Remote Learning: What I have learned

Launching into Remote Learning was an abrupt and unexpected turn of events for all in education. The learning curve has been steep and quite challenging, requiring flexibility and adaptability to cope with the rapid pace of events as they have unfolded through the past weeks.

Remote learning has meant that teachers have had to find new ways to connect with their students in a way that is virtual. The challenge is still to provide lessons that are engaging and providing quality learning, while the students are in their own homes. Students themselves are grappling with understanding this new context for learning. Parents are having to determine the best routines for their child's education. It has been a daunting situation for many.

The platform that our school uses for Kindergarten to Year 4 is Seesaw. This platform is easy to use for younger students providing a range of tools that students can easily access.

What I have learned through this has been to develop skills that were

1. Organisation
Each day is planned for parents and students. I sent my Day Plan each day to families so that they could see what was coming up the following day. It was clear that students could not sustain the same levels of focus that are expected in the classroom environment. Creating a plan that parents and students could follow each day helped them to structure their day. English and Mathematics became the priority while other subjects were optional.
The plan was consistent each day with English and Maths set early in the day. Many platforms allow for lessons to be set at a certain time each day.
Having a lot of lessons at once was confusing for a lot of students. We found that it was easier for students if we staggered the lessons throughout the day.

2. Variety and Engagement
I found that having a variety of different activities that didn't involve always being on the computer, helped to engage my students. Different ways of presenting information using Screencastify and Powerpoints, Nearpod and Quizlet were different ways of being able to present information and encourage engagement in lessons.

3. Relationship 

This was a very important part of remote learning. I learnt a lot about my student's from interacting with them when they were in their homes. I found that I needed to support them and make personal contact with them as much as possible. They needed to see what everyone else was doing too. Google Meets became important because they got face to face contact with each other. 

4. Teaching remotely is hard work!

It required patience and tenacity each day. A structured routine was essential for myself and my students. Keeping things consistent became essential but also finding activities that would take students away from their computers. I posted videos twice a day. The first was to let everyone know about the day. At the end of the day, I would summarise the day's learning. 

What have I kept in my teaching as a result?

I have kept much of the organisation that I set up this year as. I felt it was important for the students to have some consistency about learning. Areas such as spelling I now record tests and have students record their words in Seesaw. 

It has made me more confident to use a more blended approach to learning. I have also worked to maintain relationships that I established with students in remote learning.