What would you like to see in Distance Learning FY21?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I am a DCPS teacher, in the event we are doing DL or even a hybrid, what would you like to see?

And please, no comments about how you'd like fully in person or your child's teacher did jack sh*t, it's not very conducive to creating a meaningful conversation.



This is what I have been doing so far:

1. Short video lessons adding to 30 minutes total, broken into 3 parts, so 10 min. each. (everyday)

2. A pre-recorded virtual story-time, with an interactive PDF of questions/comprehension- based on your child's level (weekly, may change to 2-3x a week for fall)

3. A whole group lesson 30 minutes (everyday) - generally social studies, science, or social emotional.

4. A small group lesson 45 minutes (in the fall I plan to do 1 hr). Groups are based on skills level. 3-5 students per group. (everyday)

5. ELA/Math Lesson that students complete on Google Slides or Powerpoint. (takes 30 min- 1hr)

6. 1 on 1 time during office hours, if requested by parent(s). (15 minutes per student/per day max)

7. Asking parents to have their child do iReady math and reading for 40 minutes. (20 minutes per subject) -Students can do this independently and are required to in order to get accurate results.

What I want to add in the fall:
*Printed work binder for each student, based on their level
*Printed task cards
*Interactive and individualized PDFs to promote self- learning

I already have a few things students can do independently but a lot of the feedback is parents have work and they can't always be their to monitor. Of course I can't eliminate theor new role as facilitator altogether but I want to lesson the stress.


I've received feedback from most my parents but I'd like to present to a wider audience to get more ideas.


*If it was hybrid some of this would be tweaked, since I'd get to teach in person sometimes.

[Anonymous]

That sounds fine. Personally I'd prefer fewer whole group lessons-- 1st graders don't seem to focus very well and it's difficult to plan my work schedule around all of these Zooms. I think one a week is enough. For older children you could do more. I also think 1 hour is a long time. I can barely get through an hourlong work conference call myself, and it's very tough for me as a parent to clear my work schedule for a full hour, while also keeping my preschooler from ruining the older child's Zoom.

[Anonymous]

You need to teach my child in two days what you would have taught them in a full week. But with a full day in the classroom with 10 students, you can do this. Neither or my chilkd will listen to prerecorded lessons and one won't engage in whole class zoom meetings but will in small group of 4. Niether will complete assignments without 100% parental involvement that I cannot give becaise I have a full-time job. I will be able to get them to do some iready or app work, but that is all. Thank you and good luck, but what they will be doing at home is very limited.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP

What grade level do you teach?

[Anonymous]

Lunch once a week with different kids so they can socialize

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP

What grade level do you teach?

K & 1st grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That sounds fine. Personally I'd prefer fewer whole group lessons-- 1st graders don't seem to focus very well and it's difficult to plan my work schedule around all of these Zooms. I think one a week is enough. For older children you could do more. I also think 1 hour is a long time. I can barely get through an hourlong work conference call myself, and it's very tough for me as a parent to clear my work schedule for a full hour, while also keeping my preschooler from ruining the older child's Zoom.

The whole group lessons have a lot of musical components and some socializing. After the first week, I saw no that only 10% of my students would listen if I didn't try and make it as engaging and fun as possible. Some of my students younger siblings are actually joining lessons lol

But I hear you, an hour is such a long time. I could break it down but then I have parents who forget the time or now can't make it due to work.

[Anonymous]

In the upper grades: We need GRADES. Real grades that mean something.

it is next to impossible to motivate kids to do the work when grades are meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the upper grades: We need GRADES. Real grades that mean something.

it is next to impossible to motivate kids to do the work when grades are meaningless.

I think DCPS will make that possible. I think the main issue was they weren't prepared. They have to figure out what exactly will be graded. As of course, you can cheat at home. Part of the problem can likely be solved with real time quizzes, that you do in a live with the teacher.


Also I do think it's worth it to try and teach children about intrinsic motivation and help them find that. It can make it harder in the future if they don't have that, just my opinion tho.


-OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP

What grade level do you teach?

K & 1st grade

How many students do you have in your class?

[Anonymous]

This is about 5x more than what my K is getting.

My concern would probably be if it’s too much especially the work to do outside the live teaching. But I also wish we had anything close to this.

One thing I would love is an actual curriculum, like here’s the whole semester, so we can kind of teach it ourselves as needed or know what’s going on. But if my kid had an hour a day in a group of 3-5 she’d be set (how on earth do you fit this in?). I do think 2 hours total per day really is the max a K or first grader should have to handle, and I don’t really need more than that either (I have work to do). That includes live teaching plus assignments. Of course if it’s some kind of app or online thing that could be a little linger because I don’t have to manage it much. But some of that stuff is just like a game and not all that educational.

[Anonymous]

I think it would be really helpful to have a weekly or monthly calendar where all the times for in-person instruction and all the daily/weekly/monthly expectations are laid out, ideally in a format where it can be printed on a page or two and the child can check it off.

[Anonymous]

I think distance learning is garbage.

But if you're going to do it, do it all day, like the private schools do. None of this "well we met for an hour or two in the morning -- let's call it a day."

If you're going to do distance learning, do it for at least six hours per day. Make it come as close to a real day of school as humanly possible.

[Anonymous]

I would prefer MUCH less screen time. I think for a K or 1 student (I have a kindergartner now...), there should be no more than 1 hour TOTAL of online learning a day. So I would choose what seems most important to you and do that, then give some suggestions for offline learning.

[Anonymous]

Just reading that list was overwhelming. I personally think it’s too much, especially since the parents would have to facilitate everything with such a young age group.