Remote, Online, Blended?

We have had quite a journey these last few months and we continue to take heart that we are not alone but working side-by-side to figure out approaches that work for staff and students. What is very clear is the bravery it takes to learn new processes and procedures with calmness and kindness. I am so appreciative of how our district supports one another whether it is in resources or in emotionally connecting with each other.

We continue to compile information and workshop recordings on our site: Continuing Learning. This may be the use of blogs and student blogFolios to tell/share your story and instructions with parents and students. It may be through Teams in the dissemination and assessment of assignments. Or it may be a combination of blogs, Teams, student portfolios and other tools with a smattering of video conferencing. No matter the platform or tool, the key is to offer a rich environment to learn and dabble in the pond.

As we move into the next phase of blended learning and assessment, here are some strategies for alternative ways to work. Some may even speed up your procedures.

• Pre-set your blog publish dates – Who has time to write at the last minute? In  the Publish  Box,  click  the  arrow  next  to  Publish  immediately-you’ll  see  a date/time  option to schedule your posts or pages.
• Use Categories to group your posts of similar topics. When participants select a specific category, they see a full list of every post grouped in that category (no need to search and scan). It is like having an organized file folder of content.
• Making instructional videos for students to watch or replay anytime? This strategy allows for the greatest amount of flexibility for students and parents. Save them in your OneDrive and if needed, set a password to secure it behind a wall and set a date to close access. Click here for instructions.
• Created videos stored in Stream? What if you want to ask comprehension questions in-between the recording requiring the students to stop and think or answer. In Stream select your video, click the option Interactivity > Forms. This allows the adding of an embedded interactivity throughout the video. You’ll find the instruction on the video in Continuing Learning, Teams And Assessment May 15 (at 1:18:00 minutes).