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I ain't gonna lie: As California districts roll out their plans for starting the year with remote instruction, my general response is pure SORROW for the students.
So many of the plans focus on synchronous instruction, forcing students to sit at their screens for too long. 1/
So many of the plans focus on synchronous instruction, forcing students to sit at their screens for too long. 1/
2/
It seems like the plans are merely trying to replicate a typical school day, only at home.
Synchronous instruction creates the possibility for HUGE, GAPING inequities when students have any sort of technical barrier that prevents them from logging in at that precise moment.
It seems like the plans are merely trying to replicate a typical school day, only at home.
Synchronous instruction creates the possibility for HUGE, GAPING inequities when students have any sort of technical barrier that prevents them from logging in at that precise moment.
3/
Synchronous instruction, by definition, tethers students to the laptop for stretches of time that are too long.
Take a student's age, multiply by 2 or 3. That is the average attention span for students.
Synchronous instruction, by definition, tethers students to the laptop for stretches of time that are too long.
Take a student's age, multiply by 2 or 3. That is the average attention span for students.
4/
Synchronous learning opportunities are indeed useful when they:
- come AFTER asynchronous instruction
- prioritize student-to-student interaction and collaboration rather than direct instruction
- develop a sense of class community
Synchronous learning opportunities are indeed useful when they:
- come AFTER asynchronous instruction
- prioritize student-to-student interaction and collaboration rather than direct instruction
- develop a sense of class community
5/
Synchronous opportunities are also great for wellness checks and tutoring.
Ideally, teachers could schedule multiple office hours for students to check in.
Synchronous opportunities are also great for wellness checks and tutoring.
Ideally, teachers could schedule multiple office hours for students to check in.
6/
SB98 requires 3-4 hours of minimum daily instruction, but this does not need to be entirely synchronous. "Time value" of work assigned allows students to work asynchronously and offline.
When measuring weekly engagement, schools can use synchronous and asynchronous time.
SB98 requires 3-4 hours of minimum daily instruction, but this does not need to be entirely synchronous. "Time value" of work assigned allows students to work asynchronously and offline.
When measuring weekly engagement, schools can use synchronous and asynchronous time.
7/
So what to do?
1. Plan for 100% asynchronous instruction.
2. Make short instructional videos
3. Use robust LMS to foster student-to-student interaction
4. Allow for some student self-pacing
5. Use multiple daily Zoom check ins for relationship building and curricular help
So what to do?
1. Plan for 100% asynchronous instruction.
2. Make short instructional videos
3. Use robust LMS to foster student-to-student interaction
4. Allow for some student self-pacing
5. Use multiple daily Zoom check ins for relationship building and curricular help
FINAL (until I add more)/
All this is gathered here in a work-in-progress document that I am curating.
Please feel free to push my thinking. We are all merely muddling our way through this thing. Let's do it together. http://bit.ly/ReturningToSchoolMCOE
All this is gathered here in a work-in-progress document that I am curating.
Please feel free to push my thinking. We are all merely muddling our way through this thing. Let's do it together. http://bit.ly/ReturningToSchoolMCOE
