Like many other school districts in Connecticut, the district in which I teach, Thomaston Public Schools, went into distance (or remote) learning mode after Thanksgiving and will remain so at least until mid-January. We started this school year in hybrid learning mode (about half the students came to school on any given day), then shifted in mid-October to having almost all students in school. The change to distance learning after Thanksgiving was triggered by an increase in positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff, and the forecast for more cases after the holidays. We had gone into distance learning mode last March at the outbreak of the pandemic, and remained so through the end of last school year, but the big difference this time is that we are synchronously teaching students now, whereas we taught them asynchronously last spring. What is the difference, and which is better?
Synchronous distance learning means that students and teachers meet online on a regular schedule, and the teacher teaches the lesson live to the students through an online learning platform. Asynchronous distance learning means that students and teachers do not meet on any scheduled basis, but teachers post lessons online, sometimes including instructional videos, that students do independently on their own schedule. Teachers are available to help them on request. Synchronous learning has proven to be better, based on student feedback and performance.
To teach synchronously, Thomaston’s teachers use the Google education suite. We generally use Google Meet to teach our classes online and Google Classroom to post lessons and receive assignments. I teach high school classes, and we have a block schedule where we see students in a given class every other day. The school day starts at 8:30 AM, over an hour later than our old, in person schedule – this was a wise change, as it lets our teenage students start their day at a realistic hour for their body clocks. The earlier schedule was driven by school bus availability, which is not a factor during distance learning. Our classes are 75 minutes long, about ten minutes shorter than the old schedule, but more than enough time to conduct an online class. The school day ends at 2:14 PM, about the same time as the old schedule, so students can have the rest of the afternoon to get outside, work, and study.
Why is synchronous distance learning better than asynchronous? Most students have said that they need the added structure that synchronous learning provides by making them attend class on a schedule, and that they prefer seeing the teacher live rather than watching a video of the lesson or only working independently. Comparing student performance over the past month in synchronous distance learning to their performance last spring when it was asynchronous, it is clear that more students are succeeding in doing the online lessons synchronously. However, this is not to say that students like distance learning just because it is synchronous. Students almost all prefer being in school over any form of distance learning. So how can we teachers make the best of synchronous distance learning?
Based on a survey I gave my students right before we went on winter break, I got their feedback on what I have done that works well for them – here are the key points:
- Organize lessons logically – I plan out units and lessons using the 5E approach (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate), and I have a written plan for every lesson.
- Planning has been the most time-consuming part of distance learning for me and many other teachers, but it is more important than ever – distance learning is not conducive to “seat of the pants” teaching.
- State lesson expectations clearly – I post every lesson the same way, and I have done this in every mode of learning (hybrid, in person, and distance) since the start of the school year:
- I post each lesson at 7:30 AM on Google Classroom with directions and all lesson materials attached in case a student misses class and so that any student can refer back to what was taught.
- I put the learning target and lesson overview, including a description of the final product that the students must turn in, at the beginning of every lesson.
- I make the final product due date on the next school day at 5:00 PM so that students can take extra time after class to finish – the only exception is a long-term project or assessment that may have a longer due date.
- Keep lessons focused on the main concepts or skills – In the past, I liked to bring in tangential topics occasionally as I taught in the classroom, but that does not work well in distance learning. Therefore, I have discarded many things from my old lesson plans that were not directly part of the main topic.
- Explain concepts clearly and in different ways – I learned long ago to cover key concepts at least three times in three different ways, such as giving an introductory lecture, then having a student centered activity, then showing an outside explanation or video on the topic. I also spiral back and review key concepts in various other lessons where there is a connection. In each case, I try to assess student understanding, and I explain the key concepts over and over.
- Distance learning is not the time to skimp on direct instruction – students are doing plenty of work independently, so they appreciate the help in understanding new concepts.
- Few students ever learn effectively through one reading, lecture, or activity – they need repetition, practice, and multiple applications of the concept for it to sink in.
- Continue to use questioning to assess understanding – Getting students to talk and answer questions during an online lesson has been a challenge for many of us. One technique I have used is to pull students out individually on a separate Google Meet while the class is working on an activity – in this way I can question each student and get honest feedback on their understanding.
- I find a separate Google Meet that I set up on my Google Calendar as a class help session works better than the Breakout Room feature on Google Meet. You can easily monitor two Google Meets simultaneously, but when you join a breakout room, you can’t see the rest of the class without some sort of awkward workaround.
This year of dealing with COVID-19 has made me a better teacher. Working with students online has made me zero in on what is important, then teach it thoroughly. It also has given me a new appreciation of how much I like being with students in person. When the pandemic is over, I hope to continue to use what I have learned.