Goal 1: Continue learning
The number one goal for remote learning is to continue learning for our students. The focus for that learning, however, shifts and changes within a remote learning environment. The key is to understand that we can't approach remote learning the same way we approach face-to-face classes. In short, we'll need to simplify. Simplify our content; simplify our processes; simplify our expectations.
The crucial question to ask yourself when you're evaluating what to include in your remote learning lessons is: "What is the enduring understanding students need to have at the end of this lesson/unit?" Another way to examine the issue of simplification is to ask: "Given only 10 minutes with my students, what is the most crucial information to give them and for them to retain?" The answers to these questions are the elements of your unit that you'll focus on for your remote learning lessons.
Whether you decide to hold a live lesson or record your lessons, you can, of course, teach longer than 10 minutes if necessary. However, if you do so, you need to break your teaching into smaller segments to ensure students' attention. The length of those segmented lessons will depend on the age of your students. Best practices recommend using your students' age as a guide. Research suggests that in a face-to-face environment, an eight-year-old can focus for about 8 minutes of uninterrupted instruction. In a remote setting, it would be best if you segment those 8 minutes into two 4-minute lessons.
To create these segmented lessons in a live lesson, you can:
- Pause at chosen times in your instruction and ask students to share their thoughts, ask questions, or answer a question in the chat window.
- Direct students to a quick Forms poll to gauge their understanding.
- Ask students to use an emoji (thumbs up or thumbs down) in the chat window to demonstrate their comfort with the content.
With recorded lessons, you can:
- Record the lessons in 4-minute segments. Students can watch them separately and take a break before watching the next one.
- Record one video, upload it to Stream, and use Forms to insert questions into the video. This procedure allows students to pause and reflect on what they're learning before they watch more.
Even teaching high school students you can't expect them to stay focused and attentive beyond 12 to 15 minutes. If you teach longer than 15 minutes in a live Teams call, include pauses for reflection, questions, and insights. If you're recording lessons for your students, videos should be a maximum of six minutes. In short, the more you can chunk your lessons (live or recorded) and give your students brain breaks, the better the experience. For a great way to offer brain breaks ask small students groups to work a problem together or discuss what they learned and share out questions. You can use the chat function in Teams to create small groups where students can chat with each other "away" from the larger call and return at a designated time.
In addition to considering lesson length, implement variety into your lesson teaching strategies. Asking students to do the same thing every day will lead to disengagement. Although educators may feel more confident with one teaching strategy (face-to-face lecture) over another (collaborative work), it's important for educators to branch out and vary their instruction. Be a role model for your students by pushing outside your comfort zone and offering varied learning activities and experiences.
For educators' perspectives on how to conduct class in a remote learning environment, check out Ng Wai Ying, Winnie's blog post and Koen Timmers' blog post.