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In This Issue...
- Reflections from Mary Plant-Thomas, AP Bio Teacher
- Avoiding the Dreaded Zoom Trolls
- LINK: Resources from the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities
- VIDEO: How to Teach Remotely with a Google Slides HyperDocs Part II
- Resource: Distance Learning Check-In Guide
- ~Dance Break~
“How We'll Bridge the Gap"
Reflections from Mary Plant-Thomas, Gateway AP Bio teacher
In some ways, the first few days of distance learning were easier as a biology teacher, because this situation lends itself to so much relevant biology teaching. We took advantage of the super engaging videos being produced about the virus and the opportunities for students to see biology in action and help make sense of what’s going on in the world. And, what better opportunity to flood students with the coolest YouTube science channels out there?!
After a few weeks, however, the virus that has shut the world down gets pretty old, and even our favorite "cool science" videos are no longer that exciting. I realized that this is the point in my planning where we would be long overdue for a lab. Obviously that’s not an option, so what do we do?
I’m taking the opportunity to push myself and explore options I would have dismissed during the regular year – virtual labs, posting videos of myself doing lab demos on YouTube, designing safe labs students can try with common household items. All of this is possible because the teacher community, which has always been great about sharing resources, has really kicked into overdrive. At my school and in my teacher Facebook groups, you just see this explosion of materials and a willingness to try new things: it doesn’t matter if this is your first year teaching or you’re a teaching veteran who’s had their materials curated for decades – we’re all in new territory together.
I’m trying to hold onto the idea of “less is more,” and leaning into community collaboration with colleagues and students, even if it has to be asynchronous. It would be easy in a way to let those connections take a backseat and focus on loading up Google Classroom with as much content as possible, but the connections and relationships are what keep teachers teaching and students learning. These connections are how we’ll bridge the gap with our students to get to the other side of this.
RESOURCE: Zoom Best Practices
As Zoom has quickly become the video chat client of choice for schools and businesses around the world, it has also become the canvas of choice for internet trolls to express themselves. These sophisticated folks have even garnered a few headlines for gatecrashing Zoom meetings and spamming them with distracting or inappropriate photos, or otherwise making a scene and derailing the class or meeting. But never fear! Following a few simple best practices will allow you and your students to take full advantage of Zoom’s features while preventing you from being Rick Rolled.
At Gateway, some of the precautions we take each time we hold a Zoom meeting for students include:
Always Use Waiting Rooms: Faculty and staff use the default Waiting Room setting. This allows the host – teachers – to control when a participant joins the meeting. This is the best way to control who is entering Zoom meetings by giving teachers the option to admit participants individually. This allows teachers to ensure only students are entering the Zoom meeting room and prevents outside, unwanted participants. Learn more about the Waiting Room feature here.
No Video and Mute Upon Entry: Meetings should be set up with the default setting of no video/mute for all participants. Teachers will turn students' microphones and video on once participants have been approved to join the meeting. This helps to indicate the start of office hours/classroom time.
Restrict Screen Sharing: Screen sharing should be done only by teachers and staff. Giving up control of the screen can expose students to unwanted content. Before starting a meeting, teachers and staff should change their screen sharing settings to “host only” using the meeting set-up controls or at the bottom of the Zoom screen once the meeting has started. Step-by-step instructions available here.
Read a complete list of our recommended best practices here. Have Zoom tips or tricks to share? Let us know and we’ll feature your advice in a future issue.
LINK: Resources from the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities
If the move to distance learning is new territory, moving special education to a distance learning format may as well be a new planet. According to federal regulations, schools have greater flexibility in meeting IEP objectives during the pandemic and should work to the best of their ability to provide what services they can – even if they are digital – recognizing these services may not be the same as what a student receives in school. While all educators are recalibrating goals in light of what can be reasonably achieved before the end of the school year, special care must be taken to minimize the impact of school closures on students with IEPs, who generally lean heavily on the structure of the school day to thrive.
Fortunately, the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities host a robust resources page outlining their recommendations for parents, educators and government officials.
Moreover, their center is ramping up given up the need to help schools respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and they invite educators to reach out directly for assistance.
How is your school thinking about special education in these unprecedented times? Let us know to be featured in a future issue!
VIDEO: How to Teach Remotely with a Google Slides HyperDocs - PART II
Last week we featured this video from our EdTech expert Sam Kary about the basics of setting up and using hyperdocs for distance learning. This week details more advanced features teachers can use to build projects that will interest students and allow them to showcase creativity, using additional apps like Coggle and Bool Creator. Check it out!
Resource: Distance Learning Check-In Guide
When the rhythm of a school day on campus doesn’t afford you opportunities to check in informally with students, it takes a little planning to make sure all of our kiddos are getting what they need. Leaders and mental health staff at Gateway High developed this Distance Learning Check-In cheat sheet, designed to make it easy for teaching teams to divide and conquer with a list of students in need of phone outreach.
The guide includes scripts for how to make these conversations productive over a brief period of time, suggestions for helping students navigate common stumbling blocks, how to spot if a student needs referral to an actual counselor, and an email template for parents who may need help keeping an eye on student performance. The Word Doc version is completely customizable, allowing you to fill in details that are particular to your school.
Reminding students that someone has their back and is looking out for them can do a world of good, especially in the midst of uncertainty. How are you keeping in touch with students while sheltering in place? Let us know!
The bright side of extended shelter in place: the next dance party you go to will be the best dance party you have ever attended in your LIFE. Better learn to dance now! Fortunately, SF-based studio Rhythm & Motion has put an impressive number of their dance classes online, from 15-minute warm ups to one-hour plus sessions, all for free during the City’s shelter in place (though if you feel inclined and can do so, a donation by way of thanks will help them keep the lights on). Stay grooving while sheltering in place and enjoy amazing your friends with your new moves when you re-emerge from isolation as a fully-fledged dancing machine.
What Do You Need?
Gateway Impact’s mission is to serve as a free resource and partner to educators across the nation – and that means you! Email us with a distance learning challenge you’d like help troubleshooting and a Gateway educator will address your question in a future issue.
Alternatively, is something going well? Find a great resource to share? Let us know and we’ll highlight your bright spot.
That's it for this week! Next time, we'll take a closer look special ed resources for distance learning, keeping yourself and your students flexible in challenging times, and more!
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