With the likelihood that further Covid-19 restrictions will return in the autumn and winter months the probability that we will have to resort to some form of distance learning is also high (as I write already three year groups have been sent home to isolate). As such we should be keenly aware of developing our ability to provide the best quality teaching and learning for our students through distance learning. We can start this by developing our current technology for learning practices so that, when distant learning happens we will be ready for a seamless transition.
In this blog we will look at a few basic strategies that, if we develop and make them a part of our culture of practice in now, we can make the change to distance learning seemless for our students - it is a blended learning approach.
If you wish to see these techniques demonstrated and ask further questions DEnbigh staff can sign up for the additional CPD session on Wednesday 30th September, led by myself and Emma Darcy; sign up here.
1. Using Google Classroom to share.
One of the simplest things to do with your lesson resources is to share them. Upload your lesson presentations, worksheets, video links and more just with a few clicks. By sharing resources we make sure that all students have access to them whether they are in school or out. You can also provide detailed instructions for what you want students to do with the resources when they are shared.
2. Google Classroom to assess - Summative and Formative
Assessment is now so easy using google classroom. For formal assessments and exam questions it is possible to set assignments which students can complete in school using Chromebooks or at home. Marking these assessments is easy - you can edit students' work to add literacy suggestions automatically, you can create comment banks to give students specific feedback, and for exam questions you can even create generic rubrics that can act as assessment criteria (which you can mark along to). This is time saving and can be done at a great distance or even in the classroom for live marking. If you want to assess speaking you can also have student upload recordings of themselves that you can give feedback too.
AFL can also be built into live lessons using google forms. You can easily set a google form that can contain short, low-stakes, multiple choice knowledge questions that can be marked automatically and give you instant feedback that can be shared with the class. This can also be done remotely.
It is important to note that in both of these examples Google Classroom will automatically create a mark sheet for you that can track student progress. In the context of distance learning this is useful information that can assess how much a student is engaging with work and also how well they are doing -providing evidence for you if you need to call home for concerns or praise!
3. Using Chromebooks for literacy.
Sharing resources is easy. Why not share reading resources? In a live lesson students reading along to an extract that a teacher is reading in front of them is a powerful way to improve the vocabulary of students. Engaging in reading, with a Chromebook at their fingertips, also provides them with the means to build their understanding using online dictionaries or further signposted resources that can illustrate the concepts they are reading about.
In distance learning scenarios you can still share reading as an activity. Then provide them with a google form quiz to assess understanding (multiple choices questions are good here) and then a longer written assignment that assesses comprehension and other desired skills.
4. Using Chromebooks to open the world.
5. Using Screencastify to explain and model.
Screencastify is a recording tool which is an extension added to google chrome. The free version (which we have at Denbigh) enables you to record 5 minute videos of your computer screen (such as presentation slides) with you talking over. My covid video was produced using screencastify and, after a few practice runs, I found it an easy to use.
