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“Our current crisis demonstrates that the nation’s outdated approach to teaching and learning in K-12 education is no longer the right tool for the task of ensuring each child graduates and has the requisite skills for lifelong learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity,”
~Susan Patrick, Aurora Institute president and CEO
As we return back to school, it is evident that we must shift our mindset. Student learning gaps will be evident at the start of school and how they enter classrooms will be different than prior years.
Following tried and true educational principles will be essential: increased colleague collaboration, identifying learning gaps (best practice always grounded in assessment) at beginning of year, but also at beginning of new unit, developing plan for virtual classrooms, identifying steps to address acceleration, remediation, social and emotional needs, etc.
The Principal as Leader
The Principal as Leader
Communicate expectations for staff:
keep expectations high, but realistic
rethink starting points for each grade level/course
identify and communicate teaching principles for online learning, see Chickering and Gamson's "seven core principles" below
provide Professional Development
Provide guidance on specific classroom setup
Provide clear examples of good classroom organization
View classroom from a parent and student perspective
Consider teaming staff members to coteach: those with strong tech skills with those with strong face to face skills
Identify specific online tools for teachers to use for consistency
Provide specific guidance as to curriculum expectations
Unified assessments to identify learning gaps/deficits
Identify pacing for standards completion
opportunities for compacting, enrichment, acceleration, remediation, personalized learning
Determine what is best done in person via what is best done at home
Set expectations for student and teacher engagement
What will this look like?
video of teacher teaching x days/week, Discussion boards, informal assessments, etc.
Have access to each online classroom
Be visible in classroom
Provide appropriate professional development on online student engagement, active learning techniques, giving prompt feedback, etc.
Teaching Principles for Online Learning
1. Encourage student-faculty contact.
2. Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students.
3. Use active learning techniques.
4. Give prompt feedback.
5. Emphasize time-on-task.
6. Communicate high expectations.
7. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.
The Principal as Supervisor
The Principal as Supervisor
Ensure compliance of expectations set
Evaluate online course design
Observe online teaching
Evaluate online teaching
see evaluation tools below as option
Monitor student achievement
Synch-Online-CET-Course-Design-Syllabus-Review-Checklist.docxCET-Sync-Online-Teaching-Observation-Checklist-.docx
Chickering and Gamson's "seven core principles" for good teaching
The Principal as Communicator
The Principal as Communicator
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place,”
~George Bernard Shaw
Routinely communicate with staff expectations, goals, process, procedures
Schedule routine grade level/team meetings:
effectiveness of digital platform
review parent survey data, implement changes as needed
review assessment data, should inform future teaching (and style of online instruction)
curriculum audits to include pacing
Routinely communicate with families.
Consider:
Virtual meetings with parents
Virual trainings for parents: step by step of digital tools, online environment, what to expect from teachers, what we expect from students, online grading
Parent surveys to gather input, feedback and needs
Resources
Resources
EL_Special_Report_April_15_2020.pdfiNCL_NationalPrimerv22010-web1.pdfnational-standards-for-quality-online-teaching-v2.pdfiNACOL_promising-practices-in-online-learning-management-and-operations.pdfiNACOL_Quality_Metrics.pdf
Research/Articles
Research/Articles
Taylor, A. H. (2010). A peer review guide for online courses at Penn State. http://facdev.e-education.psu.edu/sites/default/files/PeerReview_OnlineCourses_PSU_Guide_Form_28Sept2010.pdf.
Tobin, T. J. (2004). Best practices for administrative evaluation of online faculty. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 7(2). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer72/tobin72.html.
Tobin, T.J. The eLearning Leader's Toolkit for Evaluating Online Teaching. http://mathcs.duq.edu/~tobin/cv/20171101%20AECT%20Spring%20Book%20Chapter%20Tobin.pdf
Betts, K. (2013). Lost in translation: Importance of effective communication in online education. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration 16(2). https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer122/betts122.html.
Tobin, T. J. Don’t Tell the Faculty: Administrators’ Secrets to Evaluating Online Teaching. https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall183/tobin183.html
Jenkins, Adam (2015) A Roadmap for Evaluating Online Teaching. https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.1145/2816811.2815650
Tobin, T.J. (March 2020). Now is Not the Time to Assess Online Learning. http://mathcs.duq.edu/~tobin/cv/20200326.Chronicle.Now.Is.Not.The.Time.pdf
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