Lessons from the Field: Remote Learning Guidance

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This information was formerly titled Appendix 2: Lessons from the Field: Remote Learning Guidance on March 17, 2020.

Getting Started: Distance Learning First Steps

This section includes initial considerations for educators developing distance learning procedures and environments. It includes accessible platforms and systems, support for creating and adapting lessons and units, as well as advice specifically related to moving to online instruction as a result of the coronavirus.

Online Engagement Systems and Platforms

A curated list of resources that will support educators and students transition to digital spaces to communicate with students, develop content, and manage student progress

• Apple Learning from Home allows users to discover apps, curriculum, resources, and support to help build learning experiences
• Google Distance Learning Options features a blog post with advice on keeping students engaged in distance learning using Google Classroom tools such as Google Docs, Google Forms
• Using Google Classroom for Continuation of Learning is an online course to help teachers understand what online learning and collaboration should look like and to see how using Google Classroom can help provide the structure to build it. When you have completed this course, you will have a Classroom ready to continue your students’ learning even if the school building is closed. This course is offered from March 6, 2020 to July 31, 2020.
• Microsoft Teams - Office 365 A1 is free for school districts, this includes Office, Teams and many other features including Learning Tools for students with disabilities.
  • Microsoft solutions for Educators who are engaging in remote learning
  • Microsoft solutions for students with disabilities
• Free Zoom Licenses for K12 Distance Learning (by request)
  Advanced capabilities with free access to audio and video conferencing tools: Unlimited number of video meetings with up to 100 participants; Breakout rooms; Collaboration tools with other teachers. Sites can register for free Zoom licenses.
  Use below link to register your domain for free Zoom licenses .
  
• Free Microsoft and Google Video Conferencing Options
  Google and Microsoft have announced that they will grant access to their more robust teleconferencing and collaboration tools that are typically only available to enterprise customers to make it easier for people to work from home. Both companies are only offering free access for a limited time.
• Free Access to Google Hangouts Meet
  Free access through July 1 to advanced Hangouts Meet video-conferencing capabilities to all G-Suite & G-Suite for Education customers; Larger meetings - up to 250 participants per call; Live streaming up to 100,000 viewers; Record meetings and save to Google Drive
• Free Webex Personal Account (Unlimited Usage, 100 Participants)
  Free Webex access to additional features: Unlimited usage (no time restrictions); Supports up to 100 participants; Offers toll dial-in (in addition to existing VoIP) capabilities
• Free LogMeIn Remote Work Kits
  Free Emergency Remote Work Kits for 3 months: Solutions for meetings and video conferencing; Webinars and virtual events; IT support & management of remote devices and apps
• Moodle Free Open-Source Learning Management System enables you to create a private learning space online full of engaging activities and material. You will always have full control of all your data and the way your staff, students and clients are on-boarded into the system.
• California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) is partnering with service providers to offer affordable internet access .

Online Learning Resources and Tools

A list of open source resources to support remote teaching and learning.

• OER: Searchable Online Educational Resources (all subjects): A searchable public digital library of free teaching and learning materials.
• Comprehensive List of Free Online Teaching Resources
  
• NCSSFL Covid-19 Resource Bank is a repository of guidance and resources for K-12 educators, districts, and LEAs in an accessible Google Doc.
• Digital Promise’s Covid-19 Online Learning Resources and FAQ
• Edutopia: Google for Educators (article) These tools from Google for Educators, whether old and familiar or new and improved, will keep teachers and students inspired, inventive, and organized.
• PBS/KQED Resources for Teachers - Use these trusted resources to continue to provide meaningful learning experiences for students during school closures.
• Additional Online ELA and Math Resources (some may not be free)
  (curated by Jason Borgen, Santa Cruz County Office of Education)
  
• Santa Clara COE Digital Badges for Seesaw and Google Classroom (free)
  Digital Learning with Seesaw provides modules for learning what online learning and collaborations should look like and how to use Seesaw to provide these learning structures. Users must create an account to access the modules. While there is a core “Seesaw Free” service at no cost, some features require payment. Before creating an account to access the modules, educators should consider reading a review of the app by Common Sense Education
• Khan Academy offers a variety of content area courses for different grades.
• Code.org offers a variety of no cost coding activities and courses for grades K-12.
• PBS Learning Media in conjunction with KVIE, has curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more just for California teachers.
• National Public Radio’s guide for Teaching Podcasting provides step-by-step guidance to engage students in creating their own podcasts.
• National Geographic for Kids A kid version of National Geographic online, with free games, videos, and educational resources for kids of all ages.
• Discovery Education Standards -aligned, digital curriculum resources and easy-to-use technology, including award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, and the largest professional development community of its kind.
• Ted Under 20 offers TED talks from scientists, musicians, innovators, and activists who are all under the age of 20.
• Shmoop provides resources for teachers and students in all subject areas. Resources include summaries, discussion guides, quizzes, and test prep, among other resources.
• Common Sense Media: Search for EdTech Tools and Apps (all subjects) Common Sense Media supports educators in teaching students how to thrive in the digital age with free, research-backed lesson plans. The website features resources in Spanish.
• WebQuest.org has a searchable collection of WebQuests that provided guidance for students as they research selected topics and questions online. Teachers can also create their own WebQuests using the site.

County and District Office Contributions

Appendix 2: Lessons from the Field: Remote Learning Guidance

Contents:

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Pedagogy and Practices
• Accessibility
• Content
• Tools and Resources
• Infrastructure and Devices

Acknowledgments

All educators share the primary goal of high-quality continuity of education for each student. The purpose of this document is to support teachers and administrators as they work toward moving their teaching and learning online. Many individuals from several county offices of education and school districts in California contributed to this document. The lead authors are from the Riverside County Office of Education, Dennis Large, Ed.D., Eric Calderon, Heidi Baynes, Steve Hickman, Ed.D., Mike Leffin.

Introduction

It is important to understand that taking teaching and learning online involves more than just uploading files and video links to a learning management system (LMS ). Teaching remotely requires a different approach. It is a skill to be learned. Educators who have taught online know that there are some specific pedagogies and practices that help make online learning effective. This document attempts to support the move to remote learning by examining five major categories of online teaching and learning: a) Pedagogy and Practices, b) Accessibility, c) Content, d) Tools and Resources, and e) Infrastructure and Devices. The Pedagogy and Practices section covers several considerations for effective online teaching and learning. Specific strategies are noted with links to further information and resources. This is the best starting place for any teacher who is planning to teach online for the first time. The Accessibility section addresses the accessibility needs of English learners, students with disabilities, and other students who need support in accessing content when learning remotely. The Content section shares some free- and low-cost courses and materials available to teachers. Some of these are stand-alone courses and others are designed to supplement the online teaching. This section is divided into two subsections: a) content for students, and b) content for educators. The Tools and Resources section provides examples of the many sites and apps that support remote learning. These tools are not content-specific, rather, they offer affordances that can make learning online more engaging and effective. The Infrastructure and Devices section examines the technology needed for a successful transition to remote learning. The section also emphasizes the importance of having the educational services staff working closely with the information technology services staff in order to realize the goal of high-quality continuity of education for each student. Finally, Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.” We should not forget to look at the opportunity in front of us. We know that after our students graduate from high school, they will live in a world that will frequently require them to learn and work online. As we explore options for teaching and learning online, we are also providing opportunities for our students to learn vital skills such as self-regulation, time management, and organization. For many of our students, this will be their first experience having to manage their own learning in such a way. Part of a quality online program during this time is supporting students in developing the skills and habits necessary in order to be successful in the global digital society they will enter as adults.

Pedagogy and Practices

While remote learning offers many positives (time-shifting, pace-shifting, personalization, etc.), student engagement can easily be compromised by the lack of face-to-face interaction. It is important to note that the affordances of technology and of online learning overlap in many ways with the needs of English learners and students with disabilities. Fortunately, there are several strategies that can help teachers keep all students engaged while learning remotely.

• Be present as the instructor
  • Instructor presence is a critical factor in the success of online learning.
    • A weekly video posted by the teacher allows students to connect with the teacher’s image and voice. The video can be short, 3 minutes or less. In that amount of time, the teacher can review highlights of the previous week, and do a quick introduction of what is coming in the current week. Simple videos can be recorded by using any number of screen-casting apps such as Screencastify .
    • Instructors should also be present by engaging students through asking questions and responding to questions. There are many online tools that can help teachers such as discussion boards, replying to questions, and asking probing questions of the whole class, groups, and individual students.
    • Use frequent formative assessments. While present with students, it can be much easier to determine which students may be struggling with new learning. When teaching online, use free and “freemium” tools such as Google Forms , Microsoft Forms , Poll Everywhere , Mentimeter and your learning management system to gauge student learning and plan instructional moves and personalization that helps to keep all students on track. Here is a list of more formative assessment tools .
• Work as a group
  • Setting up an effective online learning environment can be overwhelming. It can also be isolating. Teachers should remember that they can work together to create engaging lessons and activities for students. Sharing with colleagues will reduce stress and the workload. When working with colleagues, remember you can share classes and resources through your LMS or Google Classroom . This could enable teachers to assign activities in one class from other shared classes.
• Focus on active learning
  • Over the last decade, K-12 education has been slowly moving away from the lecture model. All of the reasons that make movement toward active learning in the face-to-face classroom a good idea also apply to the virtual classroom. To engage students who are not in the room during a lesson, teachers should consider creating a mix of:
    • Robust discussions
    • Collaborative work
    • Video and audio clips
    • Hands-on exercises
    • Individual work time
• Chunk content into smaller pieces
  • Learning online can be more taxing physically and intellectually than learning in a face-to-face environment.
    Teachers should avoid frequently assigning long text passages or even long videos.
    • 4 Tips for Content Chunking
    • Content Chunking for Engagement
    • Content Chunking for Instructional Design
• Hold “Office Hours”
  • Consider setting specific times during the day that you would be available via a web-conferencing tool. Students could check in if they have questions about assignments - or if they just need to see and hear their teacher. Here are a few free or low-cost tools:
    • Zoom
    • Google Meet
    • Microsoft Teams
• Create smaller groups
  • Students who are learning virtually still need to make connections with others. When teachers create some of their assignments as group work, students are able to experience the continuity of their relationships. It can be more meaningful to assign students to smaller groups to review and comment upon each others’ work. Smaller groups are also more effective at ensuring that all students participate equitably.
• Be careful with your time
  • As mentioned previously, teaching online can be very time-consuming for teachers. In a face-to-face classroom, when a question is asked by the instructor, one or two students might answer. When a teacher uses a discussion board online, the expectation is that all students will respond. At that point, a teacher can get lost in trying to respond to each student's response. A better strategy is to respond directly to some of the student responses. Some online teachers keep a tally to make sure that they respond to each student at least weekly, but not for every discussion assignment. Grade levels and specific needs of students will help drive how frequently to respond to each student.
• Give multimedia options for assignments
  • While it can be expedient for teachers to grade quizzes and short papers, many students will be more highly engaged by assignments that allow them to create. Engagement and learning can be enhanced when students are encouraged to create content through the use of slides, videos, podcasts, blogs, data visualizations , websites, infographics , etc.
  • Here are some tools that students can use to create:
    • Best Tech Creation Tools from Common Sense Education
• Stay flexible with pacing
  • In the face-to-face classroom it is relatively easy to keep students working at the same pace. The teacher can assign a task and collect the work at the end of the period. Individual learning styles, particularly when it comes to pace, will be evident in the remote learning environment. Consider these strategies:
    • Have all work for the week posted by the start of the week and due at the end of the week (or even over the weekend).
    • Try working with “windows of time” instead of specific due dates for some assignments.
    • Be prepared to differentiate due dates for students who struggle with the rigor or style of remote learning.
• Other tips:
  • Preparing to take school online
  • Teaching remotely
  • Effective remote teaching with Microsoft
  • Effective teaching online
  • Enabling distance learning through GSuite

Accessibility

It is critical to ensure the accessibility of resources for all students. In particular, when considering students with individualized education programs (IEPs) or 504 plans, first consult with your district office regarding federal, state, and local guidelines for these students as related to needs for remote learning.
Below are some general strategies for helping to ensure equity and accessibility for all students. It is important to note that this does not constitute legal advice. This section is designed to share some best practices regarding accessibility of content when designing remote learning environments.
Take advantage of the accessibility features built into most LMS systems:
Use heading styles which will allow screen reader software to navigate from section to section.
Use font, size, and text formatting to distinguish between items or to navigate. Ensure no information is conveyed solely by color or sound.
Use Alt-Text to allow users with screen readers or with slow connection to identify your images, graphs and charts.
Enable tool tips so that descriptions appear when users hover over images, graphs, and charts.
Provide transcripts of video or audio announcements made by teachers. If you read from a script, your script should be posted as the transcript.
If linking to external videos, make sure the videos have closed captioning available.
Use descriptive titles, headers and subtitles to provide added context.
Use meaningful text in links to make it easier for users to predict where navigation will take them. For example, avoid “click here” or “read more.”
Provide a balance of text, image, video and audio. Instruction and resources provided in more than one format provides broader support for the greatest number of users.
Teachers should verify that the external resources they link to have the accessibility features.

Content

Students: This section lists resources for delivering content to students. Best practice would be to start by leveraging some of the resources that you already use in your face-to-face instruction. Additionally, you should check with your district to see what is already available to you and supported by your district’s IT department.
*Disclaimer: Some apps collect a certain amount of user data. It is imperative that you check with your IT department before using apps that require student accounts. Find out more by visiting the website for the CA Student Data Privacy Alliance .

Educators: This section lists resources for online professional learning. As with the section above, best practice would be to check with your district to see what is already available to you and supported by your district’s IT department.

Online Teaching and Learning

Publisher Textbook Resources

Most of these resources require district adoption of the content area textbook. Check with your librarian for more information on accessing these textbook resources.

Tools and Resources

The table below lists online resources that can help teachers supplement lessons and activities, construct engaging tasks, and follow some best practices for remote learning. Best practice would be to start by leveraging some of the resources that you already use in your face-to-face instruction. Additionally, you should check with your district to see what is already available to you and supported by your district’s IT department.

*Disclaimer: Some apps collect a certain amount of user data. It is imperative that you check with your IT department before using apps that require student accounts. Find out more by visiting the website for the CA Student Data Privacy Alliance .

Infrastructure and Devices

Considerations for Students:

• Content filter on device to meet CIPA (Child Internet Protection Act)
• Adequate network connectivity at home or designated location
  • WiFii at home
    • Spectrum free internet Call 1-844-488-8398
  • Kajeet
  • School2Home affordable Internet
• Ensure that provided device is able to accomplish desired outcomes
  • Chromebooks
  • iPad
  • Tablets
  • Windows/Mac
• If technical issues arise, LEA should have resources to assist.
• Consideration for students with IEP.
• Consideration for language learners.
• Consideration for Williams Act and equitable access to students.

Considerations for Educators:

• Adequate network connectivity at home or designated location.
• Access to curriculum or district distance learning platforms offsite.
• Support on the use of technology and platform offsite
  • LEA should also consider how to support educators and staff.

Considerations for Parents:

• Parents’ guide to Google Classroom