Virtual learning started and your child seems to be hitting a groove. In the next instant a teacher or administrator contacts you regarding missing assignments or behind work. Perhaps Algebra looms in the distance or a dreaded essay. Before pulling the knee-jerk reaction and having a large confrontation. Take a moment to think back to the schedule.
Let’s start with the end, counterintuitive, right? Where does your child need to be at the end of this session of virtual learning? I suggest taking the following steps to support your child.
- Get A Real Perspective
As a special education teacher, I helped lead students during the shutdown and at other times in the year. The child’s typical academic performance is likely how he or she will respond to virtual learning with a few exceptions. If the child typically gets Bs and Cs, then it is likely that he or she will get the same during this time. I would encourage you to think about grades and progress with this in mind.
Next, I would try to learn THE system; frequently each school utilizes a different way of presenting lessons. In a previous post I discussed the importance of recording each student’s passwords. Take time to learn the system, especially if your child will share it with you. Or ask them to show you how to get started and go from there. This means going into the main learning management system. Common examples are Seesaw, Canvas, Google Classroom, Blackboard, etc. Even as a teacher that knows the my learning management system, I sometimes struggled to know what and when an assignment was due.
Sign up for my email list for a resource that will help get started. When using this resource, I suggest renaming each tab at the bottom with the class title like “Math.” Then for each day of class, go through and determine the lessons and assignments that are due. I would also document when the teacher is contacted. This can be helpful if you need to reference this. For instance, if the date of 10/25 is associated with an assignment, I know to look back in assignments or emails for more information. Another difficulty aspect of virtual learning is that teachers could call the same thing by different names. For instance one teacher posts assignments in the page called “assignments” and another teacher uses pages or modules. This can be confusing until the student is used to the way a teacher sets things up.
- Virtual does not Equal Emergency Remote Learning
The spring of 2020 ushered in the phrase “emergency remote learning,” which is completely different from most virtual learning. One major difference could be the expected time to work on assignments. Emergency learning for some districts did not expect students to spend a similar amount of time as in the classroom. This created a false sense of the expectations during virtual learning. Many students become overwhelmed with the amount of work expected of them. Additionally, if the school uses an outside vendor to offer the virtual learning the material does not take into account school by school differences in the material covered in prerequisite courses. This became apparent when talking to a student in a foreign language class.
- Differences in Expectations
A predictable schedule offers one way to mitigate a difference in time expectations. I mentioned a schedule in a previous post. However, this section will be more specific. Using a set procedure to set up the learning experiences for the day develops a sense of control over the learning environment. The level of independence will depend on the student’s age and ability to self-regulate.
For elementary students or other students requiring more support, I suggest the following steps. First, check the grade book for missing or low grades. A zero likely indicates a missing assignment. Email communications offer a second window into past due material. Since the teacher may not be able to speak to the student directly, an email offers a redirection back to missing material. Thirdly, take the time to review the materials for each class. Familiarity with the process for posting assignments removes questions later. For instance, my niece said that an assignment that appeared to be missing was an old assignment. Upon further investigation, she misrepresented the timeline on the assignment; it was late! Finally, use a tool to track communications with teachers the amount of work expected during a set period of time. Sign up for my email list and get this chart is one way to keep this information in one location.
Let me know how this chart works and share other problems with virtual learning. Next week’s post will have suggestions for middle and high school students.