Tips on how to optimize operations, foster connection, and encourage best practices for remote learning.
Schools across the globe are moving to online learning while teachers and administrators work furiously to facilitate the transition. While this is new to many schools in the US, many schools located outside the US have been operating remotely for weeks. They have already navigated the transition and now have a wealth of knowledge to share. We took the opportunity to discuss the process and potential pitfalls with UNIS Hanoi. What follows is a look at their experience in middle and high school, complete with advice for schools currently transitioning to remote learning. Consider the tips below to optimize operations, foster connection, and encourage best practices.
In lieu of an in-person conference, UNIS Hanoi and others are putting together a virtual conference to share more about distance learning. There will be sessions about:
Work backwards: If you want students to be checking their class websites every day but they aren’t currently using their student portal, you will have some work to do to set expectations and empower them. UNIS Hanoi was already using Veracross for the gradebook, but had to provide training for its constituents so that everyone would know what was expected and how to do it
The Veracross LMS lesson plans feature is a great way to communicate upcoming tasks and assignments without extra work. By completing lesson plans in Veracross, teachers can publish them directly to parents and students without redundant efforts. Use assignments, rather than email, to communicate the work that is due. Include full descriptions, due dates, and attach documents so students have a full understanding of expectations.
Timelines bring everything together in a single place for each class: assignments, discussions, posts, galleries, and lesson plans. If teachers are using all these elements, students have the benefit of a holistic view.
When school is not meeting on campus, it can be easy to feel like nothing is happening even amid robust online learning. To communicate progress, use Axiom to create queries to share with your parents, your board, and your whole community. You can create reports based on logins, assignments, etc., and then post them in your teacher portal, export them to share with the community, and even create charts to show the learning that is happening.
