Video Conferencing

Teaching during Covid-19

Guidelines for teachers in Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board Schools were developed to support teachers on Distance Learning and Video Conferencing.

The guidelines were distributed to all teachers via a Handbook by email.

For further information, please contact Director of Schools.

Table of Contents 2

Virtual Meetings using Videoconferencing 3

Video Conferencing Platforms in use in Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board 3

Video Conferencing Platforms in Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board Schools 3

Ground Rules to agree with Parents/Guardians & Students 4

Teachers and Video Conferencing 5

Simple steps for Teachers to Manage Video Conferencing Classes 5

Tips for Teachers when using Conferencing Tools 7

Providing Feedback to Students 7

Additional Education Needs & Best Practices for Educators 8

Advice for Guidance Counsellors in Schools 8

NEPS Advice & Resources during Covid-19 8

Continuity of guidance provision 9

Advice from ETBI Legal Services Support Unit 9

Virtual Board of Management Meetings 13

Board discussion at the virtual meeting 13

Child Protection Oversight Report in the context of board meetings held remotely 13

Resellers and Additional Support 18

References 19

Coronavirus / Covd-19 2

Responding to the Crisis 2

Guidelines & Etiquette for Teachers using Teleconferencing Tools 2

Virtual Meetings using Videoconferencing

As remote working becomes part of our day-to-day lives, the use of remote conferencing technologies such as Google Meet, Zoom, WebEx, MS Teams have grown in a sudden and not always structured manner.

Conference calls are by their nature an open and not always secure environment by virtue of the fact you are never entirely sure of whom you are speaking to particularly in larger meetings. Discussions of a confidential or classified nature should not be conducted over these means. Given the difficulties in ensuring a fully secure multi-party video conference in general, a good rule of thumb is: "Assume what goes on a Video Conference will not always stay on a Video Conference." (National Cyber Security Centre NCSC, 2020)

Video Conferencing Platforms in use in Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board schools are using one of four Teleconferencing Apps across its network of schools.

A working group of principals, deputy principals and teachers are available to provide advice and support if required (please contact your Principal or Deputy Principal if you require names and contact details for these teachers).

Use of any other Teleconferencing App is prohibited on the grounds of data privacy and GDPR.

Video Conferencing Platforms in Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board Schools

Platform

Teleconferencing App

Reseller (Support)

Cisco

Cisco Webex

Compu b

Google

G Suite for Education

(Google Apps)

Meet

Google

(Support Team at LCETB)

Microsoft

Office 365

Teams

365 Learning

Zoom

Zoom for Education (Avoid using Zoom)

Zoom Pro is free for Education for six months

IMS

Ground Rules to agree with Parents/Guardians & Students

Communication between the school and parents/guardians on the use of teleconferencing applications is essential for the safe and effective use of the option for both students and staff.

The school has informed parents/guardians about the details of how teleconferencing operates during school closure. A distance learning environment takes place in a virtual classroom with students the teacher is familiar with. It is essential that teachers maintain safe and ethical use of teleconferencing apps during distance learning. Students are expected to conduct themselves in line with the normal school rules that prevail in an actual classroom environment.

All schools have been advised to direct parents and guardians to a dedicated page on the school website with guidance for parents on the IT platforms in use at the school.

This page also includes helpful resources that are available at https://www.webwise.ie/ to support teachers, parents and students. The school’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) has been updated to reflect the use of teleconferencing platforms (Click Here to view this update).

Teachers should keep personal data safe when working from home and follow the data protection policy around the use of email in the school. Teachers should only use the school’s trusted networks or cloud services and comply with any rules and procedures about cloud or network access, login details and data sharing.

All locally-stored data should be adequately backed up in a secure manner. Useful information and guidance in this regard is available at this link: Data Protection Schools

Child Protection

Teachers should continue to be alert to the possibility that a child protection concern may arise in relation to students they come in contact with during on-line classes and should follow the normal practice, as though they were in school, as per the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017. In circumstances where it is not possible to jointly report a concern with the school Designated Liaison Person (DLP), the teacher should make their own report directly to Tusla and provide a copy of that report to the school DLP at the earliest opportunity.

Details are available on the Tusla website at https://www.tusla.ie/children-first/contact-a-social-worker3/ or through the Tusla online portal at https://www.tusla.ie/children-first/web-portal/

In cases of emergency, where a child appears to be at immediate and serious risk, and it is not possible to make contact with Tusla, An Garda Síochána should be contacted without delay. This may be done by contacting your local Garda Station.

Teachers and Video Conferencing

Be Safe Online - www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/be-safe-online/ is the Government’s campaign to highlight ways to help teachers stay safe online. This webpage provides access to a wide range of Online Safety resources, to support online safety for all.

The NCSC offers the following advice for securing virtual meetings:

Ensure you use the most updated version of the App (not applicable in Google Meet)
Prioritise using the Web Browser over Desktop or mobile application to access your Video Conferencing application.
When scheduling a meeting avail of "Waiting Room" or "Green Room" function
Make sure to enable features that alert of newly joined participants - audible tone
The teacher should restrict who is allowed to use their camera and microphone
Minimise the use of the chat and file sharing functions or disable entirely if not required
Do not give control of your screen unless you know and can verify the individual you are passing control
Select "Lock Meeting" function or similar once all expected guests have joined the meeting
Before starting a class, make sure to check who exactly is on the call from the Participants menu
Consider making registration a requirement
Do not allow students to record the class. The teacher may decide to share the recording after the class.

Simple steps for Teachers to Manage Video Conferencing Classes

Record your classes if you are worried about ‘live’ teaching

Teachers can decide to record a class (with just the teacher himself/herself teaching) and share it with students later if the teacher is not comfortable with an online class. This is also effective in situations where students are unwell or are struggling with internet access and miss a live streamed class. A teacher could record videos of the teaching content instead and send them to students so that they can watch in their own time. This can also be useful to reinforce teaching and learning and helpful for revision purposes.

Keep videos short

Videos longer than 15 minutes can cause issues of slow downloading and learner distraction. If you have more to say, record two or three short videos.

Test out slides

Make sure you test slides on a smartphone before starting your class so all text is readable on small screens. Font sizes, colours, template designs and screen ratios can be double-checked. Many students may be using smartphones to access online learning.

Give specific instructions

When you suggest online media which runs for longer than 15 minutes, students will be put off watching. Instead, suggest the exact parts they need (eg 13:35 to 16:28) as this can make students more curious. When you provide more than two resources, label them in the order you want students to approach them. Simple numbering, based on the level of difficulty or importance of each resource item, can be of great help for your students.

Set reasonable expectations

It is important for teachers to appreciate the pressures that some students may encounter when they are trying to learn from home. Some students could be caring for younger siblings, be significantly distracted, have inadequate access to a space for learning, be required to share a device with other family members etc.

Teachers need to balance the work that is given to ensure they can provide feedback to students and allow for teachers to balance their own reality of working from home. The emphasis should be on learning intentions that are realistic and achievable.
On-line classes should be shorter than regular classes.
Schools and teachers should set reasonable time-frames for return of work.
Teachers could ask students to write a summary of class video or shared video.
A set of 15 short questions or a 300-word limit could be sufficient to engage students.
Let students work in small groups - Think, Pair, Share & Post

Teachers could set up online group spaces for small groups of students and ask them to support and consult with one another before sending emails back to the teacher. This could save time for teachers and promote peer-learning.

Timing

For live classes of longer than 15 minutes, it is recommended to include pauses for reflection, questions, and insights. Research suggests videos should be a maximum of six to eight minutes. Students should get a break to ask questions, debate the video, answer follow-on questions based on the video from the teacher.

Tips for Teachers when using Conferencing Tools

Starting a Class

If it’s your first time using Video Conferencing, schedule your class in the application for your desired date/time and email the invitation link details to students.
Join your class a couple minutes early to ensure a proper connection.
Set aside some time to ensure that students are able to connect their audio and video.
Give an agenda or plan for each class by Screen Sharing a document or slide at the beginning of class.
Discuss online etiquette and expectations of the students in your first virtual class and periodically revisit the topics.
Take time to promote questions, comments, and reactions.
Give students a chance to allow your students to write their questions in chat, or be unmuted to ask their questions live.
Divide into smaller groups for a discussion on a certain topic.
Ask students to present and share ideas/comments with the class.
Speak as if you’re face-to-face with the class while ensuring you’re at the appropriate distance from the microphone for the best audio experience.
When delivering a presentation, sharing images, files or video, give your students a moment to open or take in what you’ve shared.
Use the chat tool to connect regularly with students during on-line classes.
Encourage students to find a quiet space in which to participate where they won’t be interrupted. However, students should not use bedrooms.
In the event of audio or video problems use the chat facility.

Providing Feedback to Students

Keeping in touch with students – the importance of providing feedback and advice

Teacher feedback to students is very important to ensure continuity and progression in learning, to affirm students’ work and to ensure that students stay motivated and focused while working at home. In this regard, teachers should ensure that:

They respond regularly to students with helpful feedback on the work that the students submit to them
They are flexible and agree timelines for return of work with parents and students
Their feedback is relevant and easily understood
Their feedback informs the next stage of learning
Their feedback is manageable for both teachers and students
Their feedback is specific – there should not be an over-reliance on self-correcting tools or generic feedback.

Additional Education Needs & Best Practices for Educators

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (USA) has created an excellent website portal of resources available to teachers in designing content for students with Additional Education Needs . The site also has a search feature to locate resources about specific topics related to AEN.

Please refer to the links and resources for teachers below on best practices to ensure the accessibility of self-created educational materials and presentations:

WebAIM Resources for Developing Accessible Educational Materials
How to Make Presentations Accessible to All (W3C)

Advice for Guidance Counsellors in Schools

Following the closure of schools and further education settings, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NCGE has developed the following information for school Guidance Counsellors to support the delivery of remote / online guidance.

Local decisions about the nature and suitability of remote / online school guidance provision should be discussed and agreed by School Management and Guidance Counsellor(s) and documented accordingly.

School management and Guidance Counsellors have autonomy and may plan for and schedule guidance classes and one-to-one meetings with students using remote / online platforms in line with school policy.

To provide clarity and to support post-primary school management and Guidance Counsellors in their planning and provision of one-to-one or small group guidance counselling and guidance classes to students during the Covid-19 school closures the document available at this link may be useful. Please note that Zoom Education should be used by schools.

NEPS Advice & Resources during Covid-19

The Department of Education and Skills’ NEPS psychologists have developed advice and some resources for young people to manage and stay well when schools are closed.

NEPS psychologists have developed guidance for parents supporting children to create new routines at home. Having a Plan for the Day is key for children/young people to manage and stay well at this time.

Guide for Parents Supporting Children with Routines

NEPS psychologists have developed advice for parents and schools on talking to children and young people about Covid-19 here.

Continuity of guidance provision

Guidelines for continued provision of Guidance Counselling and resources to support practice

Advice from ETBI Legal Services Support Unit

This advice relates to the use of certain computer programs and applications (apps) to deliver teaching content and as a means of assessment, the data protection implications of using such and working from home more generally. It includes the Data Protection Commission’s guidelines and information on privacy and communicating with parents of students.

This advice does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.

In general, communication between staff and students / learners should only take place on approved applications and platforms. Therefore, any direct contact using other methods such as voice, text, other apps. etc. should only be availed of in exceptional circumstances, be extremely limited and only be allowed within guidelines approved by the ETB. If a teacher / tutor is unsure about whether a particular platform is approved, s/he should contact the ICT department for his/her ETB and the Director of Schools.

It is essential that before using any Video Conferencing tools, students and learners are reminded that classroom rules still apply and that the school’s / centre’s code of behaviour and discipline rules remain in place. Students / learners should also be reminded that good manners and etiquette are still expected, along with appropriate dress code during video calls.

Data Protection implications

A school’s / centre’s data protection obligations remain largely the same despite the unsettling environment within which we are currently operating. Therefore, staff must be familiar with their GDPR obligations in the use of all devices. The use of apps which have not been determined as being GDPR compliant is prohibited.

It is important to implement the following measures when educating remotely:

Be aware that a person may record or screenshot a video conference etc.
Do not stream audio or video from student / learner devices unless it is unavoidable and essential.
Only share recorded personal images / video footage of the teacher/tutor where necessary.
Avoid losing or misplacing devices such as phones, laptops or tablets.
If possible, use encryption to restrict access to your device and to reduce the risk regarding the personal data if your device were stolen or misplaced; Staff should check if their ETB has recommendations for encryption and should implement the same.
If a device is stolen or misplaced, report this to your Principal or Centre Manager and copy the ICT Department on the mail also, as it may be possible to carry out a remote memory wipe.
Ensure that your device is locked if you have to leave it unattended for any reason (on a computer this can be done by clicking the button with a ‘windows’ symbol on it + ‘L’ at the same time).
When you are not using your device, ensure that it is turned off, locked, or stored carefully.
Ensure passwords are unique (e.g. do not use the same password for a personal activity as for the VSware account etc.).
Be alert to the possibility of impersonation, trickery, deception, phishing, social engineering etc.
Immediately notify the Principal or Centre Manager and copy the ICT Department on the mail also if anyone attempts to obtain unauthorised access to personal data.
Use strong passwords (8 characters, mixture of alphanumeric, upper- and lower-case, and symbols, e.g. %, £, & etc.) and change them regularly. Never share log-in credentials. If you must give someone access to your account to access resources unexpectedly, the password should be changed immediately thereafter.
Never allow someone else to see the password being entered (particularly students/learners).
If possible, PCs and laptops should have two step password protection requiring that the user enter a password and a pin number which can be sent to a mobile phone.
Keep anti-virus and anti-malware software up to date and install patches when required.
Ensure that all devices have the updates required e.g. operating system updates (such as iOS or android) or software updates.
Smartphones should have some basic protection such as anti-virus / anti malware installed. There are free versions available, but if you are unsure, contact your ETB’s ICT Department.
Ensure that data are kept safe and secure.
Store any device in a safe location i.e. a position which minimises the number of persons who can view the screen, particularly if working with special category data.
Adhere to all school policies and protocols and follow all instructions given by the Principal or Centre Manager.

Microsoft Office 365, Google G Suite for Education and Apple iWork

In relation to GDPR, where a school is availing of a system such as Microsoft Office 365 (or similar equivalents like G Suite, Apple iWork), Microsoft (or Google or Apple) is acting as a data processor when processing the school’s data. It is understood that when signing up to the system, the school was offered (and accepted) a Data Processing Agreement (GDPR Article 28) which addresses the major GDPR compliance issues. This means that the main issues for schools using such systems are usually local ones, i.e. ensuring that staff are using the systems in a secure manner. These systems have been used by schools for some time now, so it is reasonable to have confidence that the majority of the risks arising from their use have been identified and addressed, in addition to the requirement of the data processor to have adequate security in place to protect the personal data, as is set out in the aforementioned data processing agreements.

The Data Protection Commission

The DPC has published beneficial advice in relation to remote working which you might consider sharing with your staff and is available at - https://dataprotection.ie/en/protecting-personal-data-when-working-remotely-0

You may also wish to request that IT staff/service provider or both examine other relevant DPA advice (such as that on Data Security which is available at https://dataprotection.ie/en/guidance-landing/guidance-controllers-data-security to ensure that the school’s / centre’s practices comply with same.

Privacy & communication with parents

Students / learners and parents may have concerns about students’ / learners’ images and voices being transmitted remotely over the internet so it is important that students / learners and parents are informed that the use of mobile phones or other devices to photograph or record staff or other students / learners for the purposes of publication elsewhere is strictly prohibited and in breach of those individuals’ basic human right to privacy.

Parents should be communicated with so they can satisfy themselves of their child’s safe use of distance learning platforms in relation to privacy. Schools / centres need to make parents aware if the school /centre is seeking for the student / learner to avail of video communication with teachers / SNAs / tutors etc.

Recommended Update to Acceptable User Policy regarding use of Video Conferencing

Reasonable Use

Our school utilises Video Conferencing during periods of school closure. Distance learning is a way of learning remotely without being in regular face-to-face contact with a teacher in the classroom. There are many benefits to teaching and learning in this way, and students and teachers have the tools and expertise to use Video Conferencing to sustain learning.

Our school provides a Video Conferencing option for our students and staff. It is expected that students and staff will use the platform in a professional and ethical manner for the purpose of teaching, learning and assessment.

The use of Video Conferencing requires students and teachers to observe the following rules in order to ensure that both staff and students benefit from this way of teaching and learning. Students and Staff should never;

Post, stream or transmit any content, including live video, that violates this Policy in such a way that is offensive to students / staff.
Do anything illegal, facilitate any illegal activity, or promote violence.
Do anything that threatens, exploits or otherwise harms children or fellow students.
Engage in any activity that is harmful, obscene, or indecent. This includes offensive gestures, displays of nudity, violence, pornography, sexually explicit material, or criminal activity.
Engage in any activity that is fraudulent, false, or misleading.
Engage in any activity that is defamatory, harassing, threatening or abusive.
Store or transmit any data or material that is fraudulent, unlawful, harassing, libelous, threatening, obscene, indecent or otherwise inappropriate.
Send unauthorized messages or irrelevant material.
Misrepresent a user’s identity or affiliation with any entity or organization, or impersonate any other person.
Harvest, collect, or gather user data without consent.
Violate or infringe any intellectual property or proprietary rights of others, including copyrights.
Violate the privacy of others or distribute confidential or personal information of others.
Engage in any activity that is harmful or disruptive to the operation of on-line classes. This includes transmitting viruses, malware or other malicious or destructive code or using tools that mask IP address location or to otherwise circumventing restrictions on use due to regulations or account closures.

If school authorities are made aware of any abuse or infringement on these rules, the school will investigate the issue and take immediate, appropriate action where warranted in line with the school’s Code of Behaviour.

Virtual Board of Management Meetings

Virtual board meetings are becoming more common since Covid-19 emerged. Boards of Management in schools will need to hold some meetings via video conferencing with important board decisions on the school Admissions policies, Section 29s and other school related business.

Video conferencing meetings can be very effective and are the best option in the absence of face-to-face meetings.

Invitation and Board Papers

The Secretary to the Board should email/post the board papers in the normal recommended way (best practice is 7 days) for a board meeting.

The email/letter should Include this handbook to help board members to become familiar with the requirements for virtual meetings.

Managing the Meeting

Starting the Meeting

The secretary should host the meeting and commence the call 15 minutes prior to the meeting so that people can dial in and ensure their camera and audio are working fine.
Meetings should start with general informalities and greetings while people wait for the entire board to be on-line. Research shows that if people talk during the first few minutes of a virtual meeting they participate more in the rest of the meeting.
Once a quorum is established, the secretary can ask the Chairperson to commence the meeting formally.
Board members should be requested to mute their microphones once the meeting commences as background noise is a common challenge for a virtual meeting.
The secretary can display various board papers during the course of the meeting so everyone sees the same document at the same time. Board members already have the meeting application running on their laptop/tablet, and it may be confusing to open a separate program to read the document.

Board discussion at the virtual meeting

The Chairperson can stop the meeting at various stages to ask board members to comment and discuss the topics of the agenda.

Child Protection Oversight Report in the context of board meetings held remotely

For the duration of the Covid 19 emergency measures, the requirement to provide a Child Protection Oversight Report (CPOR) will not apply to any board meetings held remotely, whether by video conference or teleconference. This is because it is not possible to meet the requirement to provide to board members the specified documentation at the board meeting. The Principal must continue to maintain the relevant data and records for the CPOR which shall be provided at the next face to face meeting of the board. The information and data in that report must reflect cases arising since the previous CPOR was provided to the board.

Concluding the Meeting

The meeting can conclude in the normal way as that of face to face meetings with the Board agreeing the Agreed Report to the School community.

Resellers and Additional Support

Cisco Webex:
- - Compu b: https://www.compub.com/education
  - Wriggle: Wriggle: https://www.wriggle.ie/home
Google:
- - G Suite for Education:
  - https://support.google.com/a/answer/2856827?hl=en
  - Camara Education: https://camara.org/
Microsoft:
- - Microsoft Teams:
  - Tara 365 Learning: https://365learning.ie/
  - Wriggle: https://www.wriggle.ie/home
Zoom:
- - Integrated Media Solutions: https://ieducate.ie/

References

National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) 2020: https://www.ncsc.gov.ie/pdfs/WFH-Advisory.pdf
Data Protection Ireland: https://www.dataprotection.ie/
DataProtectionSchools.ie: http://www.dataprotectionschools.ie/en/
PDST Technology in Education: https://www.pdsttechnologyineducation.ie/en/
Webwise: https://www.webwise.ie/