Organising Distance Learning
This blog post details some of the platforms schools can use to deliver distance learning . There is more detail on each below.
More on Delivering Distance Learning can be found here.
Our digital team can give free advice to schools needing help setting up remote learning. If needing more support you can repurpose existing PLD hours.
Most of these ideas can be used for delivering staff PLD and admin as well. This blog post discusses delivering online PLD.
- a group for NZ Educators wanting to develop and share ideas for delivering creative and connected NCEA tasks that allow students to gather evidence for multiple standards whilst working remotely.
Main Platform
Use one organisational platform to coordinate everything. Suggestions below. This can be used to collate resources and to share them with learners and allows for communication with (and in some cases, from) learners.
For schools using GSuite this is a great tool to deliver information, resources and tasks to learners. You can pose questions for learners to answer and easily share tasks, documents, forms, resources etc with them. Google tools are easily integrated with Google Classroom. You can use Google Meet for class meetings and these can be scheduled from within Classroom using a permanent code that doesn't allow students to join without the teacher.
For schools using Microsoft 365, Teams is a useful organisational tool. You can use it to deliver information, resources and tasks to learners. You can pose questions for learners to answer and easily share documents. OneNote Class Notebooks are integrated with Teams. You may need an administrator to turn on Teams.
Seesaw is very easy to use, learners from age 5 can learn to use it for viewing and uploading their work. It allows for video, images, links, files, audio and sketches to be shared. You can send announcements and resources to learners. Parents can link to their child's account. Has private and public settings. You'll need a separate platform to gather learner voice. Seesaw now has individual home learning codes for students who use a code or QR code to sign in. Loads of great PLD on Seesaw here.
Originally more of a behaviour management tool this site has expanded to allow for sharing of resources and student work. You'll need a separate platform to gather learner voice.
Resource Storage
Have one place where all resources such as videos and files are kept. This means learners can always find what they are looking for.
For schools using GSuite this is a very easy way to collate resources in one place. Resources could be grouped by themes or classes. It is easy to add videos and images and insert or link to Drive folders and documents. Make sure to select the New Google Sites for easy to use site creation.
Class or School Website
If you have an existing school or class website that is easy for teachers to edit and add to, then use that. If not then you can easily create one using Google Sites. You could add a link to your new resource site on the class or school website.
Google Drive folders can be used to store resources. Learners can be given the link to the folder with View access. You can create folders within a main folder for easy organisation.
Schools using Microsoft 365 can use OneDrive to store resources. Learners can be given the link to the folder with View access. You can create folders within a main folder for easy organisation.
Creating Resources
The following tools can be used to create resources to share with learners. They enable sharing of resources with everything related to a topic all in one place. They can be shared with learners via a link or printed.
Google Slides or Powerpoint
You can add video , text, audio, images and links to a presentation. If there are too many pages however it can get a bit unwieldy and a site could be used to store several small presentations each with their own themes. If it is larger consider using a Contents page with links to other pages in the presentation.
This page has info about creating your own videos to share content with learners.
Book creator is a free online (ipad app $9) site that can be used to create multimedia books. It is very easy to use and it can produce a high quality book that can be printed or published online. You can easily add text, video, audio, images, sketches etc. Preferably use several smaller theme-based presentations rather than one really large one. If it is larger consider using a Contents page with links to other pages in the book
Access
Remember that students may have limited access to a device so have a mix of online and offline activities and provide offline choices for activities where possible. Phones and other devices can be used for students to access daily tasks which have online and offline activities as can PS4s and Xboxes (see below).
Gaming Platform Browser Access
If a household has issues around access to laptops etc, students with gaming consoles can access Google Classroom and other browser-based apps on their PS4 or XBox using the built in internet browsers. Watch the videos for more info.
Nintendo Switch is possible but complicated and not recommended as this device's browser is only designed for logging in to wifi hotspots.
The console handheld controllers can be used to navigate the browsers or a bluetooth keyboard and mouse can be connected.