The New Normal? 5 Distance Learning Successes to Build On
Eric Haines
Curriculum, Instruction, and Innovation
@EHainesFCPS
Catlin Tucker, author and speaker on blended learning, has shared that she struggled as a young teacher. Being a teacher was not what she dreamed it was going to be, and she felt unprepared by her college experience. She decided she might even leave the profession. That’s also when she began teaching online courses. While teaching online, Catlin had some successes that made her start thinking about how her traditional classroom could look different. That is what propelled her into implementing blended learning.
The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted educators in many ways. The uncertainty and changes in routine have been difficult for all students, parents, and educators in our community. However, I have also noticed five successes during this period of distance learning:
Educators are becoming more tech-savvy. Both teachers and administrators have learned more about tech tools such as Schoology, Flipgrid, Google Forms, Google Sheets, and many more. These tools are making it easier for teachers to give assignments, collect work, and provide meaningful feedback.
Distance Learning classrooms have increased student agency. Students have more control of their school day than ever before. They are deciding the order of their classes/subjects, how much time they spend on a particular subject or assignment, as well as the time of day they are working on it.
Everyone has been more collaborative. Our community has been pulling together to support each other during this time. At both the central and school levels, educators are sharing resources, lesson ideas, and providing tech support with a high level of care and empathy.
Educators are hearing student voices they have not typically heard from. Some students that are usually quiet in class are participating in discussion boards, posting video responses, and sharing their thoughts more than ever before.
Professional learning is continuing to evolve. Discussion boards in Schoology and videoconferencing tools have allowed us to stay connected in different ways. Screen sharing and virtual training, without having to commute, has been timely and beneficial for many educators. Educators are continuing to participate in book studies, listen to podcasts, and connect to ideas on Twitter.
Which of these distance learning successes will transform your classroom when you are back face to face with your students? Have you experienced successes with distance learning not listed here? Please share your thoughts with me on Twitter: @EHainesFCPS.
Congratulations!
Erica French (Cohort 4) has been named one of five finalists for FCPS Teacher of the Year!
Brunswick Middle math teacher Erica French is a former Brunswick Middle student. Having taught honors classes for Highly Able Learners, Honors Algebra I and Algebra II, she is touted as one of the nicest, coolest teachers and one who knows how to connect with students. In addition to teaching math, French implemented a tutoring program to help struggling students stay on top of their grades. She has supported her colleagues as a mentor for new teachers, sixth-grade team leader and professional development facilitator for Google Classroom. She is also an FCPS Vanguard Teacher Leader and curriculum writer.
A Coach's Perspective
Mike Brown
Thurmont Middle School
@mbrownteachFCPS
Looking back, it is amazing to think about how much I’ve grown as a Vanguard blended learning teacher, leader, and now coach. I, along with many other new Vanguard teachers, was entering a world of instructional practice filled with many unanswered questions, concerns, and fears just three short years ago. Knowing that I wasn’t alone in the journey certainly made the experience much less mind-boggling because Vanguards were learning together, making mistakes together, and celebrating the collective successes as a powerful group of superheros. The implementation of new teaching and learning practices proved to be not only successful, but exciting. Being able to spend quality time with students during instructional time, give personalized feedback, and watch students own and embrace their agency was gratifying.
The Power of Blended Learning
Michelle Carpenter
Myersville Elementary School
@Carpenter_fcps
I often hear people ask the question, “Why blended learning?” When choosing a model of teaching, the “why” is extremely important to consider. For me the answer is quite simple. With blended learning, you can tailor the learning to each student with current day resources and technology. A blended classroom approach ensures that the students are engaged and driving their own individualized learning.
This is my first year teaching intermediate students. In the past, my primary students have always embraced blended learning. However, this year I have noticed all of the fifth graders taking ownership of their learning.
Making a Case for Blended and Online Learning: Why Traditional Schooling Never Really Worked for Me
Laura Shearer
Technology Teacher Specialist for P-12 Science
@FCPS_SciTech
Growing up in the ‘90s, the traditional model of learning was all I ever experienced. Technology was just beginning to come into the schools, and blended learning was still a decade or more away. My high school education was one-size-fits-all, and for reasons I didn’t understand at the time, it most certainly did not fit me. I had undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety, and the combination of the two made learning more difficult. I would zone out when the teacher was moving through the material too slowly; my mind would wander, and the next thing I knew, everyone but me would be silently working on an assignment. I would be too embarrassed to ask the teacher for the directions I missed, so unless a neighbor quietly helped me get on track, I just guessed my way through the assignment as best I could.
Teaching Knows No Bounds
Sarah Ehmann
Oakdale Elementary School
@SarahEhmannFCPS
Teachers at OES are taking risks, making learning accessible, and continuing to build relationships with students in digital learning environments...and it’s only week two! While teachers at Oakdale Elementary School certainly did not anticipate a global pandemic that would close schools for weeks, maybe months, they embraced a positive mindset towards distance learning in a matter of days! Within the first few hours of the school closure notice, all grades had selected and set up learning management systems, ready for students. Teachers spent time carefully deciding which system—Google Classroom or Schoology—would best meet the needs of the students in their classrooms. Many teachers had never used Schoology before and quickly joined in the county’s online learning sessions that taught them how to use it. Teachers were adding specialists, special education teachers, EL teachers, instructional assistants, and co-teachers to their online classrooms, making collaboration and the ability to provide assignments and resources easy for students and families. Teams bonded together to begin creating assignments for students through Google Docs, Google Slides, Schoology Assignments, and Assessments.
Blended and Continuity of Learning. It’s Not “Unicorn Spit.”
Susan Carman
Oakdale High School
@SusanCarman12
Looking back over the last couple of weeks, I have been assessing my journey of Continuity of Learning. I have learned a lot and I am grateful that, as a Vanguard, this journey was made so much easier.
As a Vanguard, I was very impatient about the 2 weeks of down time that we had. I was thinking, “Why aren’t we already teaching? We’ve got this.” Not to mention, that it was pretty boring after deep cleaning my house. Now, I see that not everyone was as prepared as Vanguards. There were going to be people who had to make a lot of adjustments. Some would have to learn Schoology, Zoom, Google Meets, Flipgrid, Screencastify and the list goes on and on. Now as I look back, I see that this was the correct move by FCPS. They took a breath and got all of their ducks in a row. They put students, parents, and teachers first. They ensured that students had food, access to technology, and mental well-being. For this I am grateful, even though I was growing impatient.
Don't Call it Blended Learning
Amy Boehman-Pollitt
Augmentative Communication and Technology Team Leader
@AmyBoehman
This fall I had the opportunity to teach a one credit MSDE Course on using iPads to support academic content areas for specialized special education classroom teachers. I knew one of my biggest challenges would be the wide range of needs depending on the teachers’ skill level or the program that they were teaching. In the past, I had tried blended learning for school-level training sessions and did not have much success. As soon as teachers heard the phrase “blended learning”, they would resist the new format as “something else they would have to learn to do.” Luckily, I overheard several other Vanguards discussing this very issue and took their suggestion: Don’t call it ‘blended learning.’ I was intrigued and thought it was worth a shot.
Station Rotations in High School? Yes, Even with Those Classes
Rachael Stecyk
Governor Thomas Johnson High School
@RachaelStecyk
At the end of last school year, as I prepared to transition from middle school to high school, I sought out the advice of high school teachers, who almost universally told me that station rotations would not work at that level; stations were too juvenile, students were too disengaged, the kids were both too mature to want to participate and too dependent to function successfully at independent stations. Naturally, I listened very carefully to these experienced teachers, and then I decided to ignore them. Before September was finished, I had successfully run station rotations in all of my classes, which included English 10 and English 10 Honors.
Vanguard Teacher Program
Email: eric.haines@fcps.org
Website: vanguard.fcps.org
Phone: 301-644-5182
Twitter: @EHaines24