Distance Learning

“Going back to school” will look a lot different this year. Many schools across the country will meet virtually in the fall, a reality that worries a number of teachers, parents, and administrators. Although this arrangement is new to many of us, distance learning dates back to at least the 18th century, when matriculants would submit assignments and communicate with the school through the post. And, of course, the internet has engendered thousands of online programs. So, while you’ve heard the word “unprecedented” a lot over the past few months, teachers are actually in well-charted waters when it comes to distance learning. There are countless resources, techniques, tips, and philosophies that provide guidance for teachers embarking on their first distance-learning journey. Here, we will focus on the essential elements of any effective distance-learning classroom.

Quarantine dissolved the physical boundaries between work, school, recreation, and family time. These once carefully delineated dimensions of life collapsed into one space, where they seem impossible to separate. The importance of students having a dedicated workspace cannot be overstated. This area will help them maintain the distinction between school and the rest of their life, keeping them focused and motivated. Parents will play an important role in helping their children create this space. Start by choosing a particular place in the house where they won’t be disturbed and won’t have to move. Maybe that means setting a desk in a kitchen corner or against a window in their bedroom. After you’ve established the area, parents and kids should take the time to customize it together. Students can think of how they want to decorate it, and parents can help them execute their ideas. They can hang posters of favorite athletes or movies. Maybe each month they have a different theme for their space or decorate it to be festive for holiday seasons. On special occasions, they could even convert their learning area into a pillow fort if it doesn’t distract them. Usually, students just learn in an area that was designed and decorated for them. Now, they have the unique opportunity to express themselves and create a space where they feel comfortable learning.

At the beginning of every school year, teachers set expectations for their classroom. It might be even more important than ever this year, since most students aren’t accustomed to distance learning. You may be tempted to create more expectations than usual, but try limiting yourself to 10 or so succinct expectations that you can include in your syllabus or on a one pager. Encourage students to have them readily available at all times during the school day. Maybe that means one student tapes it to his desk while another keeps it in her notebook. When it comes to expectations for your classroom, you know what’s best, but there are a few expectations that should be universal for distance learning.

Many of your expectations will stay the same, but some of them will need to be adjusted for virtual learning. For example, whether you’re meeting online or in person, you expect your students to focus on instruction and assignments, but keeping them on task will require different rules. Instead of asking them not to talk to their classmates or lay their head on the desk, you’ll have to worry about them surfing the web, playing computer games, chasing the dog, or being out of their chair for any reason. To monitor students better, you can instruct the entire class to activate their webcams if they have them. Regardless of whether or not they have webcams, make your lectures as interactive as possible. Set the expectation that students will participate, whether that’s through Zoom or some kind of instant messaging forum. The more students participate, the less they will feel like they’re just looking at a screen or listening to their teacher’s voice.

Without some kind of routine, the classroom can quickly devolve into chaos.

One of the things teachers can do to set expectations is establish a flexible, baseline schedule for your class. Here’s what one might look like:

1. Warm-up that reviews a concept from the previous day
2. 10 to 15 minutes of instruction
3. 5-minute stretch break
4. 10 or 15 more minutes of instruction
5. Lesson-based activity

Change and adjust your schedule as needed. Testing days will look different, and you will probably want to reserve an entire class period for a special activity. So, think of this schedule as a template in which you can improvise rather than a regimented policy.

Checklists are also a great way to bring structure and routine to your classroom. For distance-learning, email students and parents a daily or weekly checklist. It will not only let them know what you’re teaching each week, it will also keep them on track to learn new concepts and finish their work. Here’s a sample checklist to spark your imagination:

• What students are learning (this a chance to articulate standards in your own words)
• What tasks they must complete
• What content or materials are needed (could be online, could be text-based, etc.)
• Instructions for assignments and grading criteria
• How to get questions answered
• How and when to submit finished work
• When students can expect feedback on their work (be realistic about your time)

Nothing can replace face-to-face education, but today’s technology facilitates distance learning when we use it properly. Video conferencing technology allows teachers to instruct and communicate daily with students and parents. Even before the pandemic, you probably had heard of Zoom or Skype, but there are several other video conferencing platforms out there, and each one has their own advantages and disadvantages. Some platforms provide a “hand raising” feature or digital whiteboards, while others allow the leader to divide participants into small groups. You can use this feature to focus on particular students and bond with them. After a lecture, consider giving the class an individual assignment and moving each student into their own chat room. As students work alone, you can visit each chatroom to provide one-on-one instruction and simply check in with them. Ask them how you can improve their learning experience for them, and don’t be afraid to inquire about their mental and emotional health. Of course, you will want to keep in mind the age of your students. Younger students may be able to work alone for only five or ten minutes. Try dividing young students into groups of two or three. You’ll be able to spend quality time with each group before they get restless. If you want a breakdown of each video platform’s capabilities, visit our blog “Using Video Conferencing Tools” and scroll down to “Using Video Conferencing Tools.”

Of course, there are many other kinds of digital tools that teachers and students will find to be helpful. Google Docs, for example, can be used to facilitate collaboration and participation. Students can also brainstorm, write questions, and offer thoughts in Google Docs. Moreover, distance learning might be a good time to improve your slide-designing skills. Many students are visual learners and respond well to aesthetically pleasing content. Websites like Powtoon show you how to create animated slideshows. Tools like these can help you elevate virtual instruction and captivate the attention of your students.

While choosing technological tools for distance learning, it’s important to ask yourself which ones are most appropriate for the grade you teach. Animated slides, for example, may be great for fourth graders, but seniors in high school will be less impressed. And, of course, kindergarten and first grade teachers shouldn’t expect their students to use Google Docs.

Creating a sense of community and maintaining relationships with both parents and students will help keep morale high during distance learning. Kids still need to know that you care about them, not just as students, but as people. Don’t let the only time you talk to them be during lectures and instruction time. Communicate with them as clearly and as often as possible. Set up time to talk with students one-on-one. Organizing these conferences will look different for every teacher. Maybe you talk to a certain number of students individually each week during assigned activities. You can send out a Google Doc for students to sign up for conference times. Remember to include parents in your learning community. Schedule routine meetings with them, and as always, keep them updated on their child’s progress. Ask them if they have any suggestions for improving distance learning. And don’t be afraid to ask them how they are doing personally, when such questions are appropriate. Be honest with them about how you are feeling as a teacher and a person going through a stressful time. These kinds of honest conversations will help create the sense of community that we need right now.

Take note of changes in student behavior just as you would in a physical classroom. Distance learning makes reading body language and other physical cues difficult, but there are still signs that should raise a red flag. For example, if a student gradually or suddenly stops participating in group activities, it’s safe to assume something is wrong. Or, if a student’s grades begin to drop, you may want to reach out and see if everything is OK. It’s also important to vary the way you communicate. Email may be a great form of communication for some students, but others may feel it is impersonal. Text messaging or video chat may help other students to feel more connected with you.

Creating a strong sense of community in your classroom will go a long way in keeping students engaged. Inviting students to share their thoughts and feelings about the pandemic or even distance learning can help students bond with each other. Maybe this means that once a week you ask students to write a short journal entry about how they feel and then ask them to share it with the class. It’s important that students express themselves and know that others feel the way they do. This will help them feel less isolated.

Even during distance learning, you can facilitate meaningful student engagement and interaction. Many real-world connection activities, for example, require normal household items anyway. If you are teaching fractions, instruct students to bring measuring cups to class or slice an apple into fourths or eighths (with adult supervision). If students are learning about ecosystems, you can give them 20 minutes during class to go into their backyard and take note of five different specimens (such as ants, squirrels, worms, birds, their dog, etc.). They can then spend the rest of class identifying the species and placing them in the food chain. Activities like these get students out of their seats and away from their screens.

Don’t be afraid to use multimedia, such as Youtube or STEMscopes BBC. Of course, videos do not replace real instruction—they enhance it. Following up a lesson about deforestation with a short clip of scourged regions of the rainforest illustrates the environmental dangers. After students view a video or another form of media, you can also instruct students to write a reaction that incorporates concepts they are learning. When students excel on these reactions or any other assignment or activity, don’t forget to recognize their excellent work. It is so easy for students to feel alienated or stagnant during distance learning, but recognition tells students that they are learning and progressing. Virtual recognition may come in several different forms: an email to students or parents or both, a virtual sticker, certificates of achievement, or simple verbal praise. Recognition will help students remain connected and motivated.

When students collaborate, they learn from each other, develop interpersonal skills, and see the perspectives of other students. Students can still reap all the benefits of collaboration while they learn remotely. As we mentioned earlier, many of the video conferencing platforms allow the host to divide the class into “chat rooms.” Students can talk through the entire process of creating a project, just as they would in the classroom. As they discuss their ideas, they can write them down in a Google Doc or even record their brainstorming session if they are using Zoom. With Zoom, the teacher can also visit the chatrooms to facilitate discussion. The teacher could, for example, give the students 10 minutes on their own before starting to check in with the groups. After hearing a group’s ideas, the teacher can push the conversation further, correcting any misunderstandings, and facilitating the conversation by identifying an outstanding idea or theme and then redirecting their thoughts. “Have you considered thinking about it this way? Don’t forget this piece of information.”

You can also facilitate collaboration with the whole class through video chat. For example, you can address a pointed question about a particular concept or method to the class. In turn, students can offer their thoughts aloud, just as they would in the classroom. They can listen and respond to each other, with the teacher interjecting to facilitate the conversation. Distance learning can also be a great time to include students who are disinclined to talk. For example, you could create a Google Doc where students can share their response to a question or an open-ended problem. The Google Doc will give students a sense of anonymity that is hard to recreate in a physical classroom. They won’t have to worry about making mistakes or peer pressure. They may feel emboldened to take risks that they wouldn’t take otherwise.

There are several ways you can incorporate scaffolding techniques while teaching virtually. Many household items, for example, can be used as manipulatives, tangible objects that provide a hands-on component to learning. Students can use dried beans to practice counting, or gather examples of solids, liquids, and gases for a science lesson. Students don’t need to have the same manipulatives. You can even encourage them to find a manipulative that is especially interesting or meaningful to them. This is a great way to make learning more personal and individualized. You can also incorporate the CRA method to help students transition from using manipulatives to engaging concepts in their most abstract forms.

Addressing the needs, aptitudes, and interests of individual students is a major challenge during virtual learning. Remember to use the various features included in video conferencing technology. As we mentioned earlier, Zoom allows you to create small groups. Group two students excelling at a particular skill with two students who are struggling, so they can learn from each other. Or, assign struggling students to one group, so you can focus on helping them.

The interplay between student expression and student output should never be overlooked. When students feel comfortable expressing their ideas, they are more likely to engage with academic content and progress in their studies. As students learn from home, expression can continue to be an act of learning. For example, some students learn a mathematical or scientific concept by writing about it. Writing exercises can provide a structured way for students to explore new ideas. They can also give insight into the minds of students, exposing gaps in knowledge, highlighting strengths, and offering a clearer image of their thought process. Other students may feel more comfortable expressing their ideas aloud by asking questions, probing new concepts, and making observations. And, of course, many students are visual learners. For these students, an engaging lesson may include representations, videos, and demonstrations. Some of them may even want to draw their own illustrations. Like writing, drawing allows students to think through new ideas in a way that is comfortable for them. They may be learning from home, but we can still foster their learning and academic productivity by encouraging them to express their ideas.

There is no doubt that distance learning is changing the landscape of education. We will all have to exercise creativity and keep an open mind in the coming days. But one thing is certain: Learning will still happen. We will continue to educate and inspire the future generation, as teachers have always done. These days also offer us an opportunity to reflect on the way we teach. Don’t be afraid to innovate and try new things. Together, we can continue to transform education for the better.