Distance Learning Best Practices
By Dr. Amy Bryant
Most school districts across the country are considering how teachers will teach and what they will use when schools open in the fall. Guidance is available from university experts such as those at Johns Hopkins University who wrote The Report in regards to key components to a quality Instructional Framework for the 20-21 school year that addresses the problems of practice associated with the COVID-19 crisis. Since CA adopted Common Core State Standards in 2010, districts have worked to provide teachers and students with quality curriculum to use to teach the standards to students. Quality curriculum and assessments are important to consider in the planning.
As leaders prepare their school communities for the challenge of restarting face-to-face as well as hybrid models, a coherent pathway for learning recovery and acceleration needs to include greater reliance on high-quality materials and instruction, and completing the circle with curriculum based assessments. (Chiefs for Change and Johns Hopkins Graduate School of Education, The Return, 2020)
In a recent conversation with a teacher leader from a Northern California district, we spoke about the real problem of how to use current curriculum and assessments in a distance learning model in order to provide a learning opportunity for students and not just an assignment they complete using technology. Our conversation came down to beginning with distance learning pedagogy first and then using that planning to adapt the district adopted curriculum and assessments to ensure student learning. Quality pedagogical practices for the distance learning environment include the following from Mary Burns article (2020) in Edutopia, who states, “Above all, teachers will need guidance and strategies for establishing a sense of emotional, cognitive, and instructional presence so students feel connected and part of an online community of learners.” Key practices include:
Direct instruction: Teaching concepts, skills, and procedures via demonstrations, lectures, screencasts, videos, or online presentations. What a great opportunity for a 10-15 minute focused lesson!
Cognitive models of learning: Rigor is vital for all students, especially when there are those who will need acceleration to make up gaps. inductive reasoning, open-ended questioning, experiments, metacognitive strategies, and problem-solving can be included in reflective discussions so students can consolidate their thinking into learning. Writing a short constructed response that requires deep thinking prepares students for the 21st century and for Smarter Balanced testing in 2021.
Social models of learning: Burns suggests collaborative instructional methods to use in online learning—jigsaw approaches, reciprocal teaching, discussions, debates, and peer tutoring. For teachers who are nervous to do these with students, why not co-teach a synchronous lesson with students with a trusted teacher colleague to use as a demonstration partner for discussions, as well as another adult to assist with the technology.
Assessment is also a concern, especially when thinking about returning to school in the fall when traditionally, teachers provide diagnostic tests with every student. Many districts have invested in adaptive technologies to measure student reading and math levels down to the skill level. But, what if the district doesn’t have the funds for such an investment? In a recent conversation with an educator in Los Angeles, we talked about utilizing free software to create assessments for students to take that include the key areas that need to be assessed on Google Forms, for example. To measure a student’s reading level, teachers can work 1:1 with a student over Zoom and share their screen to show a reading passage. While the student reads, the teacher or student can record the reading with Screencast, or the teacher can do a running record in real time. Another option is to bring students into school using an appointment system or a staggered schedule to assess face to face using social distancing safety procedures. Since each district is different, it is vital to work collaboratively with a trusted partner to brainstorm a list of ideas to consider.