Disparities in quantity/quality of distance learning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.

And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some private schools offer five hours of instruction per day.

My DC in private school has every class, every day, except PE technically.

So rich kids in private schools are still getting a full day of instruction. And poor and middle-class kids are getting an hour or two per week (with some getting nothing).

Sweet. That doesnt sound like a problem at all.

Do you feel better posting that? Have you been in a coma until yesterday to not know how things work?

We're middle class and I've been blown away by the job my kids' public school teachers are doing with just three hours a day. But not so blown away that I'm not spending nights and weekends supplementing as much as I possibly can after I finish my own job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.

I don’t know what to tell you. My Capitol Hill DCPS 100% uses zoom for ECE. Maybe it doesn’t count as live instruction for some reason, but it’s a class meeting and the only class-wide instruction there is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.

I don’t know what to tell you. My Capitol Hill DCPS 100% uses zoom for ECE. Maybe it doesn’t count as live instruction for some reason, but it’s a class meeting and the only class-wide instruction there is.

My NWDC DCPS also uses Zoom. Daily class meeting and two (optional) sessions per day -- one for literacy and one for math.

I'd like to see more small group meetings, to work with a handful of kids at a time on the subjects. It would allow for more differentiated instruction. A pre-recorded lecture would be fine to explain concepts, but with small-group live sessions to work with kids. Maybe next year?

[Anonymous]

I agree that 26 kids is too many for a live session. Even in the classroom you tend to do a group lesson then break into groups and float around them. So for distance learning you post a short video for the full class lesson, plus asynchronous assignments, then have shorter, smaller live meets with preset groups at preset time slots within the class period. Every student is expected to watch the video before their live slot, do the assignment on their own, and to be on time for the live session or be locked out. If they don't, it is their loss. Test on Friday

One example for a single subject teacher with multiple classes of the same subject: If a class is normally Thursday from 9-9:45, a 5-7 minute video (or other on line lesson) with assignment is available after 5 on Wednesday, must be viewed before the live session. If you have groups of 13, the Honeybees go live from 9:10-9:25 and the Zoros go from 9:30-9:45 [if you need to work with smaller groups, they get less time, just like in school]. Independent assignments must be turned in by 5:00. If you are a middle school teacher and see 4-5 class periods with the same course, you are posting one short video per day and hosting the same-topic 15 minute live chat 8 to 10 times, with 5 minutes between chats to set up and 20 minutes between classes, plus whatever your normal breaks were during the school year, minus lunch and playground duty (you could make one of those office hours). If you are a student, you could do all the videos and assignments as homework, or you could keep to your normal class schedule (my preference), and watch the video when class starts, attend the live session, do the assignment (or reversed), move on to next class.

Schools with single classroom teachers may need to move to single subject teachers. That's what my kids have had since second grade anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.

And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.

DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.

And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.

DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.

Our charter uses zoom since the week after school closed and it’s been great. No issues whatsoever. So easy and user friendly. Have a waiting room so you control who comes into the meeting.

It’s a shame that DCPS doesn’t allow it for such a simplistic reason that is easily solved by a waiting room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.

And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.

DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.

Rogue...as much as we make fun of DCPS they are not forcing the kids to color their cheeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I don't think online learning can come close to replicating school. I would be much more in favor of moving towards project-based home learning if we keep doing this for another year.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.

And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.

DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.

I think that is incorrect. I believe they backtracked on this in early April, so that it’s acceptable with a waiting room or password. At least that’s what this thread said, with someone quoting language from DCPS. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/75/870397.page

My kid’s teacher had switched from Zoom to Teams but then went back to Zoom, with a waiting room, at around that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I don't think online learning can come close to replicating school. I would be much more in favor of moving towards project-based home learning if we keep doing this for another year.

+1

I'm a parent of a DCPS student and a former teacher at a private high school, and I agree with this. I'm not sure the private schools kids are actually benefitting by being on video calls for so long.

I think the kids who are thriving the most right now have parents who can basically get into a homeschool mentality with them -- allow them to research topics they are interested in and come up with engaging projects with them, that leave them absorbed and curious, while teaching math and literacy through the project. I know a few kids who are in this situation right now, and they are getting a turbo boost in their educations. Obviously this is VERY few students (with parents who are both highly educated but without demanding jobs right now) but they exist.

Then there is a spectrum of outcomes.. Certainly the least fortunate are those at schools that are not providing much in the realm of virtual classes, and with parents who are working and/or cannot teach them for some other reason.

[Anonymous]

PP -- so I think that the best outcome would be for schools to spend the summer coming up with engaging projects that can be done from home, and allow the kids to be less dependent on the computer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if a school tries to do a good job with distance learning, and offers lots of live instruction ...

Wait -- why do we believe "a good job" = "lots of live instruction"??

I don't think lots of live instruction is necessary.

I also wonder what we mean by "a good job" under the current circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is exhausting:

In theory, live classes are best when using Zoom. DCPS does not allow schools to use Zoom for live instruction. According to DCUM, ALL THE SCHOOLS are using Zoom- lies. We have to use TEAMS. It keeps us safe (teachers and children). This is not a union fighting to allow teachers to be even lazier - as perceived by so many of you darlings.

A TEAMS meeting with 26 kids is a waste of time. However, I'm more than happy to have a morning meeting where I mute everyone and talk at the kids. If parents so desperately need me to talk at kids for an hour or heck, five hours a day, fine. But I have the capacity to talk at- not differentiate, not ask for opinions. There will be zero discussion. Oh, and because I teach younger children- YOU parent will have to sit with YOUR child as I talk at the screen for 1-5 hours.

Or you can take the daily pre-recorded videos, accept that the best instruction is during small groups and shut up.

And yet, somehow, private schools -- and some public schools -- make it work.

DC PUBLIC.SCHOOLS.CANT.USE.ZOOM for the love of Jesus. CAN’T=CANNOT as in NOT AUTHORIZED. Sounds like some DC schools or teachers are going rouge? Good luck when a pedophile bombs a morning meeting.

I think that is incorrect. I believe they backtracked on this in early April, so that it’s acceptable with a waiting room or password. At least that’s what this thread said, with someone quoting language from DCPS. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/75/870397.page

My kid’s teacher had switched from Zoom to Teams but then went back to Zoom, with a waiting room, at around that time.

+1

They backtracked on banning it to saying they encourage that teachers use Teams. But if we want to use Zoom to have waiting rooms and passwords. There was an email sent out right after it was banned by DCPS or OCTO. So IT IS NOT BANNED by DCPS. Calm down.

[Anonymous]

A good job:

#1 measure -- kids who are not sick

And then, after that

Kids who maintain some connections to their communities to maintain mental and emotional health
Kids who manage to maintain school skills

We simply can't think of "a good job" in a crisis situation being kids keeping up with grade-level content. It's not plausible, or sane, or feasible. Why would that be what we are aiming for?