Some ideas. Teach “hybrid” with a place-based component. That place doesn’t have to be a classroom. The students can do work on their own “in the field” at safe distance and asynchronously. Their attendance can be “required” and also self-reported. This is an “in person” class. https://twitter.com/icpetrie/status/1280301141490831360

For example, ask students to write a blog post (including images) about Thoreau’s “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers” while sitting by a river. Or ask them to take and compare photographs of specific architectural or accessibility features of local buildings. Etc.

A course where we never work together in the same room can still draw teachers and students into a shared sense of place. This is why I don’t like distinctions like online/on-ground or remote/face-to-face. We don’t need butts in seats to learn together and “on the ground.”

A course where we never work together in the same room can still require students to be in specific places (or kinds of places) to do the work of the course. If the classroom is a city, how close do we have to be to the teacher (or other students) to be counted as “present”?

In short, it’s important that we rethink neat and tidy distinctions between online and on-ground. It’s important that we create good educational experiences for students. It’s more important that we help keep students safe and do what we can to keep students from being deported.

For context: “Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States.” https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sevp-modifies-temporary-exemptions-nonimmigrant-students-taking-online-courses-during?fbclid=IwAR3RF0XGcefqHbCPCuvQLr5uKgqrJuFO4Vw_soT3eI-0b5JZAS7TwPD48Sw

“Schools should update their information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) within 10 days of the change if they begin the fall semester with in-person classes but are later required to switch to only online classes...” This is horrifying.