Monday, November 2, 2020

Preparing for the (Second) Shift to e-Learning Checklist

As we monitored state and community COVID numbers during the first months of the 2020-21 school, we anticipated that we might not be able to keep K-8 students at school in person in our full time and hybrid models. After the first ten weeks of offering hybrid learning for our students K-8 in classrooms at 50% capacity (detailed more here in an earlier post), we had to shift to full time e-Learning. Thankfully we were able to use the time beforehand to prepare for this get our hybrid staff, students and their families ready. 

Fortunately this wasn't our first rodeo: back in March when school was shut down for the first time by the Minnesota Governor, we had shift to e-Learning, too, so we had a lot of experience on which to build. As I wrote back then, the pandemic has been a huge catalyst for technology integration. An added advantage with this second shift to e-Learning was that we were able to prepare the checklist below for our teachers to get ready for this change based on what we knew would need to happen. Another advantage this time around was the time we had to practice with our students in person and prepare them.

Because students in our Grade K-3 hybrid model came to school daily this fall, their teachers were less likely to be posting assignments in Seesaw, our K-3 learning management system, so we felt that these students needed the most practice. Our checklist included setting up expectations for both setting up Seesaw and practicing using it. Earlier this year we also had created Seesaw Expectations, similar to the Schoology Expectations for Grade 4-12 we have had for years. Our grade 4-5 students were e-Learning each Wednesday this fall, so the checklist included Schoology setup and practice with the upper elementary students, but many teachers had already taken care of this. Students in grades 6-8 were in person two days per week and online the other three, so they were already experiencing e-Learning regularly.

As you can see on the list below, our checklist encouraged teachers to practice using other tools beyond our LMS with students such as Google Meet, too:

Instructional Model Shift: K-5 e-Learning

Due to the uncertainty of the current times, below is a checklist that will prepare you, your students, and their families for a shift to e- Learning should this occur by classroom, school or as a whole district.  If you need help, please contact your tech coach.

By the end of the quarter, each of your K - 3 students should be able to...

  • use Folders and Calendar to filter Activities in Seesaw

  • complete a Seesaw Activity

  • participate in a Google Meet using a nickname

  • complete an assigned task in other programs (ex. SSO login, IXL, Pear Deck)

  • K-3 Homeroom Teachers Only: Reach out by phone to families who are not connected/have not accepted previous Seesaw invitations

By the end of the quarter, each of your 4-5 students should be able to...

  • use folders and calendar to navigate Schoology courses (review Schoology Expectations)

  • complete and submit a Schoology Assignment, Test/Quiz, Discussion Board

  • find assignment feedback/grades in Schoology

  • complete an assigned task in other programs (ex. SSO login, IXL, EdPuzzle, Classkick, Pear Deck, Padlet)

Other items to prepare for a possible transition to all eLearning:

  • Self Assess: Reflect on the tools and procedures your students would need to know for full-time eLearning

    • What instructional strategies work best for online teaching and learning?

    • What skills do you need to reinforce in order for students to learn online?

    • What routines, procedures, and/or norms need to be introduced if completely online?

  • Practice an e-Learning day while at school (this may be coordinated by school-wide):

    • Review how to access the learning plan and assignments for the day

    • Practice and clarify expectations for synchronous and asynchronous learning time

    • Practice using Google Meet (login with student Google account, mute mic, use headphones/turn down iPad volume,)

    • Practice solving common technology issues (turn off/on iPad, install/reinstall an app from Self Service, update iOS) and how to get help if they need it

  • Identify resources and materials students will need at home

  • Practice streaming live instruction with Google Meet

  • Practice recording and posting asynchronous lessons (recording Google Meets, Seesaw or Screencasting tools)

  • Think through teaching with tools in addition to SMART Notebook.

  • Consider saving files to your Google Drive in case you want/need to access remotely.

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Monday, October 26, 2020

Back by Popular Demand: LIKE Documentary + Expert Panel


Back by popular demand, Minnetonka is hosting a fourth (virtual online) screening of the compelling documentary LIKE followed by a discussion panel on Thursday, November 12, from 7-8:30 pm.

Last year, more than 800 K-12 parents and all Minnetonka students in grades 6-12 saw this powerful film about the very real effects social media can have on our lives. Watching/re-watching this film together will help continue conversations. Even parents of elementary students found the film incredibly valuable to see as they set up guidelines for their children around the use of personal technology tools. LIKE captures interviews with students, parents, psychologists, doctors and experts from a wide-range of fields and perspectives.  

This time, we are adding a panel discussion with experts featured in the film who will share ideas and resources to help parents and students work toward a healthy relationship with social media, personal technology, and entertainment screen time. Panelists include:
  • Max Stossel, Head of Education & Content at Center for Humane Technology

  • Dr. Jerry Bubrick, Senior Psychologist at Child Mind Institute

  • Scilla Andreen, CEO and Co-Founder of IndieFlix 

  • Dave Eisenmann, Director of Instructional Technology for Minnetonka Schools

RSVP on our District Digital Health & Wellness website to reserve a spot for the free screening or to receive access to a recording of the event for 48 hours afterwards. On the webpage, you may also view trailers of the film, watch a 20 minute talk I gave about managing screen time and setting technology guidelines, and view numerous tips and resources around iPads and more.

Thank you for your help discussing these topics with your students and family!

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        Monday, October 12, 2020

        Modifying School in Minnetonka During a Pandemic

        It's a big understatement to say that the Coronavirus pandemic has changed education. Ever since March it seems like the world of education has been turned upside down. Systems, routines and the structures we had set up pre-Covid all had to be adjusted, if not completely redone. In some cases whole new ways of doing things have been created. The past six months have been crazy busy, and it seems like each day brings new challenges to work through.

        This summer, teachers, administrators, parents and students worked hard on committees and planning groups to develop seven scenarios for this fall. Each committee of about 20 or more people created plans that would bring some of our students safely back to school on various schedules as well as create an e-learning school for those who need to stay at home.  Each team worked to figure out many things, including the following:

        • how rigorous, engaging, meaningful instruction would take place with video streaming and daily teacher-student interaction,
        • how high quality immersion will be implemented as part of the option,
        • what specific cleaning precautions will be part of the option,
        • what level of social distancing measures will be part of the option,
        • how student exceptions will be addressed under the option,
        • how teacher and para exceptions will be addressed under the option,
        • how Special Education will be delivered as part of the option,
        • how 504 plans will be managed and implemented as part of the option,
        • how ELL services will be delivered as part of the option, 
        • how mental health needs will be addressed,
        • how before/after school care would work, 
        • how pre-school would be delivered,
        • how other Community Education programs would be structured and
        • many other details that were unique to each option.

        In early August the seven plans were presented to our School Board which selected the following model for education in Minnetonka:

        • 100% e-Learning option for any student who wants that

        • Students and staff in grades K-3 will be in their home schools every day 

        • Students in grades 4-5 will be relocated to the high school building and will be assigned rooms throughout the school. Students in those grades from all elementary schools will be at the high school for four days per week. One day per week, Wednesday, will be virtual. 

        • Students in grades 6-8 will remain in their respective middle schools, with half of the students coming in two designated days each week and alternating with the other half of the student body for two opposite days. One day per week, Wednesday, will be virtual for all, with opportunities for individual students to access assistance and support.

        • Students in grades 9-12 will be virtual for four days per week. One day per week, Wednesday, students may come to Minnetonka High School for MAST and for some in-building classes with elements that cannot be easily done at home (such as labs, MOMENTUM, Minnetonka Research, VANTAGE and more). 

        Since this decision, our staff has worked very hard to put this plan into place. As I have been out in classrooms as well as seeing what teachers are doing with students online, I am so impressed. Back in May I wrote that the pandemic was a catalyst for technology integration in education, and that still is definitely the case. In the coming months I will highlight some of the amazing ways our teachers and students are using technology to enhance teaching and learning during this crazy time. 

        More on Minnetonka's Hybrid and e-Learning Plans for 2020-21

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        Monday, May 18, 2020

        Excellent Pandemic Parent Digital Well-Being Guidelines from The Center for Humane Technology

        Recently Max Stossel, Head of Education for the Center for Humane Technology, worked with child health experts to create some great digital well-being guidelines for parents during the COVID pandemic. I have a picture of the main guidelines below, but be sure to visit their site so you can expand each guideline and learn more. These guidelines nicely point out the importance of understanding the how and why behind technology tools and apps: how they work to grab our attention, sway our opinions, alter our emotions and affect our relationships. There’s no time better than now with extra space on our schedules to make time to discuss the role of technology in our lives and become more cognizant of our use—“Techcognition” as I've called it.
         
        Source
        Use some of your extra pandemic free time to discuss these important topics with your kids! 

         Note: Max was the narrator of the "Like" Documentary About the Impact of Social Media we showed to all Minnetonka 6-12 grade students and parents this year. If you haven't seen the LIKE documentary, consider watching Max Stossel's 45 minute recorded student assembly and/or 60 minute parent presentation here. It's almost the identical content, just not professionally produced like the documentary which included interviews and graphics, etc.

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        Wednesday, May 13, 2020

        Make the Most of Extra Pandemic Screen Time: Keep Entertainment In Check!

        Our family has an enormous amount of free time due to canceled activities  during the COVID-19 pandemic. My wife and I are no longer like passing ships shuttling kids between sports practices, music concerts, school events, church activities and more. Even though we are missing friends and activities, we have found the extra time to be a gift, enjoying relaxed, less stressful evenings and weekends together. We especially cherish the extra time with our college daughter who is once again at the dinner table. We all spend more time on walks, playing games, doing puzzles, completing house projects, reading and of course, time with entertainment technology, social media and reading the latest news.

        Despite all the extra time we still work to keep a healthy balance with our use of entertainment technology. We limit the amount of shows and movies we watch, the amount of time playing video games and time consuming social media and news. We have increased the amount of entertainment screen time per day by an hour--from about 90 minutes per weekday to around two and a half hours--but still have “guardrails” in place.         We continue to use Apple Screen Time Restrictions to limit the time spent on non-educational technology. Rather than have unlimited access, our kids have an hour for non-violent video games like Minecraft and an hour for Netflix. Our high school kids also have 30 minutes a day for social media. We also consider the content on the screen--whether or not it is engaging vs. mindless entertainment--and make exceptions to our guidelines as necessary.

        Perhaps you haven’t set up any guardrails and much of your free time while sheltering in place is consumed by entertainment technology, social media & news. It’s not too late to make some changes! Years from now when things are back to “normal” (and you have a fully booked calendar), it would be great to think back to this time as something that brought your family closer together, rather than something that was simply endured. Make the most of it now!

        You may also want to check this article         on Screen Time in the Age of Coronavirus from another one of my favorite resources, Common Sense Media.

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        Thursday, May 7, 2020

        A Pandemic as a Catalyst for Technology Integration in Education

        The past few months have been a whirlwind. Preparing and implementing an e-learning meant tremendous growth in the use of educational technology. I have to say: COVID-19 is the biggest catalysts for technology integration — ever! Most of us in instructional technology could never have imagined so many teachers learning and adopting new technologies so quickly! 

        Years ago I wrote an ISTE article about the Interactive Whiteboard as Springboard for Technology Integration. There have been a variety of educational technology tools besides  SMARTBoards that have changed teaching and learning, such as the internet and the iPad. But we know it has always been a challenge to help teachers understand the benefits and CHOOSE to adopt new technologies. Of course, there are the go-getters—the innovators—who are willing to try just about any new technology tool. In any change/adoption cycle, there are those who follow the innovators—the early adopters, upon whose success an entire roll-out depends. But it’s those reluctant users, the hard to convince, with whom we often spend our time.

        The pandemic and resulting quick transition to e-learning created an urgency that no amount of persuasion has ever done in the past. In a matter of a few days, every teacher needed to use our online learning management system, Schoology (Grades 4-12) and Seesaw (PreK-3), assign and collect homework electronically, record and post videos of instruction,  assess students (formative and summative), participate in and lead synchronous Google Meets, and much more. Administrators, paras, and other support staff needed to learn to use these tools as well.

        Staff worked above and beyond the call of duty to help all teachers, students, and parents gain comfort using our technology tools. We spent countless hours--including some days late into the night and weekends--setting up systems, researching tools, documenting, troubleshooting, and training staff. The amount of professional development provided over the past couple of months far exceeds the amount of training that normally happened over a whole school year. We even held an EdCamp a week prior to e-learning. Teacher leaders clocked almost 1,400 hours of staff training—and counting.

        We’ve all seen the “flatten-the-curve” graphs for COVID-19. Without social distancing we’d see exponential growth in COVID-19 cases. But think about the exponential growth in instructional technology adoption during this time. As I looked for a graph with an exponential growth curve combined with the diffusion of innovation model, I found the one pictured and am intrigued (source). Although it’s not an exponential curve, it’s perhaps a better graph to consider. The y-axis could represent the move to online teaching and learning, with rapid adoption of our e-learning technology tools. Perhaps a graph could also show the compressed time frame in which this has all occurred. If you know of other models, please share. 

        For school districts like ours in which many have now mastered the basics of using technology tools for e-learning, what should be next? How do we move our teachers to higher levels on our Minnetonka Teaching & Learning Framework? We have been discussing this as a team, working on ways to enhance online instruction, make it more engaging for students, more effective and efficient for teachers, and more streamlined for parents helping from home. For example, now that teachers understand the basics of screen casting, what are the next skills and tools we want our teachers to learn? And now that many are using online formative assessment tools, what are the most effective questioning techniques? How can we make online discussion tools better and more meaningful for students?

        Almost three years ago, I wrote: Accelerating Changes Needed in Education, a reflection on Thomas Friedman's claims that education was not keeping up with technology’s exponential, accelerating changes. He explained that we still had a chance to bridge the gap between the two growth curves of technology and human adaptability (shown in the graph). Mr. Friedman, over the last two months, I think we closed this gap considerably. 
        I also realize that not all school districts are in the same place. The move to online learning has amplified the substantial disparities in educational equity communities face. In Minnesota, like other places around the world, we have a well-documented lack of broadband access.  So, some schools are “distance learning” without internet or device access. Hopefully the need to provide equitable access for all students will now get the attention and funding it needs.
        It is, of course, still early to know what the next school year will be like. At this point, it seems that we will need to plan for four scenarios: 1) continued fully online school as we are now, 2) some sort of modified face-to-face school with social distancing and other new procedures being practiced, 3) a mix of #1 and #2, or 4) a return to February 2020 with our regular face to face schooling and past ways of doing things—but even that would be different.

        Whenever we return, we will welcome back students and teachers who have new skills and experiences. So many teachers are experiencing for the first time what can be accomplished with technology. It seems that the traditional whole-class instruction format, without technology, will be a thing of the past. Why would we want to go back to pre-pandemic levels of instructional technology use? Now we can begin to focus on individualized and personalized instruction, self-directed and self-paced learning, frequent formative assessment, and things like flipped learning among other things. Return to normal? No, thanks. There is an exciting future ahead for students, teachers and learning.

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