chosen for their use as read alouds. Read-alouds are important for early readers as they engage students in the reading process and help the development of vocabulary and comprehension. Children who are read to frequently are usually keen to become readers themselves.

Record expressive read alouds using Toddle's audio recording functionality.

After the read aloud, pose a question to your students through the audio feature, asking students to record their answers.

Students can send their responses to you through the audio recording feature on Toddle's student app.

Beyond asking for audio responses, you can also encourage the young learners to draw pictures and post them on Toddle to show you. Giving students opportunities to express themselves in diverse ways can help them reflect effectively!

It's integral that parents support young learner in accessing these read alouds and recording their responses. As the teacher, you could share a schedule and accompanying set of expectations on how students need to share their responses.

Read alouds are a big part of developing a connection with your early years students. I hope the recommended reading is enjoyable for them and if they're currently learning remotely, help them feel closer to you.

Maggie has been an educator for over 30 years, 25 of these in international schools in Europe and Asia. She has taught students from age 3 to 18 in the IB PYP, MYP and DP programmes and is also an IB consultant, school visitor and workshop leader, facilitating both online, face-to-face regional workshops and in-school workshops. Maggie has presented at international conferences including ISTE, Learning2, ECIS, AASSA and EARCOS, in Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America. She is passionate about the power of coaching to transform teaching and learning in schools. Maggie is a Google Innovator and has published several books about digital citizenship and technology integration as well as a recent book about coaching your colleagues in school. Maggie's blog, Tech Transformation, has been read by over a million educators worldwide. In 2012 Maggie was recognized as one of the 365 heroes of education by Anthony Salcito, the Vice-President of Worldwide Education at Microsoft.

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Learner Profile Booklist - Early Years Collection - Toddle Learning Library

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A question I often get asked when doing workshops or school visits is how to talk about the attributes of the learner profile in a way that is authentic to young children. For some schools, it is often a challenge to build a collective understanding of the learner profile attribute with parents and the wider community.

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For teachers and parents moving to remote learning

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For teachers and parents moving to remote learning

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from Nick Alchin, Deputy Head UWCSEA East

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For teachers and parents moving to remote learning

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This is adapted from a much longer address to teachers in final days where they are permitted on campus, immediately after the spring brea...

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Fun activites for class Zooms Host Phil Cowell

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Tell us your clever ideas on ways to use Zoom with your class to just have fun. 

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Podcast: Delivering Education when Schools Are Closed: Lessons from China

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Podcast: Delivering Education when Schools Are Closed: Lessons from China

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China was the first to begin offering online teaching to students due to the COVID-19. About 200 million students all over China have been going to "school" online since Feb. There are a lot to learn from this grand, perhaps the grandest in terms of number of people involved, education experiment. The archived video of this episode is at the bottom of this post. To talk about this experiment, Episode 03 had three guests from three different perspectives:
The big picture: Shuangye Chen, Professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai, will share research findings and observations at the national level, discussing different models, policies and practices Running a school from afar: Spencer Fowler, CEO & Superintendent of the Affiliated High School of Peking University's Dalton Academy, has been living in Toronto while running his school in Beijing. Spencer will share how to provide education with a staff forced to be distributed around the world. The Young Ones Online: Mina Dunstan, Principal of Quarry Bay Primary School in Hong Kong, will reflect the opportunities and challenges to deliver high quality online experiences to young children.
Guests' Bios:

Dr. Shuangye Chen is Professor and Associate Director of the Institute of Curriculum and Teaching at East China Normal University, Executive Editor of the ECNU Review of Education. Professor Chen received her PhD in Educational Policy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is committed to furthering the development of educational theory and internationalization within Chinese education. Her areas of interest include curriculum policy, curriculum leadership, social change and educational development, and educational policy research methods.

Dr. Spencer Fowler is a former professional athlete, firefighter, and educational leader who presently serves as the CEO and Superintendent of The Affiliated High School of Peking University's Dalton Academy. Spencer's academic career began at Queen's University where he earned a Bachelor's (Hons) in Film Studies and a Bachelor's (Hons) in Education. Spencer spent the past 15 years working in international education as a K-12 teacher and administrator in Chile, Egypt, Germany, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam and China, earning his Master's and Doctorate of Educational Leadership along the way. Much of Spencer's research concentrates on educational reform practices, bridging the gap between education and industry by connecting teachers and students to resources that tackle universal issues. His leadership style empowers teachers and students to have a voice and reach their true potential. This approach has led to the development of China's first Access Scholarship, which aids marginalized and displaced youth from the Middle East to complete their high school education in Beijing and obtain full funding to attend universities overseas. The approach has also led to numerous patents, businesses, and publications - academic and otherwise.

Ms. Mina Dustan, Principal, Quarry Bay School, Hong Kong. Mina Dunstan is an experienced school principal and has been involved in educational leadership with the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong for 13 years. She is unwavering in her focus on students and is passionate about giving them the very best educational experiences in the dynamic city of Hong Kong. During her time with ESF, she has worked at both Sha Tin Junior School (SJS) and Quarry Bay School (QBS). Under Mina's leadership, QBS has established an excellent reputation and prides itself on high quality teaching and learning. Mina leads a school which has a positive learning environment where students are central to all decision making, and parental relationships are valued. Creativity, resilience and happiness are key attributes which Ms Dunstan believes are important at any stage of a child's learning journey. Outside of work, she is busy raising her two daughters with her husband in Hong Kong. Prior to working in Hong Kong, she led various schools in Australia.

About the Schools:

The Affiliated High School of Peking University's Dalton Academy is a prestigious Beijing-based secondary institution serving 350 students from Grades 10-12, boasting 75 renowned faculty members who bridge the gap between industry and academia, including space engineers, published writers, and mathematicians. The institution's mission is to empower students and faculty to leverage available knowledge and resources to create a more impactful global community. Dalton resembles a small liberal college in comparison to peer high schools, making it unlike any secondary school. The academic program is informed by world-class frameworks, but not bound to any, providing the school with the freedom to decide what should be learned. The institution's new Haikou campus currently offers middle and high school programs to an exclusive community of boarding students.

Quarry Bay School (QBS) was f ounded in 1926 with 720 students aged from 5 to 11 years old. The school follows the IB PYP curriculum. QBS is a happy school where its students have agency and are considered to be the most important people. The school prides itself on its high quality relationships; students and adults work collaboratively and support each other, enabling all to reach their full potential. QBS aims to encourage a love of learning by providing learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom that help to develop confident, enthusiastic and successful learners who are able to inquire about the world. The school's mission is to: Empower Learners to Make a Difference. QBS is a four form entry school and the total student enrolment is 720 students.The school has forty-one teaching staff (including specialist teachers) and thirty-four education assistants. There are twenty support staff. There are 40 different nationalities represented in the school contributing to a rich and diverse learning environment. QBS is an IB World School. In November 2019 had a successful five year IB evaluation review which recognised the exemplary teaching and learning provision for students.

The school has a proud history with a strong emphasis on community - the QBS community value its diverse membership. It is not uncommon to meet current parents, school council members or staff who have a connection to the school's community which goes well beyond one generation. QBS is regularly referred to as a 'family and community school' and this is celebrated by its stakeholders.

There is a strong belief at QBS that all children have talents which can be developed and that all children can succeed. The school provides equality of opportunity irrespective of race, gender, religion or disability for all children. QBS is an inclusive school where all students are included as part of the school community. Children with a range of learning needs are effectively supported by the school's individual needs team. The school makes provision for children with moderate learning difficulties. Students are encouraged to be active learners who work collaboratively and support one another.

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Episode 03 | Delivering Education when Schools Are Closed: Lessons from China

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China was the first to begin offering online teaching to students due to the COVID-19. About 200 million students all over China have been going to "school" online since Feb. There are a lot to learn from this grand, perhaps the grandest in terms of number of people involved, education experiment.

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Who doesn't love a good read-aloud? That has never been more true than now, as educators and authors take to social media to read books to students (and adults!) of all ages across the world. But what about you? You deserve a good read-aloud too, perhaps even one that helps you stay connected to your profession, inspires you, and helps you imagine new possibilities. Why not download a Heinemann Audiobook and let our authors read to you?

Throughout the month of April, Heinemann is offering up our entire catalog of audiobooks for free. Heinemann does not offer audiobooks directly on our site, but they are available through most audiobook providers such as Apple Books, Google Play, Audible, Overdrive, Hoopla, Scribd, and many more. We recommend visiting single point of purchase audiobook vendors such as Apple Books, Google Play, or anywhere else you might purchase audiobooks without a subscription to help you start listening right away. Just click, download, and listen.

To learn more please visit Heinemann.com/Audiobooks. You will find samples from each audiobook as well as links to some of the places you can buy or borrow each title.

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Have You Heard? All Our Audiobooks Are Free to Download in April!

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Who doesn't love a good read-aloud? That has never been more true than now, as educators and authors take to social media to read books to students (and adults!) of all ages across the world. But what about you?

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Its name can be squeezed onto a tea towel, a decorative plate, a magnet, a mug, and other touristic souvenirs, but has the northern Welsh town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoc been celebrated in song?

Indeed it has. The Great Big Story's Human Condition episode, above, has vinyl proof, though the tune's unlikely to give The White Cliffs of Dover, The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond, or The Rocky Road To Dublin much of a run for the money.

Still, whichever outside-the-box Victorian thinker had the bright idea to attract tourists by expanding the village's original name - Pwllgwyngyll - by 46 letters was onto something.

Turns out you don't need natural wonders or world-renowned cultural attractions to stake a claim, when out-of-towners will make the trip just to take photos of the local signage.

Village Community Council Chairman Alun Mummery attributes the name-lengthening publicity stunt in 1869 to a local cobbler.

Or perhaps he was a tailor. That's what poet John Morris-Jones, author of 1913's A Welsh Grammar, Historical and Comparative, maintained, while refusing to outright identify this clever civic booster.

Wikipedia throws doubt on these origin stories by citing an entry in an ecclesiastical directory published a few years prior to 1869, which gave the full parish name as "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerbwlltysiliogogo."

(Close enough!)

Someone in the tourist information office told travel writer Dave Fox that it translates to "St. Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave."

It's tempting to think this little Welsh town has the longest name in the world, but that honor actually goes to Bangkok.

Wait, what?

The name by which most foreigners know Thailand's capital city is actually an archaic reference to its pre-1782 location.

Thai people call their capital Krung Thep - short for Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit.

It means "City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest" and looks like this, when written in Thai script:

กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยามหาดิลก ภพนพรัตน์ ราชธานีบุรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์ มหาสถาน อมรพิมาน อวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะ วิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochians still get to brag that they have the longest town name in Europe.

Their football club, Clwb Pêl Droed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Football Club - CPD Llanfairpwll FC for short - might well be the longest named football club in the world if it weren't for that damn Amon Rattanakosin Krung Thep Mahanakhon Mahinthara Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Ayuthaya Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit Bravo Association Football Club (aka Bangkok Bravo FC).

Some of the fun of living in a town with such a cumbersome name must be amazing tourists by how casually it rolls off local tongues.

Pub owner Kevin Bryant obliges visitors from The Great Big Story by downing a pint on camera before rapping it out.

Anything for the local economy!

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoc also got a boost from mentions on Groucho Marx's quiz show, You Bet Your Life, in a Bossa Nova-inflected Stephen Sondheim song, and in several films, including 1968's Barbarella.

As YouTuber Tom Scott points out below, long words are invariably shortened in everyday speech, and place names are no exception.

Postmaster Jim Evans advocates shortening the town name to Llanfairpwllgwyngyll.

When not actively impressing tourists, local people say Llanfairpwll.

Which is still a pretty impressive consonant to vowel ratio.
Related Content The Medieval City Plan Generator: A Fun Way to Create Your Own Imaginary Medieval Cities The Atlas of True Names Restores Modern Cities to Their Middle Earth-ish Roots Fly Through 17th-Century London's Gritty Streets with Prize-Winning Animations

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Open Culture - The Best Free Cultural and Educational Media on the Web.

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Your guide to FREE educational media. Find thousands of free online courses, audio books, textbooks, eBooks, language lessons, movies and more.

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Natural & Historical Education Resources for Home

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Natural & Historical Education Resources for Home

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Natural and Historical Education Resources for Home

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Department of Natural Resources - Educational resources for home

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Mathematics K-8 Remote Learning Activities

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Mathematics K-8 Remote Learning Activities

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Mathematics K-8 Remote Learning Activities

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Atyani Howard, Chief Program Officer, New Teacher Center

As COVID sweeps the globe, American schools have been shuttered, diminishing the power of millions of children. In the midst of navigating my daily responsibilities as a leader and mother of twin boys, this moment has thrust me into deep reflection. I have been wondering what students across this country have to share that could serve as a catalyst for a more holistic and enduring response. I have also been grappling with my most closely held beliefs about the complex purpose of school and what matters most right now.

At my core, I believe schools are living organisms fed by the energy of the students, educators, and families who collectively create this vital American structure. In this metaphor, our young people are the source of the energy that ultimately converts into the power necessary to sustain and grow the organism. At this very moment, our most vulnerable young people, whose very power and growth is substantially tethered to the organism itself, are suffering.

A lot of young people my age are trying to figure out what this is....What will this mean that things were stripped away so quickly? One minute we were in school and the next minute we were in a pandemic. Sophomore, Kenwood High School, Chicago, Illinois

Read the full student conversation HERE.
Supporting the Whole Child & Educator:
Meeting Social-Emotional Needs Virtually What: In this uniquely challenging time, it is imperative for us to consider the social and emotional needs of both students and educators to best support wholeness. During this webinar, you'll have the opportunity to hear from experts in the field about how to be responsive to the continuum of students' social-emotional, physical and mental health; how to mitigate potential trauma during this pandemic; how to think through innovative ways of providing important and valuable SEL supports and resources virtually; learn about what to do as an educator to support your own SEL needs; and last, but not least, create a sense of community and social stability for students and educators, and help our nation's children thrive in this new normal.
Free professional development, strategies, and activities to help teachers, students and families.

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative - In response to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on the educational system, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) has granted more than $1 million to the Council of Chief State School Officers, the International Society for Technology in Education, National Parents Union, and State Educational Technology Directors Association to support educators and families. These initial grants are aimed at providing resources to states and school districts impacted by school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Offers articles, guides and other resources by topic to help inform and support adults and children.

SEL Virtual Meetings and Icebreaker - During this time of disruption and fear, it is more important than ever to build in time for a round of check-ins to let people share how they are doing.

Turn Around for Children - Curated list of resources for parents and caregivers, teachers, educators and leaders.

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COVID-19 and NTC Community - New Teacher Center

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Atyani Howard, Chief Program Officer, New Teacher Center As COVID sweeps the globe, American schools have been shuttered, diminishing the power of millions of children. In the midst of navigating my daily responsibilities as a leader and mother of twin boys, this moment has thrust me into deep reflection.

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Join us on April 8, 2020 at 12:00 pm PT for this powerful webinar, where you'll be able to ask questions and experience a robust conversation about:

What kind of social-emotional needs are students and educators facing in these unprecedented circumstances?

How can educators support the whole child and attend to the social-emotional learning (SEL) needs of students in this current environment?

How should educators lean into SEL supports for themselves in this current environment?

Thomas W. Ivey, Social & Emotional Learning Specialist, Chicago Public Schools (CPS)

Bloodine Barthelus, Senior District Advisor, CASEL: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning

Brooke Stafford-Brizard, Director, Whole-Child Development, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI)

Michelle (Mickey) Valbrun-Pope , Senior Advisor, Whole-Child Development, New Teacher Center (NTC)

Atyani Howard , Chief Program Officer, New Teacher Center (NTC)

Erika Reese , Senior Director, Internal Learning, New Teacher Center (NTC)

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Supporting the Whole Child & Educator: Meeting Social-Emotional Needs Virtually

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Join us on April 8, 2020 at 12:00 pm PT for this powerful webinar, where you'll be able to ask questions and experience a robust conversation about: What kind of social-emotional needs are students and educators facing in these unprecedented circumstances?

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A New Normal: Assessment & Distance Learning Panel Discussion

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A New Normal: Assessment & Distance Learning Panel Discussion

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A New Normal: Assessment & Distance Learning

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RVIS Virtual Learning Teacher Resources 

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RVIS Virtual Learning Teacher Resources 

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Resources that will help you improve your virtual classroom.

Resources to share with students that might help them succeed in a digital classroom.

Resources to share with parents that support their understanding and ability to help with virtual classrooms.

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Resources that will help you improve your virtual classroom. Resources to share with students that might help them succeed in a digital classroom. Resources to share with parents that support their understanding and ability to help with virtual classrooms.

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Using Jackbox Games For Homeschooling or Teaching Remotely - Jackbox Games

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Learn more about Jackbox Games by checking out our blog. We update regularly with behind-the-scenes content, news about upcoming titles, and more!

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Handling Your Kid’s Disappointment When Everything Is Canceled

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Handling Your Kid’s Disappointment When Everything Is Canceled

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School and events are shutting down, impacting children in unexpected ways. Here's how to deal with the letdown.

Credit... Lilli Carré

As coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, we're working to answer the questions on many parents' minds. This is a fast-moving situation, so some information may be outdated. For the latest updates, read The New York Times's live coronavirus coverage here.

When I told my 10-year-old daughter that her elementary school would be shutting down for two weeks, she didn't seem to mind. But after Lexi had time to process the news and realized a friend's birthday party, a dance competition and the "Jump Rope for Heart" fund-raiser at school were also looped into the cancellation list, I was met with tears and a string of questions, both of which caught me off-guard.

With the new coronavirus leading to school closures and event cancellations across the country, parents are getting mixed reactions from their kids that range from joy over extra time off to confusion and sadness over missing a highly anticipated event - and even fear of the unknown.
[10 questions parents may have about coronavirus.]
Whether they're forced to skip a musical performance, a tryout for a spring sport, a visit to their grandparents or a family vacation, simply telling children that disappointment is a part of life doesn't cut it. In fact, breaking this news may also spark anxiety in parents.

So how can parents help kids process their disappointment? I asked a few experts for their advice.

First, check your own emotions.

"Fear can be contagious, so above all, parents need to monitor and manage their own worry, especially in front of their children," said Robin F. Goodman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and art therapist in New York City. "The good news is this also means that calm is contagious."

Regardless of a child's age, honesty is the best approach, but Gayle Cicero, Ed.D., a clinical assistant professor at the Loyola University Maryland School of Education, advised not using phrases that kids simply don't have the capacity to understand. "Terms like 'the right thing to do' or 'think about the elderly' or 'for the greater good' are hard to grasp when, developmentally, kids are in a stage when their worldview centers around them, their family, and perhaps their neighborhood and friends," Dr. Cicero said.
[How to talk to kids about coronavirus.]
When breaking the news of cancellations, parents should focus on validating their children's emotions, whether that is disappointment or fear or something in between, said Dr. Neha Chaudhary, M.D., child and adolescent psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

"Kids often gain comfort in knowing that they are not alone," Dr. Chaudhary said. "It may help for parents to say that a lot of kids are feeling the same way and even admit that they are a little worried, too. At the end of the day, the most important thing that parents can do is to send their kid the message that it's OK for them to feel what they are feeling. These are the interactions that help a child feel seen."

Naming your child's emotion (for example, saying, "That must be so disappointing") helps them begin to realize what they are feeling, said Leighanne Scheuermann, an educator based in Dallas. "In the long term, your child is more likely to remember how you respond to their emotions and also will recognize the efforts you made to make the situation better for them," Scheuermann said.

Disappointment can be linked to a feeling of loss of control in children, said Roseann Capanna-Hodge, Ed.D., a psychologist and pediatric mental health specialist psychologist in Connecticut. "When you have to talk about canceled events that kids were looking forward to, think about it as a learning opportunity to manage disappointment," Dr. Capanna-Hodge said. "We often are so worried that our kids will get upset when we should be thinking: 'What can my child learn here? Can they learn about managing stress and feeling upset?'"

When Rachel Engel's 8-year-old daughter, Sydney, found out that her dad, currently mid-tour in South Korea with the Air Force, had to cancel his trip home to Kansas last week, she was confused. The family had been building a chain out of colorful construction paper to count down the days until his visit, and Sydney threw the remaining links into the trash after hearing her dad wouldn't be coming home. Engel noted after they talked through her daughter's disappointment, Sydney felt better and went to her dance class later that day.

It helps just to be a listening ear so your child can freely vent her frustration. Of course, as parents, there is an urge to swoop in and wipe out disappointment. But, Dr. Cicero said, parents can actually get in the way of a child's development when they do this. "Plus, there's something so therapeutic about a person willing to hear you out and just be with you," she added.

When a child's emotions are really starting to disrupt his usual disposition or he seems stuck in a funk, it's probably time for some direction from you.

A fun technique to distract younger kids, said Alexandra Friedmann Finkel, L.C.S.W., a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in New York, is a color game. Have your child choose a color and look around the room to point out everything he can see in that color. "This can help a child break the worry spiral and calm the body and mind," Finkel said.

Once your child is in a good place emotionally, don't make any promises about rescheduling events or making up for lost time, Dr. Goodman said. Instead, she advised focusing on what you can do now for enjoyment or to support your community.

For example, rather than the planned movie party with friends that Suzanne Cope's son, Rocco, of New York, was looking forward to, they improvised and celebrated his seventh birthday at a park by flying kites and riding bikes with one other family.

[Schools are closing for coronavirus. Now what?]
If your child is upset about missing the chance to star in a play, ask if she wants to put on a play with stuffed animals, Scheuermann suggested. Can you FaceTime Grandma for her birthday or support a local business by having a cake sent to her? If a vacation has been canceled, have the kids create a poster board of activities they wanted to do on that trip. Essentially, find a way to modify the missed activity so it can be creatively executed at home.

In tackling school closures, a routine is crucial, whether the teachers sent home a lesson plan or not. "Just by putting a routine in place can help alleviate stress for children and their parents," Dr. Capanna-Hodge said. "Create a homeschooling schedule and go over it every morning with your children and teens. Make sure to have consistency in your day-to-day and incorporate breaks, exercise and snack time." Keep a physical copy of the schedule your child can look at, too.

Since research shows that those with a positive outlook can manage stress better and actually live longer, this is a time to help foster resilience in children, Dr. Capanna-Hodge said. "While some kids have a glass-half-full outlook naturally, others need to develop that over time, and these kinds of disappointments are great opportunities to do that."

Erinne Magee is a Maine-based journalist. Follow her on Twitter.

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Handling Your Kid's Disappointment When Everything Is Canceled (Published 2020)

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School and events are shutting down, impacting children in unexpected ways. Here's how to deal with the letdown. As coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, we're working to answer the questions on many parents' minds. This is a fast-moving situation, so some information may be outdated.

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Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters

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Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters

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Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters (Published 2020)

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Because of coronavirus, teenagers are missing out on major rites of passage. Offering compassion paves their way toward feeling better.

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In Her Words: Figuring Out Home Schooling in the Age of Coronavirus

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In Her Words: Figuring Out Home Schooling in the Age of Coronavirus

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Two journalists, with five children between them, discuss what life is like with schools closed and kids at home.

Credit... Kim Murton

- Corinne Purtill, a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers health, science and technology [In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.]
Classroom education around the world has come to a screeching halt. School closures in over 160 countries have separated a staggering 87 percent of the world's student population from their peers and teachers, according to UNESCO. More than 55.1 million K-12 students in the United States are now out of school.

With buildings closed, families are grappling with how to teach kids at home (and preserve everyone's sanity).

The approaches to home schooling vary dramatically by school, grade and state. Some schools are having children log in to Zoom sessions for face-to-face online lessons, while others direct families to websites with activities for kids to do on their own.

But all is not equal in home learning.

Not everyone has access to books, school supplies and Wi-Fi, with low-income families especially hard-hit. And public safety nets like libraries, where children might have gone in the past, have closed their doors.

How are families managing home schooling in a pandemic?

Corinne Purtill, a Los Angeles-based journalist and parent of two, and Francesca Donner, the editor of this newsletter and a parent of three, discuss.

Francesca Donner: Before we get started, I just need to say I'm sorry for being nine hours late to this discussion. My day with two kids and a baby was a lot.

Corinne Purtill: Oh, I get it.

FD: And after I finally got the baby to bed, I needed to take a shower and change from one set of pajamas into another. Forget button pants, Corinne. All the best practices we discussed last week about working from home have flown out the window.

CP: Whatever it takes. That is the rule right now: whatever it takes.

FD: True. OK. Today we are going to talk about home schooling. You started home school last week. How's it going?

CP: Last week was a resounding ... meh. Think of what an adjustment it has been for adults to start working from home - fighting off distractions, finding a routine.

For kids, this is huge. Their lives are disrupted, they can't see their friends, and the adults around them are undeniably stressed. Even if they reacted at first as if summer vacation had come early, a lot of them are also worried about this virus and how it's changing their life.

FD: And that's totally valid.

In my family, we're still technically on "spring break," but it'll soon be clear that spring break isn't so different from "back to school" - and not necessarily in a good way. We were so aimless in the early days that I finally broke down and had my boys, ages 7 and 9, create a schedule. I can't say they followed it, apart from "11:30 a.m. snack," but it did help to provide a semblance of routine.

CP: That's a start! Count that as a win. We all need wins.

FD: It also counted as an activity.

CP: We are in this for the long haul, and everyone is going to need to figure out what keeps their family sane and balanced.

I haven't made a super detailed color-blocked schedule, mostly because I know my children, ages 9 and 3, will treat it exactly like the organic hand-pureed baby food I made exactly once for each of them as infants: They'll be visibly appalled and refuse to have anything to do with it.

But I also know my household, and I know that if I let chaos and Netflix rule all day, by late afternoon everyone is tearful and snarly, even the kids.

This week, we are trying a loose schedule of schoolwork in the morning and free play in the afternoon. Will it work? I have no idea. All of life is an experiment right now.

FD: In concept, I like that very much. But does schoolwork in the morning need to be overseen by you or can you leave them to it?

CP: My 9-year-old daughter and I talk the night before about which activities from the school's suggested list she'll want to do in each subject area. She's old enough to be able to tackle most things on her own, and if she has any questions, I'm around. I'm around a lot these days.

At lunchtime I look over what she's done, mainly just to make sure she's been doing something on the laptop besides watching people make slime on YouTube. The afternoon is free time.

FD: And what does free time actually entail?

CP: My daughter can do her own thing. Her little brother, who can't read yet, needs more attention.

He likes to pretend - he's on a pirate ship, he's in the wilderness, sometimes both at once - and he'd like me there with him while he does. When I can, I go all in on pretending. When I've got work, I juggle: playing cars while listening to a conference call, setting him up with a project before opening my laptop, and when I need to, turning on the TV or handing him my phone without guilt.

Some structure is helpful, but I try not to overplan. My friend Megan Carmichael is a funeral consultant who writes frequently on helping families cope with grief and loss. She's also the mom of two young kids here in Southern California. I've been thinking a lot about something she wrote on Instagram earlier this week: "A lot of that activity planning is our way of avoiding the undercurrent of uncertainty. Life is scary, schedules are comforting. Our kids have a chance to find their own path and to explore this new way of life. This is new to ALL of us and everyone deserves an opportunity to find their own rhythm."

FD: In other words, we're trying to put some structure around that which we can't control.

But you're right about the freedom of exploration. "Wow in the World" had a great podcast for kids about how the mind becomes way more creative when we're left to our own devices (i.e. bored).

If the online resources and guides and color-coded Instagram schedules are anything to go by, the home schooling thing is going to be a full-time job. I appreciate the resources, but, well, they're a lot. (Remember the Israeli mom video? I see you, Shiri. We all do!)

CP: They are a lot. And it's not a realistic expectation that those of us employed outside the home can continue to do our own jobs, while seamlessly taking on the work of the trained professionals who educated our children up until a few weeks ago. Anyone who thinks that teaching and caregiving aren't labor-intensive jobs is profoundly undervaluing both.

FD: Can we take a moment to recognize the truly extraordinary efforts by teachers and educators to get at-home learning plans in place, however bumpy they may be. It's new for all of us.

I know that academics in my household are going to slide, even with the resources of parents (me and my husband, generally available), working Wi-Fi (generally pretty good) and books, paper, pencils and a laptop to share.

But I worry far more for kids who don't have parents at home to handhold them through the twists and turns of learning. It's not fair. Access to the internet and books at home is such an advantage.

CP: Absolutely. This shutdown will exacerbate the educational gap between kids who have access to the internet, books - even food and a stable home - during this time, and those who don't. This crisis has shut down all the workarounds strapped families rely on, like school meals and internet access at libraries.

Not every family has a computer, let alone more than one. The Los Angeles Times spoke to a teacher here in Los Angeles who has a student whose only internet access is on her dad's phone, which she can only see once he gets home from a full day of work. In addition to schooling, many families are also now trying to navigate the byzantine process of applying for unemployment benefits and temporary insurance.

Plus, the instructions from the school can be confusing even if you are a parent fluent in the local language, and virtually impossible to manage if not.

FD: Right. And The New York Times wrote about a fourth-grade honor student who brought home her school's loaner iPad only to discover there was no internet at her family's studio apartment in a homeless shelter. It's heartbreaking.

Some groups are working on it. The nationwide organization ParentChild+ secured an emergency grant to distribute smartphones and tablets with data plans to Massachusetts families in need. In the Bay Area, the same group set up drive-through centers to serve families with supplies like books and diapers, which are placed directly in the trunk of the car.

But the education gap is brutal - it leaves the poor and vulnerable behind.

And parents who have more can spend more to keep their kids learning now, buying them extra books and educational games, and later to get their kids up to speed on whatever they missed - tutoring, ballet classes and so on.

CP: Yep, just as they were doing before the virus.

Anne Helen Petersen at Buzzfeed asked a social worker in Pennsylvania what could be done to help families in such straits right now. I've been thinking about her answer ever since:

"I'm not overly interested in what people think they can do today, right now, from the comfort of their homes," she said. "To me, that's well-intentioned but shortsighted. People don't have a lot to offer my clients right now. I want people to start thinking in macro, not micro. I want them to think about the structural inequalities that put my clients at greater risk - economics, education, mental health services, drug and alcohol services - and I want them to care about those when this is over. If you really want to help vulnerable children, spend your time thinking about how you can organize and outreach and demand that from them right now and when this is over."
Readers: How are your families handling isolation? Are you caring for adult loved ones as well? And how are you caring for yourself? Write to us at Read more: In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Figuring Out Work and Family in the Age of Coronavirus inherwords@nytimes.com.

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Figuring Out Home Schooling in the Age of Coronavirus

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Two journalists, with five children between them, discuss what life is like with schools closed and kids at home. - Corinne Purtill, a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers health, science and technology [In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox .]

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A powerful global message from heads of school around the world for students, teachers, and parents

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A powerful global message from heads of school around the world for students, teachers, and parents

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Filling the Unforgiving Minute (Ringing of a Global Bell)

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AISB's very first Human Rights Week will start next Monday, March 30th. This week-long event is going to be hosted online and will help the AISB community understand, appreciate, and celebrate human rights all around the world, including Romania.

Originally scheduled to take place at school, the event organizers (members of Amnesty International service group) decided that instead of canceling, they wanted to persevere through the challenges. Group Leader Mara T states, "It is vital to take a step back and realize that not everybody is as privileged as we are. This week is meant to celebrate people's battles against oppression."

Here's a look at what you can expect next week:

Monday: Protection of Minorities Day

Related Article: "Amnesty International Service Group Hosts Event to Help 'Humanize' Roma Population."

On the first day of this week-long event, there will be a casual and open Zoom conference at lunch (from 1-2) and during office hours (3-4). During this conference, students will be asked to think critically and discuss issues surrounding the rights of minorities, particularly in Romania.

This is meant to be "a stepping stone to opening up the conversation in our community about the treatment of minorities around the country and in our own community," says 12th grade Amnesty Member Teodora D.

If you would like to join, you can click this link on Monday, March 30th at 1pm, or at 3pm.

Tuesday: Trafficking Prevention Day

Image source: OSCE.org.

This Tuesday will be a "catalyst for a [anti trafficking] movement in AISB," says the day's organizer David S. He states the reason for choosing this topic is because "human trafficking is one of Romania's most pressing issues."

There will be a podcast hosted on The Bite, with an interview with Emma Smith, the leader of the anti-trafficking nonprofit 'Liberated'. In the episode, Smith clears up misconceptions, explains ways to identify signs of trafficking, and even shares powerful stories about trafficked victims.

Wednesday: Freedom of Speech Day

On Wednesday, there will be another podcast, published on The Bite and on the AISB Human Rights Week website. This episode will shed light on the progress of freedom of expression in Romania, throughout communism and its aftermath.

Podcast producers say it will focus on the personal experiences of people who have lived through the years of censorship, and that "it becomes clear, through the power of these stories and experiences heard, how freedom of expression and its limitations have had crucial roles in the development of the country, social customs and its people."

Thursday: Ownership Over One's Body Day

"My Body My Rights" campaign, from Amnesty International.

Thursday, will begin with a video on the Vampire Diaries about the campaign, "My Body My Rights," and what it means to claim ownership of your body. There will also be an anonymous survey where you can ask questions about this campaign for group members to answer later on.

One of the event leaders, Evelina K, states her motivation behind this project is to raise awareness for "the types of hardships that women face every day," and to exemplify "how united [women] are, and [that] we're not letting anyone take that power away from us." She says the end goal is to "make this a safer and more empowering world."

To conclude the day, there will be a webinar with the counselors to talk with interested participants about the campaign and offer an open Q&A session. Check this website for more details.

Friday: Children's Rights Day

Students volunteering through service learning group PAVEL.

The week will end with a bang. On Friday morning, there will be a virtual gallery on the Vampire Diaries displaying the various inspirational experiences from AISB service group members.

Tenth grader Georgia M, an advocate for children's rights, believes "It is essential to look beyond the walls of our community and use all of the resources and advantages we have to help those in need and discover the world in the process of doing so."

Now, more than ever, it is important to exhibit school spirit and engage in meaningful activities and learning experiences as we normally would. If you are interested, visit this link for more information, or if you have any suggestions or comments, leave them down below or enter them into this Google Form.

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AISB's First Ever Human Rights Week Starts Monday, and It's Online! - The Bite

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AISB's very first Human Rights Week will start next Monday, March 30th. This week-long event is going to be hosted online and will help the AISB community understand, appreciate, and celebrate human rights all around the world, including Romania. Originally scheduled to take place at school, the event organizers (members of Amnesty International service group) ...

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Pods, Skills, & Action reflection from Sonya terBorg about returning to school 

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Pods, Skills, & Action reflection from Sonya terBorg about returning to school 

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So it might seem premature to start talking of "life after COVID19" but here in Nanjing, this is where we are heading - albeit slowly. Nothing about this situation is normal. It is unprecedented. Exceptional. Out of the ordinary. And our return to school deserves to be nothing short of the same.

When schools, including my own, get the green light from all the various governing bodies to reopen campus to students, I hope we see this as an opportunity embrace the changes that were thrust upon us and to leverage these as an opportunity to do something special and amazing.

I have said before that I am looking to see which schools rise from this more innovative, able to think about core structural changes, stronger in their commitment to personalizing learning - and I am wondering which schools will heave a sigh, say "thank goodness THAT is over" and resume business as usual. (*full disclosure: I want to do this on a pretty regular basis! The uncertainty that is embedded in all of this has been beyond stressful at times and to return to the comfortable, the familiar is totally valid -even if I can see that it doesn't fit as well as it should or used to)

If you have read my blog for a while or if you know me, I like to think in problems, but also solutions. I am good at identifying areas for improvement and then suggesting things that may (or may not) meet the need and move things forward. What might that look like in this situation? Well, I also think in pictures and love the rhythm of three's so here I have for you a P.S.A (if you will) on how a return to school might look:

Pods, Skills, Action
Icons made by Nikita Golubev from www.flaticon.com
PODS

When students return to school, they will be coming in staggered grade levels. Some will be in quarantine, some will be in other parts of the world. All of them likely will be looking to connect with others. (*Side note: while not typically an anxious person, the thought of being around large groups of people after months in my 'bubble' does leave me feeling anxious. I am guessing some students may feel the same). We could support students in their last few weeks of the school year by creating learning pods. Mixed grade level groups staffed by teachers from different disciplines with a shared interest in a common theme. A deep dive into literature, art history, and design. A close-up of science, art, and math. What if we used this as a chance to see how mixed age group learning works inside a brick and mortar school house institution? How might we pool our teaching talents and our love for our subject areas and cross pollinate them in a way that goes beyond the standard inter-disciplinary unit? How might these pods of learners (teachers and students) support each other? How might they thrive? How might we build connections beyond checking off curriculum objectives and filling in report cards?

What if we showed our students that what we learned from this pandemic is that connection to and personal investment in an idea is what motivates and sustains learning?
Tweet

And then, what if we give them the opportunity to experience all this, all the time?

SKILLS

The framework for our system of pods could be built from the plethora of skills that reside with the Approaches to Learning (ATL). This robust bank of skills that schools have the ability to customize and add to, could well be the foundation for learning. Through the mapping and articulation of skills, learners could work together to strengthen and diversify thinking, research, social, self-management, and communication skills within authentic, personalized contexts.

Educators such as Suzanne Kitto and Rebecca Madrid have already done the hard yards on showing us what this skill framework might look like. It is now up to us to put it to use. How might we use the Approaches to Learning in a way that shows we are supporting the learning of the whole child? How might using the Approaches to Learning support personalized learning? Schools are already embedding Approaches to Learning in their classes - I have even made sets of ATL skill cards for Early Years learners to self-regulate their skill awareness and acquisition - so why not try it in mixed-age groups as a foundation for learning?

Action

One of the hallmarks of an excellent school is that they strive for students to advocate for their own learning. They also want to help students grow in the understanding that they have the capacity to take action to make a difference. Student initiated action might look like this:

On a more practical level, it could involve students asking themselves one or more of the following questions and acting accordingly:

Working in pods, with the Approaches to Learning as their foundation, learners could develop an action plan that compliments the work they are exploring.

We could begin to view our students as capable, problem finders. Young people with the capacity to bring about change. Innovators who are capable of posing and answering their own questions.

These are just three ideas - but there are, of course, loads more:

Schools could choose to do all of this - or none. They could go half-in and adapt these ideas or come up with something completely different. These ideas are an attempt to start thinking in terms of possibilities. I can hear the chorus of "but..." and "what about..." and for now, I tune them out despite how loud and overwhelming they get. I think more about what we might gain from trying rather than what we will lose. I think about what our attempts to innovate say to communities who are used to hearing how we pride ourselves on innovation in education.
I think ahead to when someone says, "What did your school do on the flip side of COVID19?" and I want to be proud of the answer I give.
Published by Sonya terBorg

A mom, educator, designer, creator. I care about kindness, representation, equality, and making a positive contribution. I began teaching in 1997 in New Zealand and have since taught from G1 through G10 in 4 continents. View all posts by Sonya terBorg

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So it might seem premature to start talking of "life after COVID19" but here in Nanjing, this is where we are heading - albeit slowly. Nothing about this situation is normal. It is unprecedented. Exceptional. Out of the ordinary. And our return to school deserves to be nothing short of the same.

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Support deep, meaningful learning with an online universe of authentic resources and tools

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Support deep, meaningful learning with an online universe of authentic resources and tools

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Smithsonian Learning Lab: Discover, Create, Share

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A great read for this time by the amazing Aloha Lavina!

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A great read for this time by the amazing Aloha Lavina!

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eLearning | International School of Beijing

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ISB campus is closed in response to the coronavirus but as a community we continue to challenge ourselves through our community eLearning program.

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Common Sense Media resources for educators

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Common Sense Media resources for educators

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Common Sense Media resources for families

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Common Sense Media resources for families

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Wide Open School's mission lives on at Common Sense

With schools back in person, we have closed this dedicated distance-learning site designed to guide families and educators through the sudden shift to remote learning.
Discover More Great Resources for Families & Educators
Common Sense is dedicated to providing teachers and families with free resources to help kids learn, grow, and thrive with media and technology. Join our community for more tips and resources to support kids' learning and healthy development.

More Resources You'll Love

Get more free content like what you found on Wide Open School.
For Families For Educators
Thank You to Our Supporters & Partners

We are grateful to our supporters and partners for helping to bring these resources to kids, families, and educators everywhere during a global crisis. It is a testament to the power of creativity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to education and digital access for all.

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Wide Open School's mission lives on at Common Sense With schools back in person, we have closed this dedicated distance-learning site designed to guide families and educators through the sudden shift to remote learning. Discover More Great Resources for Families & Educators

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Eventbrite - Wisdom 2.0 Productions presents Free Livestream with Jon Kabat-Zinn - Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - Find event and ticket information.

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Videos from author Matt Glover for parents

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Videos from author Matt Glover for parents

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Here are some videos that will help parents support their children at home.

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#ISEdCoach Maintaining Balance & Wellbeing During a School Closure - Wakelet

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Check out Geoff's FB group with support for parents!

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Check out Geoff's FB group with support for parents!

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Someone suggested that because I was posting so many hints and tips about school kids from home (unschooling them to be more accurate) that I should create a facebook page with all the resources and links.

I must first state that all I am doing is collating and collecting resources from my PLN (Personal Learning Network) these are not all mine nor do I claim to be the expert on this subject. I am just putting it out there for others to use.

To paraphrase Issac Newton...
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.

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So my kids are stuck at home and I need to homeschool them

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Someone suggested that because I was posting so many hints and tips about school kids from home (unschooling them to be more accurate) that I should create a facebook page with all the resources and links.

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Thanks to Tanya for finding this from Canva!

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Thanks to Tanya for finding this from Canva!

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Free 7-day trial to watch Broadway shows

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Free 7-day trial to watch Broadway shows

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Fun, meaningful, and generally pixel-free at-home learning

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Fun, meaningful, and generally pixel-free at-home learning

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WeAreTeachers | Ideas, Inspiration, and Giveaways for Teachers

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WeAreTeachers celebrates educators with classroom ideas, "helpline" advice, inspiration and laughs every day. Why? Because teachers are AWESOME!

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A great FB page always, but especially now!

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A great FB page always, but especially now!

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Self-Care for Educators. 1,899 likes · 861 talking about this. This is a site to provide support around self-care for educators through research, reflections, and recommendations on re-alignment and...

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When Shanghai, China educators Dennis Grice and Daniel Mendes suddenly found themselves stranded amidst the Covid 19 outbreak and far far from the Concordia International School they faced the duel fears of an unknown virus and how they would continue the education of their students.

Millions of teachers across the globe are in their shoes right now. Luckily for most of us, we are at least at home with access to our school-issued technology. Dennis was on a beach in the Philipines with not much more than a gym bag of shorts and t-shirts and an iPad. We all still face the unknown.

Thankfully, these two gentlemen were recently in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the MACUL Conference to share their journey and provide the rest of us with tremendous insight for moving forward with virtual learning. They were also joined virtually by a true sage in the educational community, Rushton Hurley. Rushton has been working with schools in Asia to help their teachers make the same adjustments.

Honestly, this was one of the best conference sessions I have ever attended and the trio was gracious enough to record their session for all of us. I cannot recommend its viewing enough. First, it lays out a set of realistic expectations and secondly it is reassuring that we will are all capable of figuring out how to do something nobody learned in some undergrad methods class.

Check out as well their very helpful file of resources.

We can do this everybody. We just need to be huge for our kids and incredibly empathetic. Thanks again Dennis, Daniel, and Rushton.

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Covid 19: When Virtual School Is Your Only Option

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When Shanghai, China educators Dennis Grice and Daniel Mendes suddenly found themselves stranded amidst the Covid 19 outbreak and far far from the Concordia International School they faced the duel fears of an unknown virus and how they would continue the education of their students.

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These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

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Google teamed up with more than 1,200 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world.

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Updated March 21, 2020 Met launches "Nightly Met Opera Streams," a free series of encore Live in HD presentations streamed on the company website during the coronavirus closure
Third week of free streams includes Dialogue des Ca rmélites, Il Barbiere di Siviglia,
All streams now available for 23 hours
New York, NY (March 13, 2020)-A day after canceling upcoming performances due to concerns around the coronavirus, the Metropolitan Opera announced that it would stream encore presentations from the award-winning Live in HD series of cinema transmissions on the company website for the duration of the closure. The new offering will begin on Monday, March 16 with the 2010 HD performance of Bizet's Carmen, conducted by Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and starring Elīna Garanča in the title role and Roberto Alagna as Don José.

All "Nightly Met Opera Streams" will begin at 7:30pm EDT and will remain available via the homepage of metopera.org for 23 hours. The homepage link will open the performance on the Met Opera on Demand streaming service. The performance will also be viewable on all Met Opera on Demand apps.

"We'd like to provide some grand opera solace to opera lovers in these extraordinarily difficult times," said Met General Manager Peter Gelb. "Every night, we'll be offering a different complete operatic gem from our collection of HD presentations from the past 14 years."

Here is the schedule for the first week of streams:

Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, starring Elīna Garanča and Roberto Alagna. Transmitted live on January 16, 2010.

Conducted by Nicola Luisotti, starring Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas. Transmitted live on April 5, 2008.

Conducted by Marco Armiliato, starring Anna Netrebko, Dolora Zajick, Yonghoon Lee, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Transmitted live on October 3, 2015.

Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, starring Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Flórez, and Quinn Kelsey. Transmitted live on December 15, 2018.

Conducted by Marco Armiliato, starring Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez. Transmitted live on April 26, 2008.

Conducted by Marco Armiliato, starring Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczała, and Mariusz Kwiecien. Transmitted live on February 7, 2009.

Conducted by Valery Gergiev, starring Renée Fleming, Ramón Vargas, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Transmitted live on February 24, 2007.

Here is the schedule for the second week of streams, an all-Wagner week:

Conducted by Simon Rattle, starring Nina Stemme, Ekaterina Gubanova, Stuart Skelton, Evgeny Nikitin, and René Pape. Transmitted live on October 8, 2016.

Conducted by James Levine, starring Wendy Bryn Harmer, Stephanie Blythe, Richard Croft, Gerhard Siegel, Dwayne Croft, Bryn Terfel, Eric Owens, and Hans-Peter König. Transmitted live on October 9, 2010.

Conducted by James Levine, starring Deborah Voigt, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Stephanie Blythe, Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel, and Hans-Peter König. Transmitted live on May 14, 2011.

Conducted by Fabio Luisi, starring Deborah Voigt, Hunter Morris, Gerhard Siegel, Bryn Terfel, and Eric Owens. Transmitted live on November 5, 2011.

Friday, March 27 - Wagner's Götterdämmerung

Conducted by Fabio Luisi, starring Deborah Voigt, Wendy Bryn Harmer, Waltraud Meier, Jay Hunter Morris, Iain Paterson, Eric Owens, and Hans-Peter König. Transmitted live on February 11, 2012.

Conducted by James Levine, starring Annette Dasch, Johan Botha, Paul Appleby, and Michael Volle. Transmitted live on December 13, 2014.

Conducted by James Levine, starring Eva-Marie Westbroek, Michelle DeYoung, Johan Botha, Peter Mattei, and Gunther Groissböck. Transmitted live on October 31, 2015.

Here is the schedule for the third week of streams:

Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, starring Isabel Leonard, Adrianne Pieczonka, and Karita Mattila. Transmitted live on May 11, 2019.

Conducted by Maurizio Benini, starring Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flórez, and Peter Mattei.Transmitted live on March 24, 2007.

Conducted by John Adams, starring Janis Kelly and James Maddalena. Transmitted live on February 12, 2011.

Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, starring Marina Poplavskaya, Roberto Alagna, Simon Keenlyside, and Ferruccio Furlanetto. Transmitted live December 11, 2010.

Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, starring Diana Damrau, Matthew Polenzani, and Mariusz Kwiecien. Transmitted live January 16, 2016.

Conducted by Fabio Luisi, starring Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Željko Lučić, and René Pape.Transmitted live October 11, 2014.

Conducted by Carlo Rizzi, starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja, and Matthew Rose. Transmitted live October 17, 2017.

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Met launches "Nightly Met Opera Streams," a free series of encore Live in HD presentations streamed on the company website during the coronavirus closure

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Updated March 21, 2020 Met launches "Nightly Met Opera Streams," a free series of encore Live in HD presentations streamed on the company website during the coronavirus closure Third week of free streams includes Dialogue des Ca rmélites , Il Barbiere di Siviglia , All streams now available for 23 hours New York, NY (March 13, 2020)-A day after canceling upcoming performances due to concerns around the coronavirus, the Metropolitan Opera announced that it would stream encore presentations from the award-winning Live in HD series of cinema transmissions on the company website for the duration of the closure.

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Online learning guide from Beijing City International School

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Online learning guide from Beijing City International School

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Looking for ideas for remote learning? Each week The Learning Network offers a dozen new ways for students to practice reading, writing and thinking using Times journalism - all free.

Each week we round up the best comments on our writing prompts in our Current Events Conversation. These are images from that collection.

Note: High school students and teachers in the United States can register to get free digital access to nytimes.com.
Schools around the country have closed their doors and switched to remote learning in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. If you are a teacher or parent looking for ways to keep your students reading, writing and thinking critically during these uncertain times, The Learning Network offers a dozen new writing prompts each week, all based on Times articles, photographs, illustrations, videos and graphs, about a wide array of issues, including internet memes, climate change, the #MeToo movement, racism, the 2020 election and healthy habits. All of these activities are completely free for everyone.

Here is how to get started.

Students can create a free account by pressing the "Log In" button on the top right-hand corner of the screen. They will be taken to a sign-in page that looks like this:

Please note: Students must be 13 years or older to use any part of nytimes.com in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 years or older anywhere else. If students are less than 18 years of age and would like to create an account, they must ask a parent or legal guardian to review and agree to the Times Terms of Service before registering.
Students can click on the link "Create one." Then they can click on "Continue without subscribing." When students make their first comment, they will be asked to enter a name and a location.

Examples of names include: Amy, Emilia AOSE, Payton L and Mrs. Miller's 3rd period class.

Examples of locations include: Ohio,Milbank, SD, and Hoggard High School in Wilmington, N.C.

While students don't need to have a New York Times account to access the Learning Network's many activities, they will need one if they want to submit a comment.

Students can comment via desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. To submit a comment, they should click on the comment bubble at the top of the article or the comment button at the bottom. Either way will bring them to a box where they can share their thoughts, as well as reply to other student commenters from across their school or around the world.

We encourage young people to have a civil dialogue about all sorts of topics, but if students cross a line - for example, if they use offensive language or are disrespectful to other commenters - we will reject those comments.

We follow Times commenting standards as we moderate, but we also allow for the reality that many students don't have perfect spelling or grammar or are still learning English. Our comment section is intended to be a rehearsal space - a safe place for students to practice writing and to share their ideas.

We moderate comments regularly during weekday work hours, but during other times, like nights and weekends, approval can sometimes take several hours.

We invite students to share their opinions and analysis about all sorts of issues and types of media on The Learning Network. In our Student Opinionfeature, we ask questions like: " Should Blowouts Be Allowed in Youth Sports?" and " Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use Your Phone? " About half of our questions help students develop their argument skills, and the other half invite them to share experiences and observations from their own lives. All of these prompts are inspired by Times articles.

We also invite students to respond to the many photographs and illustrations in The Times. In our Picture Prompt feature, we use a daily image to inspire four types of student writing: storytelling, argument writing, personal writing and analysis. Similarly, our What's Going On in This Picture? feature asks students to look closely at an intriguing photo and share what they see and what details support their interpretation. On Mondays, our partner organization Visual Thinking Strategies provides live moderation for this activity to strengthen students' visual literacy skills. Both of these features can be great for any student, but they're especially accessible for younger students and students who struggle with reading.

We also use other types of Times multimedia to encourage student writing and thinking. Our Film Club showcases a short documentary film from The Times - often under 10 minutes - and asks students to think about themes like race and gender identity, technology and society, and artistic and scientific exploration. And, What's Going On in This Graph? asks students to notice and wonder about a Times graph, map or chart. On Wednesdays, our partners at the American Statistical Association facilitate a live conversation for this activity to strengthen students' data literacy skills.

Finally, we also offer contests for students all year long. Right now students can submit 450-word editorials. Next month they can submit five-minute podcasts. During the summer they can participate in our 10-week-long Summer Reading Contest.

All of these activities and contests are free. They've always been.

Learning Network prompts can be used in any number of ways as a teaching tool at school or from home. Teachers often let students choose the prompts they want to respond to based on the topics they find most interesting. Other times they assign a specific prompt: for example, if they are studying a theme, like friendship, or a topic, like slavery.

Many teachers use our prompts as a standing homework assignment every night or each week. Other teachers use the prompts as a class activity to complete together. For example, in the tweet below, Adriana Diaz shares images of her class doing a What's Going On in This Picture? activity.

Since we offer so many ways for students to read, write and think, teachers can differentiate as they see fit. They might ask some students to get started with our image-based prompts, while suggesting others comment on our Student Opinion questions.

And, while we appreciate when teachers assign students to comment directly on The Learning Network, we also understand that many teachers prefer to have their students respond to our prompts in a classroom space like Google Classroom or Schoology. We want teachers to have the freedom to use our resources in the way that works best for them.

Not only do we moderate comments, but we also select comments to spotlight in a weekly roundup from our two daily writing prompts: Student Opinion questions and Picture Prompts. Teachers tell us they and their students get excited when they see their classmates' names published in The New York Times.

Here is an example of a weekly roundup: " What Students Are Saying About Fact-Checking Facebook, Making Small Talk and Being Alone."

Teachers naturally want to know what their students are saying in our online forums. The easiest way to hold students accountable is to instruct them to forward the confirmation emails they automatically receive. To do this, students need to make sure that the box "Email me when my comment is published" is checked underneath the comment box. (The check appears when students begin typing.)

For our contests, students also receive confirmation emails, which they can easily forward to teachers. And, since we celebrate many winners, runners-up and honorable mentions with each of our contests, teachers get to send out their own emails, tweets and messages when one or more of their students are selected as finalists.

At The Learning Network, we want students to have a civil discussion about the issues of our day. We want them to have an authentic audience for their writing and ideas. We believe student voice matters. Our comment section and regular contests are our way to make this happen. We hope you'll invite your students to join our community of learners.

If you have any questions about how to get your class started using The Learning Network, please use the comment section or email us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.

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Students Can Respond to Daily Writing Prompts, Inspired by The New York Times, at Home for Free (Published 2020)

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Looking for ideas for remote learning? Each week The Learning Network offers a dozen new ways for students to practice reading, writing and thinking using Times journalism - all free. Note: High school students and teachers in the United States can register to get free digital access to nytimes.com .

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OREO Online Learning Wayfinding by Alison Yang

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OREO Online Learning Wayfinding by Alison Yang

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Generally speaking, teachers should always provide explicit instructions to guide students to obtain and demonstrate content knowledge and conceptual understanding. These instructions are often communicated orally in class and students have opportunities to ask questions and/or clarify their confusion. When moving to online teaching and learning model, it is paramount for teachers to communicate explicitly and clearly to students about the what and how of developing content knowledge and what they are expected in terms of demonstrating their learning. Through concise and clear instructions provided on a hyperdoc, students can be engaged and empowered to complete their online learning engagements.

Abandon the idea of "classwork" vs. "homework".

When working online, there is only learning. Think holistically: how much total time do you have with students in a given week? What learning must be accomplished in that week? Then, imagine how a schedule might be designed to suit those parameters. (Global Online Academy) ​

A really good reminder is that students are not only learning about the content from your subject, they also have to learn how to navigate the instruction online. There might be a benefit if teachers across subjects can develop an essential agreement on communicating online instruction. This is an idea to reduce students' cognitive load.

After reading the two articles ADA Compliance for Online Course Design and 20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course, I made an attempt to create an OREO Online Learning Wayfinding document, considering Objectives, Responsibility, Expectation, and Organization. Taking the advice from @GOALearning, online instructors need to think time in a more holistic manner. The guiding question "How much total time do you have with students in a given week?" is very helpful in mapping out the lessons. If I have three hours in total with students online in a given week, I might chunk learning into two lessons or three lessons. If I am planning online instructions, I will use OREO Online Learning Wayfinding for each lesson to help students navigate their learning.

As I previously shared in the Do This, Not That infographic, online instructors need to avoid communicating in lengthy paragraphs with instructions that may be difficult to follow or tasks that are overly vague. Instead, online instructors can help students navigate the content and not get lost by outlining deliberate instructions and specifying the length of time to complete the session of learning.

One idea I have is to include a link of a short video (not more than 5 minutes) to greet students and give overall instructions. This introductory video link can be hyperlinked in the Learning Objective section.

In the section of 'Responsibility: Obtain content knowledge and understanding' and 'Expectation: Demonstrate Learning', a recommendation is to use verbs when giving instructions and also indicate the length of time to complete the session of learning. The length of time can be either suggested for each individual item respectively or in total, depending on the needs of students. In these two sections, teachers are also encouraged to include external links of multimedia materials.

When creating a hyperdoc, a tip is to "use descriptive wording for hyperlink text (e.g., "DO-IT Knowledge Base" rather than "click here") suggested in 20 Tips for Teaching and Accessible Online Course article. I often also observe teachers copy a very long link directly from a google doc or a website as below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1za3QFtJhya2laUS38D76tiS-TX3YASp6_sksGc1IzLo/copy.

This can also increase learning cognitive load. Instead, we can simply change the text for OREO Online Learning Wayfinding and make it easy to read. If you are working on Google doc, simply press command + K (or control + K) when creating a hyper doc. See this tip from Alice Keeler's website.

Again, this is just a prototype. There might be some revisions to be made.

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Generally speaking, teachers should always provide explicit instructions to guide students to obtain and demonstrate content knowledge and conceptual understanding. These instructions are often communicated orally in class and students have opportunities to ask questions and/or clarify their confusion.

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Welcome to the Virtual Learning Homepage for the American Community School Beirut, a resource for both our community and others can use to support new forms of virtual teaching and learning. In addition, key communications are archived here for anyone to use as a reference.

Should you have any questions or need support, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Welcome to the Virtual Learning Homepage for the American Community School Beirut, a resource for both our community and others can use to support new forms of virtual teaching and learning. In addition, key communications are archived here for anyone to use as a reference.

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Resources to support families during the school closures

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Resources to support families during the school closures

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Discovery College Visible Wellbeing Team led by Tracey Chitty

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ESF Discovery College, Hong Kong. 2,916 likes · 15 talking about this. Grow. Discover. Dream.

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e-Learning and self-care. Collaboration away from work.

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e-Learning and self-care. Collaboration away from work.

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by Mel Hamada

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e-Learning and self-care. Collaboration away from work. Some further thoughts.

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These past few days, as the Coronavirus continues to move and more people are infected, a lot of schools have now closed and suspended in-person to learning and have been asked to educate children via e-Learning. This has precipitated many people coming together to collaborate and prepare for eLearning and to consider how best to proceed.

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Are you looking for FREE & cheap STEM ideas? Download or share these resources to help you add STEM to your classroom or help learning continue at home
Got a small budget but want to get some versatile STEM supplies? I made two lists on Amazon to help you shop: https://a.co/d9F4rWz https://a.co/gssP7Bl$1000 budget: Looking for more resources? Here's an A-Z list

Simple STEM Activities for Families (ideas to get your STEM learning started at home or school)

77 STEM Activities for Families in Nature English (PDF) or Spanish (PDF)

77 STEM Activities for Families #3 English (PDF) or Spanish (PDF)

77 STEM Activities for Families #2 English (PDF) or Spanish (PDF)
Thank you to Claudia Larrain, Mauricio Gonzalez, Ekuwah Moses, Ali Robbins, & Khadi Goodside for the translation work!
Super STEM Movies (ideas for using movies to engage kids with STEM)
(Note: Movies are written, directed, & produced to tell a story and make money, not to be used an educational resource. Every movie should be previewed for content that may be inappropriate for your kids)
Ideas for making car rides fun with STEM

Isometric Paper (for drawing 3-d with your students...learn how it works here)

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Got a small budget but want to get some versatile STEM supplies? I made two lists on Amazon to help you shop: https://a.co/d9F4rWz https://a.co/gssP7Bl $1000 budget: Looking for more resources?

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Virtual learning approaches visual from Tanya LeClair

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Virtual learning approaches visual from Tanya LeClair

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Authors who have granted permission for read-alouds

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Authors who have granted permission for read-alouds

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Teachers ~ Many of you are asking if reading aloud online violates copyright law. Some authors are granting permission as long as you post directly to your class and not publicly. Below will be a thread of authors who have said yes! #remotelearning #CBDLP

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Teachers ~ Many of you are asking if reading aloud online violates copyright law. Some authors are granting permission as long as you post directly to your class and not publicly. Below will be a thread of authors who have said yes! #remotelearning #CBDLP https://t.co/BLle3ggLB0

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Teachers ~ Many of you are asking if reading aloud online violates copyright law. Some authors are granting permission as long as you post directly to your class and not publicly. Below will be a thread of authors who have said yes! #remotelearning #CBDLP https://t.co/BLle3ggLB0

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Teachers ~ Many of you are asking if reading aloud online violates copyright law. Some authors are granting permission as long as you post directly to your class and not publicly. Below will be a thread of authors who have said yes! #remotelearning #CBDLP https://t.co/BLle3ggLB0

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Teachers ~ Many of you are asking if reading aloud online violates copyright law. Some authors are granting permission as long as you post directly to your class and not publicly. Below will be a thread of authors who have said yes! #remotelearning #CBDLP

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Online learning becomes reality in Washington State

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Online learning becomes reality in Washington State

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Remote Learning Comes to America as Coronavirus Shuts Schools (Published 2020)

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Facing the threat of the coronavirus, schools around the country are trying a new experiment in distance learning on a mass scale. We followed one family through the experience.

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Coronavirus Resource Center for Teachers and Administrators 

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Coronavirus Resource Center for Teachers and Administrators 

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Check out resources including a readiness assessment, Critical Tools for Distance Learning, tips for implementing distance learning and more!

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COVID-19 Resource Center | LINC: The Learning Innovation Catalyst

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Section Supporting Schools Facing Coronavirus Supporting Student Learning During the COVID-19 Outbreak Many schools are now in the process of planning and preparing for the potential impact of the coronavirus. As a trusted partner, LINC wants to do our part to help. While you are planning, we&#8 ...

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EdTech to support complete with tutorials

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EdTech to support complete with tutorials

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Best in present mode

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Step 3: Set Up Remote Access for Students

If students sign in with email addresses, they do not need a home learning code. To protect student privacy, set up trusted IP networks so students only see their own work from home.

If students sign in with text/QR codes, they will use home learning codes. Home learning codes allow students to log into the Seesaw Class App at home while protecting students' privacy. Here are 3 options to access home learning codes:

Get a CSV of all student codes: In Admin Tools, click 'Get Home Learning Student Codes'. You will receive a link via email to download a CSV. Use a mail merge tool to distribute codes quickly.

Get printable PDFs: In Class Settings for each class, click 'Get Home Learning Student Codes'.

Enable teachers to get printable PDFs: In School settings, enable 'Allow Teachers to Get Home Learning Codes'.

*If you're setting up Seesaw for Schools for the first time, start with our Setup Guide.

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If students sign in with email addresses, they do not need a home learning code. To protect student privacy, set up trusted IP networks so students only see their own work from home. If students sign in with text/QR codes, they will use home learning codes.

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Most people who read this are from the States and may remember a month ago I posted about "Life in Lockdown " when the coronavirus was just kicking off in China and Hong Kong. For a lot of you, at the time, it probably seemed like a problem for Asia - far away and kind of strange.
(If you don't know me, scroll until you see numbers if you just want tips, I don't mind.)

March 13th, 2020.

When this started, friends and family were begging me to come home, but oddly I feel safer here now - Hong Kong has done an outstanding job of controlling this outbreak. We have the third highest population density in the world, with 17,311 people/square mile (6,659/square kilometer), and Covid-19 is incredibly contagious with a long incubation period, so it was important to put extreme measures in place right away. Unfortunately, it looks like most of the world is joining the corona club and trying to figure out the right level between prepared and panicked.

I am here to help you.

I just completed my sixth week of this "new normal" - living at home as much as you can. I am still scared of all the unknown, but it has become manageable. The panic is dying down. There's plenty of food, toilet paper, soap. People are back at the park. I'm bored out my mind, work drives me crazy, I've gained four pounds, and I've cried more in the last six weeks than the last six years, but I know things will eventually be okay. I miss my friends and human contact, but I've gotten more used to the social distancing.

Working from home can be great. I enjoy the morning conferences with my students that involve spraying in dry shampoo, putting on a sweater but staying in my pajama bottoms. I didn't put on makeup for weeks. After the first few days, where I was working about 18 hours a day, I took breaks every few hours from work and cleaned out the house, completing chores I'd put off for months. Awesome.

I made a thing. I will now eat all my feelings.

I started a new hobby of bread-making (which might explain the sudden weight gain because omg HOMEMADE BREAD with "everything but the bagel" sprinkled on it is my new fat kid trick.) My roomie and I watched more movies in a few weeks than we had in three years in this apartment. I up-skilled my teacher tech.

But I found that spending so much time alone, especially living in this world with constant news updates and a climate of fear, makes me anxious. Worrying about the elderly, the poor, the people who work in industries so affected by the economy collapse is consuming.

I stayed up all hours wondering what the future looks like - when will I go back to school, when can I go home, will I get sick, will anyone I know get sick, am I taking this too seriously, am I not taking it seriously enough? I couldn't stop updating news apps and checking work and working more and harder and getting frustrated with all things big and small. None of which I could control.

The only time I left the house was to go to my gym classes twice a day, really pushing myself, because that was my one comfort. Even when I was in pain, often in tears, I would keep going, because I convince myself that I'm still in my 20s and an athlete and skinny jeans are important. But then the pain was way too much. I went to the doctor's, and it turns out I had given myself an intense stress fracture in my foot, with some bruised sesamoids and stretched ligaments or other such terms that add up to "yeah...now we need you to not walk for a few weeks. Sit down for a while. Put your feet up, literally. Doctor's orders."

no more night hikes for me for a while....but look at how pretty.

!@#$%^&*()!

This forced me to slow down to the point where I had to think, which I actually don't like to do very much. Because then I figure things out like I have no coping skills. I don't really have any hobbies that don't involve a screen or running around outside. Or food. And I might not have it as all together as I thought I did.

Turns out there's a lot of time in the day.

Time for me to realize I get sick of my own company, and a face mask is uncomfortable and your breath does smell, and I wasn't washing my hands enough, and I touch my face ALL the time.

get a new hobby going if you can!

This was hard to realize until I did a teachery thing, and decided to get more organized and proactive. And, of course, make a list. As many of you around the world - teachers, parents, students, normals, start looking at the next few weeks (or months, because gosh, who knows) of quarantine or social distancing, here are some things I've learned and some hopefully helpful tips:

Don't panic buy. People did in HK with toilet paper, because there was a random rumour that the factories in China that make toilet paper were going to stop making it in favour of making masks. People freaked out. But people bought so much TP, it's now going mouldy in their houses, which causes other problems. We created a crisis in a crisis. Also, rats like to live in toilet paper. There will be TP. Or just take a shower after. Calm down. You also need everyone around you to have soap and hand sanitizer, which they cannot have if you buy four hundred cases.

Get a routine going. Be normal. Keep getting up in the morning at the same-ish time. There were some days I didn't brush my teeth until I left for the gym, which is gross. It helps to stay in routine, to wash your face, to put on a bra, to set up a home office, set working hours. Working from bed led to some terrible back pain for me (curse you, mid-thirties!). Make a designated space, especially for kids doing school work.

Work out. Get outside every day.

Set small goals - make a list of things to clean and organize, one a day. It feels amazing. Clean out closets, rearrange your shelves. I made a thanksgiving cornbread recipe in March because I found the mix one day. It was a delight.

Daily chores - make your bed, change your clothes, shower, clean your house a bit, as it will get dirtier now you're home more. Floss.

Cook things you've always wanted to. Make fancy pizzas, learn a new curry recipe, try homemade sourdough! It was so rewarding. (disclaimer: I looked up my curry recipe, and then just ordered it on Deliveroo.)

Read all the physical books in your house before you download new ones. Then donate what you won't read again.

Watch movies. Challenge yourself with a theme. We had a film noir night with a friend, watching a 1940's gangster film. We're now watching all the Will Ferrell movies. It feels like a small accomplishment to tick things off a list. Include flavoured popcorn blind tests. Make homemade ice cream.

Get some plants. They'll brighten up the indoors and give you something to talk to. And oxygen! hashtag win.

Adopt a rescue pup! You've got time at home now to train them.

Get crafty. We had an awesome painting night for a friend's bday. Learned so much about my pals and their mad skills.

Talk on the phone. We've almost lost that art. As we spend more physical time apart, it's important to remain connected.

Do the mundane - check your finances, unsubscribe to old email lists, change the oil, clean out your purse, clip your fingernails short to repel germs. Check. Off. That. List!

Organize. Another tiny thing that gave me joy - organizing my iTunes. Capitals in all the right places, deleting songs I realized I hated, making playlists, filling in all information. Delightful.

Phone purge - Delete all bad photos on your phone. Delete apps you don't use or need. Delete contacts you don't want. While doing so, message a few people you haven't talked to in a while, especially the elderly.

Call your mom.

Dust off the board games. Their time has come.

Invite over a friend for dinner that has a job truly affected by the changes, ie anyone in customer service, retail, restaurants, tourism.

Go through your Pinterest boards and try something you "never have time for." I've done makeup and hair tutorials and it's fun!

Cuddle up. Have candles and slippers and sweatshirts and things that are cozy. Wrap yourself up in feel good. Make inside a sanctuary. Clean windows, make things smell good.

Do the self-care - whatever it looks like for you. For me it's Cheetos and wine and Youtubes of kids getting puppies for Christmas.

Get physical. Get up and stretch. Relax your shoulders RIGHT NOW.

Get healthy. Take supplements. Eat fruit. Drink water.

Get away. When it gets to be too much - take a staycation if you can. Camp in your backyard, send the kids to grandma's, get a hotel, turn off all devices, whatever "checking out" looks like for you.

Get it done. Make the appointments you've been putting off. I'm getting hair lasered, a physical, and a haircut.

Sleep when you can. One of my struggles is sleeping, even when things are fine. I've been taking melatonin, trying to work out, breathing deeply, napping if I'm able, stretching, and taking my anti-anxiety meds shamelessly. I find the nighttime is when I get most anxious, so it's important to get that under control how you can.

Clean your phone and laptop keys.

Prepare enough. Make sure you have toilet paper and soup and canned things for a while, like you normally would. Being from California, we always have a sense of earthquake preparedness. Living in Brazil, we always had water stacked in the shower and candles ready. This is a good time to assess your readiness for an emergency. It is very clear that many countries cannot rely on their government for clarity, leadership, or care. So take care of yourselves and the vulnerable. It's much more a village/country mentality in Asia, so we (mostly) cooperate with measures to make sure others don't get sick, even if we don't feel at risk ourselves.

Give thanks and pray. If you are reading this list, you are probably better off than at least 90% of the world population. Pray this doesn't kick off in Africa. Pray for containment in Italy and Iran and the healthcare workers on the frontlines. Be so so grateful for that and make conscious choices to take care of each other, our earth, the systems that can keep us safe. VOTE for people who respect science, who care about people. You can limit travel, cough into your elbow, check in on the vulnerable.

ooooooh....bummer about the name, guys.

We don't know what the next few weeks, months, or even years might look like. Take care of yourselves and each other. And if I missed an awesome tip, let me know!

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29 Tips - What I've learned (and wish I'd known) in Lockdown

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Most people who read this are from the States and may remember a month ago I posted about "Life in Lockdown " when the coronavirus was just kicking off in China and Hong Kong. For a lot of you, at the time, it probably seemed like a problem for Asia - far away and kind of strange.

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty

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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

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Human beings like certainty. We are hard-wired to want to know what is happening when and to notice things that feel threatening to us. When things feel uncertain or when we don't generally feel safe, it's normal to feel stressed. This very reaction, while there to protect us, can cause all sorts of havoc when there is a sense of uncertainty and conflicting information around us.

A large part of anxiety comes from a sense of what we think we should be able to control, but can't. Right now, many of us are worried about COVID-19, known as the "Coronavirus". We may feel helpless about what will happen or what we can do to prevent further stress. The uncertainty might also connect to our uncertainty about other aspects of our lives, or remind us of past times when we didn't feel safe and the immediate future was uncertain.

In times like these, our mental health can suffer. We don't always know it's happening. You might feel more on edge than usual, angry, helpless or sad. You might notice that you are more frustrated with others or want to completely avoid any reminders of what is happening. For those of us who already struggle with our mental wellness, we might feel more depressed or less motivated to carry out our daily activities.

It's important to note that we are not helpless in light of current news events. We can always choose our response. If you are struggling, here are some things you can do to take care of your mental health in the face of uncertainty:

Separate what is in your control from what is not. There are things you can do, and it's helpful to focus on those. Wash your hands. Remind others to wash theirs. Take your vitamins. Limit your consumption of news (Do you really need to know what is happening on a cruise ship you aren't on?).

Do what helps you feel a sense of safety. This will be different for everyone, and it's important not to compare yourself to others. It's ok if you've decided what makes you feel safe is to limit attendance of large social events, but make sure you separate when you are isolating based on potential for sickness versus isolating because it's part of depression.

Get outside in nature--even if you are avoiding crowds. I took a walk yesterday afternoon in my neighborhood with my daughter. The sun was shining, we got our dose of vitamin D, and it felt good to both get some fresh air and quality time together. Exercise also helps both your physical and mental health.

Challenge yourself to stay in the present. Perhaps your worry is compounding-you are not only thinking about what is currently happening, but also projecting into the future. When you find yourself worrying about something that hasn't happened, gently bring yourself back to the present moment. Notice the sights, sounds, tastes and other sensory experiences in your immediate moment and name them. Engaging in mindfulness activities is one way to help stay grounded when things feel beyond your control.

Stay connected and reach out if you need more support. Talk to trusted friends about what you are feeling. If you are feeling particularly anxious or if you are struggling with your mental health, it's ok to reach out to a mental health professional for support. You don't have to be alone with your worry and it can be comforting to share what you are experiencing with those trained to help.

We are in this together, and help is always available. If you're feeling alone and struggling, you can also reach out to The Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 or National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty

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Human beings like certainty. We are hard-wired to want to know what is happening when and to notice things that feel threatening to us. When things feel uncertain or when we don't generally feel safe, it's normal to feel stressed.

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Working from home graphic tips from ISBeijing

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Working from home graphic tips from ISBeijing

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The campus closure caused by #coronavirus has been challenging for all members of the ISB community. Fortunately, the school has developed resources to help parents and students during #eLearning. #learnisb 

https://t.co/AuK7c2nBCv

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The campus closure caused by #coronavirus has been challenging for all members of the ISB community. Fortunately, the school has developed resources to help parents and students during #eLearning. #learnisb 

https://t.co/AuK7c2nBCv https://t.co/U0ipIGOnDj

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
The campus closure caused by #coronavirus has been challenging for all members of the ISB community. Fortunately, the school has developed resources to help parents and students during #eLearning. #learnisb 

https://t.co/AuK7c2nBCv https://t.co/U0ipIGOnDj

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
The campus closure caused by #coronavirus has been challenging for all members of the ISB community. Fortunately, the school has developed resources to help parents and students during #eLearning. #learnisb 

https://t.co/AuK7c2nBCv https://t.co/U0ipIGOnDj

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
The campus closure caused by #coronavirus has been challenging for all members of the ISB community. Fortunately, the school has developed resources to help parents and students during #eLearning. #learnisb 

https://t.co/AuK7c2nBCv

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Graphic about the different tools that have been invaluable @ WAB

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Graphic about the different tools that have been invaluable @ WAB

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Schools around the world are now transitioning to online learning. Having now completed Week 6 at WAB, we are happy to share this explainer graphic about the different tools that have been invaluable. Please feel free to share. #educhat #onlinelearning #COVID19

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Schools around the world are now transitioning to online learning. Having now completed Week 6 at WAB, we are happy to share this explainer graphic about the different tools that have been invaluable. Please feel free to share. #educhat #onlinelearning #COVID19 https://t.co/Ni12K5bWxD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Schools around the world are now transitioning to online learning. Having now completed Week 6 at WAB, we are happy to share this explainer graphic about the different tools that have been invaluable. Please feel free to share. #educhat #onlinelearning #COVID19 https://t.co/Ni12K5bWxD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Schools around the world are now transitioning to online learning. Having now completed Week 6 at WAB, we are happy to share this explainer graphic about the different tools that have been invaluable. Please feel free to share. #educhat #onlinelearning #COVID19 https://t.co/Ni12K5bWxD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Schools around the world are now transitioning to online learning. Having now completed Week 6 at WAB, we are happy to share this explainer graphic about the different tools that have been invaluable. Please feel free to share. #educhat #onlinelearning #COVID19

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A Letter to Educators Moving Their Teaching Online for the First Time

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A Letter to Educators Moving Their Teaching Online for the First Time

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Willing to mentor other school leaders/educators that are just beginning to help their school communities switch to online learning?

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Willing to mentor other school leaders/educators that are just beginning to help their school communities switch to online learning?

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Article featuring the Western Academy of Beijing

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Article featuring the Western Academy of Beijing

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Updated March 12, 2020 10:40:52

There's no playground or lunch bell at this school, but some 8,000 kilometres from Beijing, Angela Steinmann and Jaima Holland are preparing for another day of class.

From the confines of a renovated Queenslander in Brisbane's northern suburbs, the pair have found themselves grappling with the residual impacts of the coronavirus crisis: school shutdowns.

Angela is the elementary school principal at Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), where Jaima is a physics teacher and Grade 9 mentor.

As the Chinese New Year rolled around in late January, the pair - like "50 per cent of our staff and students" - left the capital to travel overseas, opting to holiday in the Philippines.

Then, the outbreak occurred.

"At the beginning of the holidays [Chinese authorities] announced that schools would be closed, so we had to very quickly make a plan of action to begin online learning when we came back a week later," says Angela.

"Rather than quickly return to China, we decided there wasn't really any need for it. We weren't going back to school, so a decision was made that students and teachers could operate from wherever they were."

With friends and family in Brisbane, the pair returned to Australia ("The internet connection here is better than the Philippines," Jaima quips), where they have spent much of the year navigating the ups and downs of their new classroom.

They are now almost finished the sixth week of delivering an online learning curriculum to 1,400 WAB students aged from 3-18 who represent the many cultures and nationalities who attend this international school for expatriate children.

'We went from zero to full-on in a week'

As authorities work to contain the spread of COVID-19, more than 290 million students across the globe have been disrupted by school closures (much to the chagrin of parents).

While China was the only nation mandating closures some three weeks ago, as of the beginning of March, at least 22 countries in three different continents had followed suit in announcing or implementing contingency plans of their own.

It means schools have had to pivot to an online curriculum, as they stare down the barrel of an uncertain future.

As if the transition wasn't hard enough, the Western Academy of Beijing, an international school in the north of the city, has been forced to confront another hurdle: many of their more than 150 staff, who had been overseas on holidays when the outbreak occurred, remain in all corners of the world ("We have people in Europe, America, Asia, Australia - everywhere," Angela says).

"We all follow Beijing time, so the time zone has been the trickiest one," she adds. "It has been a huge challenge; we went from zero to full-on in a week."

Using online applications like Zoom, Skype and the Chinese social media app WeChat, teachers set the usual daily course work for their students, interspersed with parent workshops, forums and teacher staff meetings.

It is very much business as usual ("Our swimming teacher, for example, is still doing swimming lessons online," Angela says), but that is not to say there have not been challenges.

"In any classroom you've got a range of abilities. Not just academic abilities but self-management abilities, the ability to make sure they're engaged and can organise themselves," Jaima says.

"And when you go into an online learning platform, suddenly that range becomes so much larger."

In the case of WAB's multicultural student body, a range of English-language skills, particularly among younger pupils, add another layer of complication into the mix.

"The real difficulty of [taking lessons online] was, how are we going to do this to accommodate the needs of such a diverse range of students, but do it in a way that's relatively streamlined?" Jaima says.

So what does an average day look like?

For Angela and Jaima, communication and engagement with both students and parents has been paramount in ensuring they do not slip "through the cracks".

The wider community is acutely aware of the predicament they are facing, and until the school closures are lifted, students and staff simply don't have any other options.

But while online learning may be part and parcel of modern life, the pair are quick to admit that the transition to a virtual classroom has been a matter of trial and error.

"At first I thought, this will be great, we'll just post one email for the week and it's not too overwhelming," Jaima says.

"It was the opposite, students felt overwhelmed because they were getting a weeks' worth of work for each class and it was just too much."

The school has used this feedback to hone its approach.

Students are given their weekly coursework each Monday, and are then tasked with devising a timetable for the days ahead ("For example, when are they Zooming with their teachers?" Angela says).

Teachers also upload a video of themselves every morning, welcoming students into the new day and outlining their daily tasks, which have already been posted online.

"Every class in elementary has a class blog, all children also have their own blogs, so if they have to do work, they can take a picture or upload it to the blog, so their parent and teacher can give feedback," says Angela.

"I spend a lot of time just in correspondence, checking in with students, tracking students, giving feedback, communicating with mentors and counsellors if you feel a student is getting too far behind," adds Jaima.

Virtual classrooms in use in Australia

While Australia has so far been largely immune to the brunt of the crisis, the premise of online learning is not an entirely foreign concept.

Classes have already been cancelled in New South Wales, while similar scenes have been observed in Victoria, as more people test positive for coronavirus.

In anticipation of further closures, the NSW Education Department has confirmed it is working with its major IT providers to create virtual classrooms so teachers can provide work to students over the internet.

This technology is already in use at Epping Boys High School, which is using Google Classroom across all year groups and subjects to provide daily online lessons for students in self-isolation. At Willoughby Girls High School, also in Sydney, students have access to lessons and content from Edmodo and Google Classroom.

While Queensland is yet to be affected by school closures, its education department has also confirmed it has "online learning materials and virtual classroom capability that can be used by schools where appropriate to support sustained curriculum delivery".

But should Australian schools have to transition to online learning in the event of a shutdown, it's may not mimic the experience of Beijing's WAB.

"The technical infrastructure in public schools just doesn't exist," says Dan Hogan, a public school teacher.

"You'd be lucky to find a public school in the country where each student in a class of 30 has a device like a tablet or a laptop. They always have to be shared between two, or three, or more."

'There are equity and access issues'

Australia has one of the largest resource gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged schools in the OECD, while research has found the gap between high and low socioeconomic high schools is widening.

Should schools be forced to pivot to an online curriculum, some fear this education divide could become more pronounced.

"There are many students, either because of the failure of infrastructure in their community or the socioeconomic status of individuals where they don't have access to a computer or suitable device, who will be unable to get access to any virtual learning spaces," says Kevin Bates, president of the Queensland Teachers Union.

"I'm also concerned that the sort of work we would be expecting people to pick up would involve a set of teaching materials that many teachers have never used.

"There are equity and access issues, and there are issues associated with the practicality of having 40,000 teachers familiarise themselves with the curriculum documents and effectively deliver a program for students in such a short timeframe."

While teachers have always used technology as an "integrated part of their daily work", the NSW Teachers Federation says, delivering an entire school curriculum on online platforms will not be able to occur overnight.

"That will require the department to provide additional resources in the areas of IT, in terms of accessibility of course across the state," says senior vice-president Amber Flohm.

"But also in professional learning, that's not something that could be rolled out across the state overnight."

What can Australia learn from the overseas experience?

Jaima concedes the transition to online learning was aided by their "incredibly well-resourced" school, which had already purchased online learning platforms and software for teachers to use in classes prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

But being able to streamline those tools, and ensuring teachers were competent in them, was a learning curve in and of itself.

"We've had teachers teaching teachers sessions, because some teachers are more IT savvy than others," Angela says.

"Everyone has had to upskill in certain programs just to get them up and running. And that includes kids and parents as well."

With no end in sight, Angela and Jaima are looking towards the year ahead.

There are senior exams to plan for, and other milestones they need to take into consideration, should their new classroom become a longer-term fixture.

So what can Australia learn from their experience?

"Look after each other, check in with your colleagues. It's going to be difficult, but persevere and stick with it," says Jaima.

"Don't underestimate the importance of connecting with others. The isolation is really hard to deal with," adds Angela.

Topics: medical-sciences, disease-control, government-and-politics, health, diseases-and-disorders, education, schools, independent-schools, primary-schools, private-schools, public-schools, religious-schools, secondary-schools, australia, china

First posted March 12, 2020 06:31:32

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Coronavirus has closed our school for six weeks and counting. This is how we make it work

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Updated March 12, 2020 10:40:52 There's no playground or lunch bell at this school, but some 8,000 kilometres from Beijing, Angela Steinmann and Jaima Holland are preparing for another day of class. From the confines of a renovated Queenslander in Brisbane's northern suburbs, the pair have found themselves grappling with the residual impacts of the coronavirus crisis: school shutdowns.

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Slideshow from a recent session at #AltSXSWEdu on considerations to make for school closures

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In this episode of " Ask the Tech Coach ," Jeff and Susan discuss the many questions surrounding distance learning including how to approach the idea as well as logistical consideration to think about surrounding teacher work hours, etc.

In this episode, we discuss:

Reflections from Last Week:

In last week's episode, we talked about what professional development looks like for us as Tech Coaches.

Tech Coach Mastermind

Do You Have a Question For Us?

What is Distance Learning?

Distance learning can take the form of a class being conducted within a building or district for various student needs. It can also go so far as going from outside of a district for international study or college study.

Reasons for Distance Learning

Lack of course offering at a specific building

Dual Credit for college courses

Homebound/Extended illness

Need for bringing in experts on a particular topic during a normal instructional course

Questions/Items to consider when approaching the idea of Distance Learning

Safety for members and students - Ask questions to your district/building administration, find out what (if any) plans or procedures are in place

Actions/guidance from the DOE - Are there mandates at the state level regarding time off for "non-traditional" instruction?

Challenge to remote learning - What are the procedures for administering distance learning assignments? What about those students without a device or internet access?

Lost wages for some parents that have to stay home - Ask questions to your district/building on how to best address parent concerns that may arise.

Not thorough and efficient for special needs students - Think about ways to meet student IEP/differentiation requirements in a distance learning environment.

No breakfast and lunch programs for students in need - What resources are in place in the community that could help address the physical needs of the students?

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Jeff Bradbury, creator of TeacherCast, and father of the famous @EduTriplets Thanks for checking out TeacherCast today. Please take a moment to find me on all of my Social Media channels!

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How Should Distance Learning Look When Schools Need To Close? · The TeacherCast Educational Network

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In this episode of "Ask the Tech Coach," Jeff and Susan discuss the many questions surrounding distance learning including how to approach the idea as well as logistical consideration to think about surrounding teacher work hours, etc. In this episode, we discuss: Reflections from Last Week: In last week's episode, we talked about what professional...

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Resources gather during #FutureReady chat

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Resources gather during #FutureReady chat

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How Prepared is Your School for a Long-term Pandemic? - Wakelet

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Resources collected from the #FutureReady twitter chat

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Regardless of the likelihood that schools are shut down on a local, state, or national level thanks to the Coronavirus there are many great reasons every teacher should become familiar with distance learning best practices. Beyond the ability to one day abolish snow days or not lose instructional time due to other reasons schools may close, it turns out the tools and methods you would use to run a distance learning class are likely even more beneficial to students when everyone is using distance learning techniques while in the classroom together.

Blended Learning is when students learn at least partially online while the teacher is in the room with them. I've been a long time proponent of blended learning. Blended learning allows the teacher to take on more of a support role while empowering students through self-paced, self-directed learning made possible through technology.

Whether you're getting ready for distance learning because of an impending school shut down or you're interested in bringing blended learning to your classroom, you'll need to consider some important practices to get this type of learning to work well. I plan on jumping into these bigger questions like the best blended learning models, how to help students who fall behind or speed ahead, how to address students with special needs or lack of access, and more in future posts. But I wanted to write something now for teachers who may need to come up with a few weeks of distance learning lessons quickly. What types of lessons can students do online, from home? It's similar to what they can do in the classroom, it turns out, only better.

Blogging / Podcasting

Whether students watch, read, or listen to something you post in a learning management system like Google Classroom or Schoology, having them share their thoughts with you is a common online assignment. Instead of just writing a response or essay in Docs, consider having students create a blog on new Google Sites, or make a podcast on Soundtrap or Twisted Wave.

Socratic Seminar / Debates / Discussions

Responding to others thoughts and feeling as an activity in an online class has been around forever. Most remember it from college: the teacher poses a question, prompt, or topic for debate that students must respond to. After posting their response, learners must also respond to a specified number of other students' responses. Not very exciting, but it works. Try making things more engaging by using Flipgrid so students can respond via video to each other.

Quizzes / Tests

Whether for practice or the gradebook, assessing student learning with a traditional style quiz or test is still possible online. Google Forms has added 'quiz' features which allow you to create an assessment that is more robust than a paper test or quiz. You can insert pictures and videos, set answer validation, and even have the assessment automatically grade and 'hand back' student scores. Students can answer a variety of questions including the ability to turn in files or links as answers. Check out all the features here.

Worksheets

No one likes worksheets, but if you're in a pinch most worksheets can be uploaded to Google Classroom. The thing is, having students print the worksheet and upload it when it is done is a bit much. Know these helpful tips if you don't already have your worksheets made in your Google Drive.

If you upload a PDF to Google Drive, right click on it, and select Open as Google Doc. Drive will automatically convert a PDF into an editable Google Doc that you can then fix and post for students.

There are apps like Office Lens and Evernote Scannable that allow you to take pictures of your worksheets and convert them into a PDF that can then be edited in Drive with the above method.

In a pinch, you can take a picture of your worksheet with your camera and upload the picture to Drive. If the picture is clear enough, you can open it as a Doc and Drive will convert the text in the picture in something you can edit.

Show me what you learned

One of my go to blended learning activities has always been show me what you learned. Show me what you learned is my way of challenging students to come up with their own creative, engaging way to do just that: show me what they learned during a lesson or unit. It can be a song or rap, a how to video, a book trailer, an infographic, an animation. Anything school appropriate. Why not let students decide their distance learning activites? Ask them to turn in something that shows what they learned for your lesson or unit!

Distance and blended learning can and should be so much more than these five activities. The use of online learning tools especially when supported by the teacher while learners are in the classroom, seems to lead to better learning outcomes than more traditional classroom. But if you're in a pinch, and those two weeks worth of distance learning lessons plans are due in a couple days, keep these activities in mind. Promise me, though, you'll come back and learn more about blended learning when you get back to school.

Looking for more: Check out this great Waklet of distance learning resources my friend Steve Isaacs is crowdsourcing online.

Until Next Time,

GLHF

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Five Quick Distance Learning Activities For Teachers In A Pinch * Teched Up Teacher

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Regardless of the likelihood that schools are shut down on a local, state, or national level thanks to the Coronavirus there are many great reasons every teacher should become familiar with distance learning best practices. Beyond the ability to one day abolish snow days or not lose instructional time due to other reasons schools may ...

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Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings

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Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings

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Part of my Google Innovator project is my Lighthouse PD Newsletter. I have just published this month's issue if you are interested

March Issue: Instructional Continuity https://adobe.ly/39FhHxs

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A Handbook for Schools During the COVID-19 Outbreak

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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.

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5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus

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5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus

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5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus (Published 2020)

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Adults can help by making sure adolescents don’t overestimate the dangers or underestimate their ability to protect themselves.

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Online ideas for display boards

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Create a Display Board for MYP Personal Projects #2 | Student Guides | Technology in Education

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Welcome to our Continuous Learning site. Please see the page links at the top for information specific to each section of the school, as well as the Parents page for some helpful resources.

When our campus is closed temporarily we will engage students with learning experiences that continue the planned learning program, and help them to stay connected with teachers and classmates.

These 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. We would like to acknowledge the support and input from professional educators at international schools around the world, such as teachers and administrators at The American School in Japan and The International School of Kuala Lumpur, in collaboratively developing a Continuous Learning program.

As always, online communications are managed in a respectful and safe way. For clarity and safety, we only use Google suite products (school emails and learning platforms) to directly interact with students.

YIS is a close, caring and resilient community. With everyone's continuing support, our Live Learn Lead mission continues wherever we may be.

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Welcome to our Continuous Learning site. Please see the page links at the top for information specific to each section of the school, as well as the Parents page for some helpful resources. When our campus is closed temporarily we will engage students with learning experiences that continue the planned learning program, and help them to stay connected with teachers and classmates.

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MASTER: Iron Chef #EduProtocols: Formative Assessment Tools

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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:

Click here to open the Google Doc

Go to File > Make a copy

Type a name and choose where to save it

Click Ok

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:

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

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!).

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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If I had to do it over again/ what I wish I knew at the beginning (editable)

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Resources compiled from 'Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Learning' FB group

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Resources compiled from 'Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Learning' FB group

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Global Support: By Educators for Educators

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Helping early-years students be video conference ready

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Helping early-years students be video conference ready

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COVID-19 and School Closures

Starting from February 2020, schools across Asia, most notably in China, started announcing extended closures due to the Coronavirus outbreak, and ours was among them. It is now March, and the virus has spread to Europe and the U.S.A., causing more school closures and millions of people to go into quarantine. As we here in Taiwan and other parts of Asia are starting to see the numbers slow down, there is a sense that we are beginning to come out on the other side of this. In other parts of the world, however, it has only just begun.

We were very fortunate, and our school was able to reopen after three weeks of closure, and we have remained open thus far. We are using this time to become even better prepared if we need to close again. Part of this was to train all of our faculty on how to use the key features of Zoom, and also familiarize our students with the platform.

Zoom Training

While students in second grade and above had classes that enabled them to practice signing in and participating in a Zoom call, I wasn't prepared to do the same in Kindergarten and grade one. In the event of a closure, we would expect our students to be in the presence of an adult during any video conference call. For our youngest students, we expect the adult to help navigate the technology. So, what does Zoom training look like for the early years?

Our PreK-1 Counselor Jennifer Fisher and I collaborated on a quick lesson that covered how to ensure we are presenting ourselves in the most respectful way when we are on a video conference call. There were three key things we wanted to discuss:

The Environment: What are the appropriate spaces to be in when getting on a video conference call?

Listening: What does whole body listening look and feel like when on a video conference call?

Speaking: What does active speaking look like when on a video conference call?

Jenn and I outlined what we wanted to cover and summarized it in this anchor chart:

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COVID-19 and School Closures Starting from February 2020, schools across Asia, most notably in China, started announcing extended closures due to the Coronavirus outbreak, and ours was among them. It is now March, and the virus has spread to Europe and the U.S.A., causing more school closures and m

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Distance Learning | Google for Education

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Whether fully virtual, fully in-person or something in between, explore resources to help you customize a plan that's best for your school, and for your students.

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Our incredible community have curated some phenomenal collections in the past few weeks to help prepare educators for potential school closures. Here you'll find everything you need to support your students and colleagues if they are working remotely. A huge thank you to all the educators who have contributed to this collection!

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March Media Mentor Month is BACK! This year seems more relevant than ever as we have so many families involved in distance learning online due to school closures as a result of the #COVID-19 outbreak.

Click here to access via Google Drive, or click here to access via Dropbox.

Click here to access via Dropbox, or click here to access via Google Drive

(The PDF above is also available in Korean via Dropbox here, or Google Drive here)
In my household, we are now onto week 4 of online-only learning. It has been a huge learning curve for our family, highlighting our complete reliance on our devices as learning tools (and entertainment powerhouses!), but also the value of spending time together - both on and offline.

I hope that Media Mentor Month 2020 provides an opportunity to engage in experiences that celebrate positive uses of technology, explore some creative pursuits, and encourage you to take time for important conversations about how we best use our devices. Let us be the media mentors our children need us to be.

For link to the Google Slides file in Korean, click here, or .ppt file in OneDrive here

For further reading on how Media Mentor Month came about, please see the links below:
Media Mentors, Not Media Police - blog post explaining the background to our first MMM, including research findings and book recommendations.
More Digital Parenting Conversation Ideas - myths about screen time and some healthy habits to foster.
Speaking to G12 about Digital Wellness - a video of my talk with WAB senior students earlier this year, highlighting potential positives and negatives of technology for their consideration.
Media Mentor 2019 - The second Media Mentor Month.
Media Mentor 2018 - Our inaugural Media Mentor Month!

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March Media Mentor Month is BACK! This year seems more relevant than ever as we have so many families involved in distance learning online due to school closures as a result of the #COVID-19 outbreak. Click here to access via Google Drive, or click here to access via Dropbox.

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Virtual Learning PL Ideas from Christina Botbyl

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Virtual Learning PL Ideas from Christina Botbyl

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The SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus

The virus that causes Covid-19 is currently spreading around the world. At least six other types of coronavirus are known to infect humans, with some causing the common cold and two causing outbreaks: SARS and MERS.

The coronavirus is named after the crownlike spikes that protrude from its surface. The virus is enveloped in a bubble of oily lipid molecules, which falls apart on contact with soap.

Entering a Vulnerable Cell

The virus enters the body through the nose, mouth or eyes, then attaches to cells in the airway that produce a protein called ACE2. The virus is believed to have originated in bats, where it may have attached to a similar protein.

The virus infects the cell by fusing its oily membrane with the membrane of the cell. Once inside, the coronavirus releases a snippet of genetic material called RNA.

The virus's genome is less than 30,000 genetic "letters" long. (Ours is over 3 billion.) The infected cell reads the RNA and begins making proteins that will keep the immune system at bay and help assemble new copies of the virus.

Antibiotics kill bacteria and do not work against viruses. But researchers are testing antiviral drugs that might disrupt viral proteins and stop the infection.

As the infection progresses, the machinery of the cell begins to churn out new spikes and other proteins that will form more copies of the coronavirus.

New copies of the virus are assembled and carried to the outer edges of the cell.

Spreading the Infection

Each infected cell can release millions of copies of the virus before the cell finally breaks down and dies. The viruses may infect nearby cells, or end up in droplets that escape the lungs.

Most Covid-19 infections cause a fever as the immune system fights to clear the virus. In severe cases, the immune system can overreact and start attacking lung cells. The lungs become obstructed with fluid and dying cells, making it difficult to breathe. A small percentage of infections can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome, and possibly death.

Coughing and sneezing can expel virus-laden droplets onto nearby people and surfaces, where the virus can remain infectious for several hours to several days. The C.D.C. recommends that people diagnosed with Covid-19 wear masks to reduce the release of viruses. Health care workers and others who care for infected people should wear masks, too.

A future vaccine could help the body produce antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevent it from infecting human cells. The flu vaccine works in a similar way, but antibodies generated from a flu vaccine do not protect against coronavirus.

Soap destroys the virus when the water-shunning tails of the soap molecules wedge themselves into the lipid membrane and pry it apart.

The best way to avoid getting infected with the coronavirus is to wash your hands with soap, avoid touching your face, keep your distance from sick people and regularly clean frequently used surfaces.

Sources: Dr. Matthew B. Frieman and Dr. Stuart Weston, Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine; Fields Virology; Fenner and White's Medical Virology; Nature; Science; The Lancet; New England Journal of Medicine; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The virus that causes Covid-19 is currently spreading around the world. At least six other types of coronavirus are known to infect humans, with some causing the common cold and two causing outbreaks: SARS and MERS. The coronavirus is named after the crownlike spikes that protrude from its surface.

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By Katie Rigg, CIS Head of Safeguarding & Student Well-being There's been a recent surge of online learning activity as schools and universities around the world look for solutions to continue their teaching, learning and student support while institutions close due to the outbreak of Covid-19/coronavirus. While this surge will help to protect the well-being of their students, these institutions now face the additional challenge of how to protect students while they learn virtually.
Schools and universities launching virtual learning platforms and online classrooms should review their existing policies and consider implementing specific guidelines.

These might address, for example:

where students and staff or faculty should be located when they join virtual classrooms. For example, you might want to ensure where possible that individuals do not join virtual sessions from their bedroom, and school students are located in a common space in their house within earshot of parents unless they are having a confidential session (see below)

how staff, faculty and students interact with each other online, what are the do's and don'ts around language, sharing of any personal contact details and sharing of material during virtual classrooms

what staff, faculty and students should do if they are worried about someone or something they witness in an online platform? For example:

are students able to report easily to a nominated person at the school or university

do staff and faculty know what to do and who to contact if a student becomes distressed during a session?

for schools, are teachers able to contact parents if they are worried?

for universities, if your protocols do not allow you to contact parents, what other actions can you take?

are staff and faculty able to block a user if that user starts sharing inappropriate material in a virtual break-out session?

do your staff and faculty know how to report any illegal content that might be shared online, both internally within your organization and externally to law enforcement?

are managers or designated staff able to enter virtual classrooms to monitor lessons on an ad hoc basis?

is the school or university storing messages so that it can review material afterwards if necessary, and is this being done in accordance with relevant privacy laws in your country?

if it is necessary to have one-to-one counselling sessions virtually, how is the school or university protecting both the student and the counsellor? The same broad principles that apply to in-person sessions should also apply to virtual sessions, including around letting parents know about sessions in advance (for schools), behaviour and boundaries, recording and reporting. Specific considerations include:

do you have a safety plan in place for each student, which sets out what action counsellors should take if they think that a student is at significant or immediate risk of harm?

can your counsellors report to someone if they feel that a student might be developing a crush on them or if they feel that their behaviour might have been misunderstood?

for schools, can you have a parent be present at the start of the session and be nearby in case the student needs support, whilst still maintaining the confidentiality of the session?

Useful resources

For further information about how to protect staff, faculty and young people involved in one to one sessions, see this NSPCC Lone Working Guidance.

How are you adjusting any online monitoring that you already carry out to take into account new virtual activities? Find out more about monitoring for early intervention.

Our colleague Tim Gerrish (a CIS Affiliated Consultant) and his colleagues at The Child Protection Advisors have drafted a set of guidelines to help navigate these complexities. CIS members can access these guidelines in the CIS Community portals for Schools and Universities.

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Safeguarding implications for online learning

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There's been a recent surge of online learning activity as schools and universities around the world look for solutions to continue their teaching, learning and student support while institutions close due to the outbreak of Covid-19/coronavirus. While this surge will help to protect the well-being of their students, these institutions now face the additional challenge of how to protect students while they learn virtually.

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Online and Blended Learning When You Need It Most

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Online and Blended Learning When You Need It Most

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As schools begin to address possible concerns of undertaking their mission to teach even in the midst of a possible shut-down due to health concerns, Susan Davis, Professional Development Director for ATLIS and an educator who has been comfortable in online or blended learning environments for decades, offers some basic advice drawing upon her experiences. Her message to independent schools: You can do this. [10-minute read]
When the CDC announced Wednesday that schools should be making plans for how to shut-down in a quarantine situation in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) , the buzz in education circles began to address how to keep "school" going, should the need arise.

The good news is that in cases like this, learning can still happen. It just might not look like school anymore. As long as students are healthy and have access to the Internet, they can continue to learn.

Today's students have been comfortable learning on their own using technology for most of their lives. They just haven't called this "school." Even adults have been participating in learning environments, whether they are perusing DIY projects on Pinterest or learning from Youtube how to fix a stopped-up sink. Many have even taken online courses and have some notion of how such a course could operate. Plus, the tools and apps they use every day -- social media, for example, or the cameras on their phones -- can be repurposed for delivering classroom instruction.
Yes, You Can Do This
What can teachers and administrators do to prepare to take the leap into blended or online learning spaces?

Your school's LMS probably has many terrific tools and resources -- from blog pages for posting and collecting assignments to discussion boards for reflection to website tools for sharing resources. Take some time to make sure that all of your educators are prepared to share assignments online and make the most of the tools already available to them in your LMS, along with any apps that integrate with it.

Leverage go-to techie teachers. These are the folks who are already comfortable using online tools to create learning environments. Put them to work sharing their know-how with their peers.

Invite the educators to use this time for exploration and reflection. This critical time is actually an opportunity to try out teaching in a whole new way. Teachers might scrap what they are doing now (or postpone it), if it doesn't adapt easily to digital spaces. They might think about the best ways to use the tools they have to connect with the students they support.

Take a deep dive into inquiry and project-based learning. Let students explore their passions. Give them less "instruction" and more direction. This is a time to invite authenticity and personalized learning into any teacher's practice.

Have teachers partner with other teachers. There is no need to navigate this new world alone. Teachers might find a collaborator from among teaching peers to create cross-curricular inquiries and assignments. They can support and help each other along the way. Does the colleague's subject matter present challenges? This could be the basis of innovation and the start of a beautiful friendship.

Help teachers shift their pedagogy to take a back seat and become the guide on the side they've always wanted to be; this is where they can really let the kids come forward and shine.

Encourage creativity. Rather than try to cram the regular curriculum into an online space, consider new ways for structuring earning. Creativity can energize a faculty's collective work and provide the lift everyone needs to get through a difficult time.

Lessons Learned about Online Teaching and Learning
Over the years, I've learned a few lessons about teaching and learning in online spaces that technology leaders can pass along to their colleagues.

Set up the structures and guide rails, and then take a step back.

Give high-touch feedback to keep things rolling and let students know you are there. Yes, they still need you.

Invite ways for students to connect with each other.

If you are learning how to do this as you go, use this as a time to model being a learner.

Years ago, when I was in my first year of teaching high school, I found myself stuck at home for a week during a snow emergency just after launching a unit teaching my first Shakespeare play. The week gave me time to reflect, and I dumped everything I had plannned for a more student-centered course design. My teaching was never the same after that, and I am so thankful.
Coronavirus Resources
In the brief period since this post was drafted, Ally Wenzel of the Stevenson School, CA, shared these resources about COVID-19 with ATLIS.

University of Washington, HGIS Map. Novel Coronavirus Interactive Map.

World Health Organization, " Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak ." Many advise checking this site daily for updates.

In addition, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) called a special plenary session. Their website lists these resources regarding the possible impact of the virus on independent schools. A video of this session is expected soon.

National Association of Independent Schools. "Understanding Coronavirus: What Schools Need to Know."
Blended Learning Resources
Here are a few resources on blended learning to get you started.

Mark Lieberman, " What Online Teachers Have Learned about Teaching Online ," Inside Higher Ed , 11 April 2018.

Bernard J. Luskin, " 12 Best Practices in Online Teaching and Learning. " Psychology Today . 2 March 2019. Though this article addresses online learning for higher ed, many of the best practices named still apply.

Kim McConnell, " 11 Kindergarten Study Tips for Online Learning Coaches ," Connections Academy, 12 March 2014. Keep in mind that our younger students may have different needs.

Adam Shaw, " Scaffolding Learning in the Online Classroom ," Center for Teaching and Learning, 5 September 2019.

Wabisabi Learning. " 25 Great Online Education Tools Modern Teachers Love Using ." Start with the tools you know, and then find the ones you need.

Not an ATLIS member?

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You Can Do It: Online and Blended Learning When You Need It Most

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As schools begin to address possible concerns of undertaking their mission to teach even in the midst of a possible shut-down due to health concerns, Susan Davis, Professional Development Director for ATLIS and an educator who has been comfortable in online or blended learning environments for decades, offers some basic advice drawing upon her experiences.

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Written by an expat who lived in Singapore during SARS

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Written by an expat who lived in Singapore during SARS

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“Identify what can be controlled and implement measures to control them. Identify things that can’t be controlled and let those things go.”

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By Suzanne M. Anderson, DPST
Singapore has been my home for 20 years. It has been 17 years since I lived through SARS with three kids under 6 years of age. My strongest memory was grabbing the newspaper each morning and taking in the numbers found in the center column of the front page. Were they going up or down? Had we hit the low point (the worst it will get) or was that still to come? I was trying to answer an essential question, "Are we safe? Are we not safe?" And then to decide what my children and I could safely do that day.

This time my "go to" for monitoring the numbers are Singapore's MOH reports and the WHO Situation Reports. Asking the same essential question, "Safe? Unsafe?"

Carrying the news of an increase in alert levels and news stories of emptying grocery store shelves into the darkness of night can make us worry what the world will be like when we wake in eight short hours.

And yet when we wake, checking the numbers is not our only way of centering ourselves. We can also look outside and see that the sun has once again risen to a day of sunshine, birds chirping, and connections with loved ones and neighbors.

It is a rollercoaster of emotion to manage from sun-up to sun-down, regulating ourselves, even when we see the dysregulation of others.

A friend of mine, a measured, thoughtful, and non-reactive friend shared with me the story of heading to Cold Storage to pick up some fruit for breakfast the next day and seeing the number of people, the lines at the cashiers, the emptying shelves and later reflected, "I am normally calm, but seeing people going crazy, made me react." Strong, a sociologist says, "...the subjective experience of the first social impact of such epidemics has a compelling, highly dramatic quality (Rosenburg 1989 in Strong 1990, 249)."

What is your first memory of the Coronavirus? When did it first become a real concern or threat? That is where your story begins. It will be different for each of us, and yet there will be some commonalities. How we think and what we do matters. It matters to your own well-being and it matters to the well-being of each person who looks at you - who reads your face and interacts with you throughout your day.

I knew I needed to "make patterns out of the chaos of events" so that my actions wouldn't be bouncing on inevitable waves of disaster chaos, contributing to it. Ideally, I would engage with measured, thoughtful understanding of the larger narrative. More simply put, I didn't want to feed on fear or put out fear for others to feed on.

As a mental health provider watching the Coronavirus unfold, I began looking for words to codify and communicate internal and social experiences into thought and language. And as I always do, I started to read.

A Google search elicits only six to a dozen articles. Some of the articles were quite dated. My "go-to" trauma resource pages focus much more attention on coping with bush fires, mass shootings, but not coping with an epidemic. The trauma literature is skewed to the Western world, even as the numbers of those affected by disease in the Eastern world surpasses many of the apparently higher priority crises. I was surprised that I was surprised. It is a dilemma known to survivors of and responders to crises-the confusing inequalities of the world's attention.

The search surfaced an insightful discussion of "epidemic psychology" (Strong, 1990, 251). Philip Strong coined the term as he sought to identify a model for understanding people and societies reactions in the wake of the AIDS/HIV crisis. He described epidemic psychology as consisting of parallel epidemics. Not only is the epidemic biological. There is also the potential for a psychological epidemic of fear. In the process of Strong's proposed model after fear comes explanation and moralization and then the implementation of solutions or proposed solutions to the disease itself or the social and individual impact. These are concepts that affect both individuals and communities.

The following discussion looks at the epidemic psychology of Coronavirus and the role of the media. The article finishes with some recommendations for coping or finding a middle path through the almost predictable over-sized fears that can result in the midst of a disease outbreak.

Fear, suspicion, panic & irrationality
When we are rattled by the question, "Am I safe?" describing the feeling as fear does not quite encapsulate it. For many, when the danger is invisible or incalculable - when one cannot see the enemy or the threat, but only the results - the fear may become more intense: an uncomfortable feeling of terror or dread. The feeling of having the "veil of immortality" (NOVA, 2009) torn away when thoughts, "Could I die?, Will I die? Will others I know and care about die?" come. Humans have a natural tendency to catastrophize, an evolutionary survival orientation-a primal skill of survival designed to help us survive the worst. It is natural for us to start to view, every cough, sneeze, breath, communally-touched item (railings, doorknobs, elevator buttons), with fear, terror, and dread.

Suspicion and its underlying belief that that danger could be nearby, but can't readily be verified, informs our behavior. We may suspect other people may have the disease. We may suspect medical practitioners are not doing enough to effectively respond to the medical threat. We may suspect governments are not releasing true and accurate information. We may suspect the media is releasing inaccurate or sensational fearing-inducing stories. We may suspect neighbors are stocking up on or getting the needed medical or daily living supplies and that there will not be enough left for ourselves when we need it. In a kiasu/kiasi (translated scared to lose, scared to die) culture that is scared to lose out it seems this fear of others getting what we might need could be amplified in this crisis.

For some, fear and suspicion can rise to the level of irrationality. In some cases individuals can believe they have the disease or illness when there are no facts to support it. This irrationality may be fueled in some parts of the world by the worldview that accepts magic and the unexplainable to be as legitimate as the empirical.

Explanation: stigma & moral judgment
On our way to action, we try to find an explanation or manufacture a rationalization. Unfortunately, our natural efforts at trying to understand what is happening and keep ourselves safe can at times lead society to respond with "avoidance, segregation and abuse" (Strong, 1990, 253). This can be in found in the form of shunning the doctors and nurses who treat the virus patients. It can be found sadly in explanations made by some that the virus is God's judgment. It can be found in judgments of others ways of living.

The more quickly we can move through this phase, the more quickly we can get to a phase of interacting with the problem in a meaningful way and the less likely we are to harm relationships within our communities.

Action & solutions
Strong (1990, 254) describes the intellectual confusion at the start of a disease in which "People may be unable to decide whether a new disease or a new outbreak is trivial or whether it is really something enormously important." There comes a time when someone becomes convinced in the proportions of a religious conversion of the danger of the disease and sets about to warn and educate people (Strong, 1990). In the present response to the Coronavirus I think many would be the Dr. Le Wenliang, who was among the first to warn about the virus outbreak and was subsequently silenced.

As the first responder "converts" learn and begin to educate, others begin their own journeys. They experience shock, denial, disbelief. And for a health disaster that spreads like Coronavirus, it seems natural to take longer for reality to settle in and propel one from the state of confusion to the full action of warning and educating others.

Like SARS and MERS before it, Coronavirus is yet another reminder that the actions and solutions of prior epidemics have affected, perhaps unrealistically, our expectations of current epidemics. When my grandmother was growing up in the 1920's she lost two of her siblings before they were five years old. Her parents had two children die before they did. It was not uncommon at that time. The invention of antibiotics and childhood immunizations have lulled us into forgetting that life is often messy. Engineering, science, and medicine truly accomplished amazing things, but they cannot control all of nature. What was a common occurrence during the years that my grandmother was growing up has now been deemed unnatural. I am not suggesting that we want to go back to that time. I am suggesting that we need to acknowledge the frailty of life while we aim live life more fully and meaningfully, with hope for our future in all its messiness, supporting our scientists as they work to fight these diseases, as we take positive steps for our own mental health.

Effect of disease on social systems
Our daily lives are ordered by innumerable behaviours and actions that happen on auto-pilot (Strong, 1990, 258). Many of these auto-pilot behaviours are related to social interactions and hygiene. In Singapore these are made visible with the initiatives such as the National Courtesy Campaign and are closely related to generating a belief in the good will or positive intentions of friends and neighbors to live in harmony. When disease arrives, the essential positive assumptions are replaced with the parallel epidemic of fear and suspicion. From a sociological perspective, we humans then have the capacity to share those fears and suspicions through language to others. This phenomenon is heightened in the era of globalization; social media makes it easier and faster, and harder to contain. It is interesting to note that Facebook and other media platforms were not a part of the response to SARS.

Medical and mental health professionals have long known the foundational positive impact of social support in difficult times. It presents a unique challenge in the case of disease, where the very person who needs your connection and support may also be the person that is the carrier of the looming catastrophe.

Impact of media on mental health
Yotam Ophir from the University of Buffalo has studied the content of news information during the outbreaks of infectious disease. He concluded that the media does not generally provide the kinds of information that is most helpful. He identified three types of information found in the reporting of disease: scientific information, social stories, and pandemic themes-issues related to preventing the spread. Often the news is focused on the human-interest stories-and often the extreme behaviours (Lu, 2015), but is lacking in the information needed for the public to make fact informed decisions. Ophir finds that during the course of an outbreak such as Coronavirus, the public needs simple and clear information about the risks and healthy ways to cope. On average, however, in his study, only one in five articles included coping information. Unfortunately, information about diseases without coping information can result in an increase emotional distress and a feeling of not being able to take steps to protect oneself (Ophir, 2015).

Suggestions for coping & finding a middle path
A clearer understanding of how we as individuals and societies are affected by a disease crisis can lead us to a better understanding of how to take care of ourselves, and prevent a biological epidemic from becoming a mental health epidemic. The following, though not exhaustive, provide some ideas for effectively coping.

Recognize that the tasks of daily living take more energy when it takes place against the backdrop of an epidemic. Figure out what you can let go or postpone some things and spend more time in self-care.

Identify what can be controlled and implement measures to control them. Identify things that can't be controlled and let those things go.

Recognize when our thinking is leaning towards a natural tendency to catastrophize and find a measured response the acknowledges the facts. For example, "It is possible I could get the virus, but it is not probable."

Assert control where it will be useful such as routinizing new social patterns of washing hands, keeping hands from touching our faces and keeping a measured distance from others.

Engage in activities that develop our equanimity (calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation (Oxford)), such as yoga, mindfulness, and meditation.

Turn off screens for several hours a day to engage in exercise, reading or other pleasurable hobbies.

Increase your connection with loved ones by spending time together and expressing affection.

Find support with a mentor, wise friend, medical or mental health practitioner if you find that concerns about the virus are interfering with your ability to engage in the responsibilities of daily life.

Look for opportunities to engage in "random acts of kindness" that will increase our own positive feelings as well as strengthen the social fabric that binds us together as community in Singapore.

Be clear about the type of media reports you are consuming. Media reports without clear messages about how to protect yourself will increase anxiety.

Listen to information provided by friends and family and share information with others discerningly. Is it fact? What is the source? Is it helpful or anxiety provoking?
A special thank you to long-time friend Pam Schuur who graciously edited this piece and helped the content and flow come together. References
When spending time getting informed about the Coronavirus be sure to spend more time on official sites that provide reliable information about risk and guidance on coping. Singapore's MOH site or the Gov.sg WhatsApp Subscription are a reliable ones.

Dingwall, R. (2020, January 29). We should deescalate the war on the Coronavirus. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-we-should-deescalate-the-war-on-the-coronavirus/

Lu, S. (2015). An epidemic of fear: Psychologists' research is guiding governments and health leaders in their efforts to communicate with the public during disease outbreaks. Monitor on Psychology, 46(3), 46. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/03/fear

Ophir, Y. (2018, August 15). How media coverage of epidemics helps raise anxiety and reduce trust. Retreived from https://www.niemanlab.org/2018/08/how-media-coverage-of-epidemics-helps-raise-anxiety-and-reduce-trust/

Strong, P. (1990). Epidemic psychology: A model. Sociology of Health & Illness, 12(3), 249-259.

Young, M. (2009). The community crisis response team training manual: 4th edition. Washington, DC: National Organization for Victim Assistance.

Photos: Bernard Spragg (Tree lined avenue ). Flickr Public Domain Dedication (CC0).

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Understanding the Mental Health & Social Impact of the Coronavirus: Finding the Middle Path

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