Distance Learning Strategies

Resources for Approaching Distance and Online Learning, University of Minnesota Office of Teacher Education: These PDF resource sheets from the teacher education folks at UMN include practical ideas for communication, student engagement and relationship building, lesson design, organization, delivering content, assessment, and more.

Coronavirus Resources: Teaching, Learning and Thinking Critically, New York Times: The New York Times posted this useful compilation of great ideas for distance learning, including activity ideas, lesson plans, and links to learning materials, as well as student-friendly resources for keeping up to date on the outbreak. The site is updated regularly, and would be an excellent resource for teachers at all grade levels.

How to Support Home Learning in Elementary Grades, Edutopia: Though written with elementary students in mind, the tips are applicable to any grade level, and include advice on supporting Social Emotional Learning and establishing classroom community remotely. Key quote: “It’s OK to give ourselves time and permission to figure this out. Please realize home learning will be different, and that’s OK too—it will be hard, and it won’t replace interacting face-to-face. But we can work to set up home learning activities that we hope our students will use to keep their love of learning alive.”

Teaching & Learning Distance Learning Guiding Principles: Recommendations from the 916 Teaching & Learning team to guide your distance learning planning, including daily interaction, communication, engaging with care, and connecting with a "buddy" or other supportive professional relationships.

Basic Principles of Equity Literacy, Equity Literacy Institute: This brief article by the Equity Literacy Institute highlights their eight basic Equity Principles. How might these principles support us in considering more equitable solutions?

Online Teaching Can Be Culturally Responsive, Teaching Tolerance: We have all been scrambling to adapt our practices and learn new skills in order to move to an online environment. Dr. Rachel Mahmood urges us to pause and consider how our newfound skills and context can meet the needs of all learners. In her article, Online Teaching Can Be Culturally Responsive, she provides examples of what partnership, centering students, and creating communal learning opportunities can look like from a distance.

Equity Literacy During the COVID-19 Crisis, Equity Literacy Institute: Marceline Dubose and Paul Gorski wrote a piece asking us all to reflect on our equity literacy during this crisis. In this resource, you will find excellent reflective questions to think through individually or in classroom teams, equity considerations and recommendations for our moment, and additional resources to support further learning and ideas for our practice that center equity.

Equity Lens Reflection and Exploration Tool for Learning, Minnesota Department of Education. This resource, the collaborative work of Minnesota equity leaders, offers useful and provocative questions to guide our thinking as we engage students and families in distance learning. In this moment of designing and implementing new forms of distance learning, it encourages educators to consider authentic equity first, not as an afterthought; to allow time for thoughtful decision-making; and to collaborate with multiple perspectives.

"Do Something" Performance Tasks, Teaching Tolerance: A list of tasks asking students to apply literacy and social justice knowledge in a real-life context. These would be great both as stand-alone lessons and opportunities for students to introduce themselves to their classmates and explore the identities they bring to the space.

Mo Willems' Lunch Doodle: Let's lighten things up! Consider creating time for students to join illustrator and author Mo Willems for his daily Lunch Doodle -- all doodle sessions are archived in case you miss one, and include downloadable templates for creating your own doodles. This could be a great way for students to use their creativity to connect with each other and with you!