As we head into Week 3 of #distancelearning, here's my routine:
• create a weekly schedule in a (live) Google Doc;
• schedule everything to be released Monday morning;
• anticipate learning/tasks/readings that might be better explained in a video. If it can't be... (THREAD👇)
...explained in less than a few brief steps, it probably needs a video;
• students are encouraged to use private comments in Google Classroom; all comments get filtered into an Outlook folder that's sorted by oldest first. I sit down a couple times throughout the day to respond;
• if private comments indicate students are stuck, it's time for a video (most common feedback from students is "that video really helped!");
• assignments have due dates - they're suggestions. I'm flexible. This is a pandemic. But it seems to help students to manage the week;
• as assignments are returned, I offer feedback and then a private comment to indicate I've added the feedback. This takes time. It's a pandemic. I'm doing my best. When I'm behind, I post an announcement in Google Classroom telling students I can't wait to read their ideas;
• Monday's a catch-up day. As we go into Week 3, I'm behind on giving feedback from assignments submitted last week, but students are also working on catching up too. It's a pandemic. I'm flexible. They're flexible. We're all doing our best.
Planning the entire week and releasing it all Monday is a lot of planning and organizing upfront, but it seems to offer everyone (me, my students, and I imagine parents) much needed flexibility. Want to work ahead? Go for it. Work best in evening? Have at it. Sleeping in? Cool!
Of course, this isn't the only way. After all, what is "the way"? No one knows. Nobody could have prepared for this. There is no research on "best pedagogical practices during a pandemic." It's what's been working for me, so I thought I'd share. How's it going for you?
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