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sSchool News
Here’s the biggest mistake educators make with remote learning
The pandemic has caused a shift to remote learning instead of
face-to-face--and presents a unique opportunity for educators across
the globe.
By Dennis Pierce
December 30th, 2020
Education thought leader Alan November isn’t shy about discussing what
he believes is a key misstep that many educators are making in shifting
to web-based instruction during the pandemic.
Instead of taking the same techniques that teachers have used in their
classrooms for years and trying to apply them within a remote learning
environment—an experience he compares to forcing a square peg into a
round hole—November believes teachers and administrators should view
the pandemic as an opportunity to reinvent education.
“We’re trying to recreate the traditional school experience
online,” he says. “What we should be doing is looking at models for
learning that are very different.”
How to structure remote learning in a way that leads to deeper learning
and engagement is a question that remains very relevant, even as the
current school year winds down. New guidance on reopening schools from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that students
be spaced six feet apart when they return to school, at least
initially—and K-12 leaders will have to apply some ingenuity to make
this happen.
If leaders follow the CDC’s recommendations, one option might be to
have cohorts of students alternate between in-person and remote
learning when schools reopen. This means online learning is likely to
continue in at least some capacity this fall.
Empower students to take charge of their learning
Based on initial data, it appears many educators will need to change
their practices if they want to engage students in learning online.
Even after working to bridge the digital divide by distributing more
than 100,000 laptops and tablets to students since mid-April, the
Chicago Public Schools found this effort hasn’t resulted in more remote
learning. Although 93 percent of the city’s students now have access to
digital lessons from home, 58,000 students—about a quarter of the
student population—didn’t log into the learning management system at
all during the week of May 11, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
November believes a lack of student motivation is the problem, and it
can be traced back to the design of online instruction. “The system
isn’t designed to motivate,” he says. “Don’t blame the kids.”
He isn’t alone in his assessment. Tom Daccord, co-founder and CEO of
EdTechTeacher, says educators are at one of three stages in leading
remote learning. Most are at stage one, he says, in which they’re
simulating their physical classroom environment online. They’re using
synchronous learning tools like Zoom or Google Meets to deliver
information and lead class discussions, just as they would in their
regular classroom.
“They’re striving for continuity during a period of great turmoil,” he
explains. While this can be comforting for both educators and students,
it’s not the best use of the online learning environment, Daccord
asserts.
In stage two, teachers are using sophisticated online tools such as
screencasting software and polling apps to create more active learning
environments. This results in deeper engagement for students, he
says—but it still puts the teacher at the center of the learning
process.
Teachers can get to stage three, Daccord says, by reframing the central
question from “How can I teach” to “How can my students learn,” which
puts students in charge of their education. “Instead of having students
watch a screencast, have them create videos and podcasts,” he advises.
“When students are creating their own content, they’re constructing
meaning—and they have more autonomy over their learning.”
Consider how students like to learn on their own
When designing high-quality remote learning experiences, educators
should take inspiration from how students like to learn outside of
school, November believes.
For instance, students enjoy seeing what their peers have created,
especially if it’s video content. They spent countless hours watching
content generated by other teens on sites like YouTube and Instagram.
If an assignment calls for students to understand the physics of
designing a structurally sound tower, November would have them look for
videos of their peers in Singapore explaining how they designed and
built towers for a science fair project, using the web search “site:sg
award winning science fair tower.” (The search term “site:sg” limits
the results to web content with the country code for Singapore.)
“My sense is that students would be so interested in what other kids
their age are capable of that it wouldn’t seem like work to them,” he
says.
Many students are also drawn to gaming, and educators can borrow
concepts from game theory in designing online lessons that students
would find engaging. When students are playing a video game, November
explains, they’re in control. They’re getting immediate feedback on
every decision they make, and they must work together with their peers
to solve a series of challenges. All of these design elements are
highly motivating.
By giving students some autonomy and allowing them make choices in how
they’ll learn, rather than creating highly structured online lessons or
activities, “you get a lot more work out of them,” he concludes.
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