What have you learned about distance learning?

[KpbS]

Regardless if you are choosing an all virtual/online/dl option for this fall, a partial option, or fully in person instruction, I fully believe everyone will be distance learning again to some extent at a minimum this fall.

What did you learn from the spring? What worked well for your family? What would you change this go around?

I have 3 DC and when their classes went fully online I was thankful I was able to scrounge up 3 computers for them to Zoom, sometimes concurrently. I did have DC share one device for a few combined classes, but I don't think I'll do that again on a regular basis. There is already a lot of togetherness and sometimes something has to give. :ROTFLMAO:

I've bought my DC distinct color prong folders for each subject, instead of planning on combining subjects into one large binder system. The big binder can be harder to take notes in and they likely won't be toting it from class to class, definitely not for Zoom.

I think I'll order 3 of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B0DBWC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 to display their schedules and Zoom numbers/passcodes as they vary from day to day.

I'm considering ordering a wifi extender made specifically from our service provider as our wifi can be really spotty. That's $$$ though and I'm not sure I'll commit to that until it is definite we'll be DL.

What are you thinking/planning/considering??

[gymnbomb]

We bought a desk for DS’s room a few weeks into distance learning in the spring. Having a dedicated place for school work and school supplies was really helpful for him, and also for keeping DD out of his way.

I also learned that even though he was only in kindergarten, if I got him started he was able to work independently on some things pretty well. So what worked best for us was to do a few things I knew he would need a lot of hands on help with first, then get him going on some things he could work on alone for a while.


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[AnnieW625]

What did you learn from the spring? What worked well for your family? What would you change this go around?
A. We learned that Dd2 does better when her parents aren’t her full time teachers, that despite her inattentive AdHd she does better working in a classroom. We learned that Dd1 was easily able to self manage her virtual learning. We barely had to help her. We have decided she is in no way the norm for virtual learning.

B. When we finally got in a rhythm of virtual learning with Dd2 both dh and I felt like we could get a little bit of work done in the 3 hours each morning she was in her zoom meetings, but it wasn’t enough. We still had to check in on her about every hour to make sure that she was doing her work and at the end of the school day she had to show us the work she had turned in. We found that instead of interacting with the kids and doing fun activities when they weren’t in school they would have to spend the time on iPads or the computer either watching tv/movies or doing online activities related to school. We also found that were worn out on the weekends and had little energy to focus on the additional work that esp. Dd2’s assigned as “weekend work” that was still considered optional, but was noted when it wasn’t turned in[emoji2957].

C. I would prefer to have as little distance learning possible, but I am aware that may not be an option. Our only other option to make virtual learning work for us will be to hire a tutor to sit with Dd2 when she is not in class just so dh and I myself can get work done, and we can guarantee that Dd2 is actually getting the work done and learning something. I will be working from for an undetermined amount of time and there is talk DH will go back to the office 3-4 days a week in September or October so it will be me alone handling distance learning. If we have to do a hybrid option I would prefer at least three days in school and two virtual or two and two with a day off. I am off every other Friday so WCS every other Friday I only have to potentially have an electronic baby sitter.

What are you thinking/planning/considering??
A. I am not looking forward to another semester or full year of virtual learning, but am slowly realizing that some virtual maybe the only option for a bit.

B. Planning would be figuring out how to hire a tutor for Dd2 to work with her to get her work done.

C. Considering a hybrid option as my last resort, but I would really prefer in person learning. If our district somehow ends up only offering virtual learning (which I don’t think they want to do due to the demographics of the more urban parts of the district....board members don’t want to have kids at home all day on their own when parents are at work and apparently that could be an issue in some of the poorer neighborhoods....a grandparent nearby is a luxury to many according to the school board) we will look at private options (most likely Catholic), but again I have a feeling some virtual will be part of the plan, but we had a much better experience with Dd1’s virtual learning that was provided by her Catholic school last year vs. the one the public school provided. The public school kids got 4 weeks of spring break so they could prepare for the virtual learning and the plan changed a few times before it finally got comfortable and started working okay (about 2 weeks before school ended imho).


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[SnuggleBuggles]

#1 thing I learned is to monitor his progress online. I thought he was on top of things but the online gradebook showed a different picture. ;) As soon as I would read off his grades/ missing work, he got cracking. I tried to go with the honors system on letting him manage things but it didn't work. He said repeatedly that he appreciated me checking so that's a win. At a minimum I will check in weekly so things don't get so behind.

For the fall, I am on board with sending him back and my ideal would be a hybrid approach of some in person and some online days.

[gatorsmom]

I learned that working independently online was great for my older 2 DSs. Ds2 didn't mind the pre-recorded classes. In fact, he preferred them because it gave him a chance to finish them up early and start working on other personal projects. Homeschooling my twins showed me that DS3 can learn better and not be as easily distracted at home (he has severe ADHD). He did really well talking things through with me. Homeschooling my dd showed me that she needs a little more help learning and staying organized. She was distracted in class like her brother and remote learning gave her an opportunity to really focus on her classes. She is very self-lead, thought, and preferred not to talk things through. In-person classes were great socialization for the kids but we can get that other ways.

[bisous]

I’m on my phone so you’re all spared the book I could write about this!

I will say for my part I’m super lucky that DS1 (historically a total flake but now 16yo) and DS2 (always responsible and almost 13) totally managed their work and did it WELL.

DS3 and DD REALLY needed my help.

I learned I needed a device for everyone. Thankfully my school was able to provide this. I’d be LOST without that. Yes, even my K’er needed her OWN device as I was trying to work from the home computer.

I learned to do the hard stuff first.

I used a white board with daily jobs and homework written (by me) each morning. One board per kid. Upon completion the kids were allowed on the Epic app. This was highly motivating for them and helped a lot.

We survived by having daily “quiet time” where all 6 of us had time alone every day from 1 to 2. Side note: occasionally this didn’t work for DH (meetings) or DS1 but they’re always quiet so it was fine.

We did a walk together every evening. And I read a book aloud to my younger 3 afterwards and prior to quiet time. Rewards for staying “quiet” included a juice popsicle that I made from a mold.

Asynchronous learning works best for our family—even though we are most often “studying” at typical hours. It’s HARD to make zoom meetings work for 5 people (thankfully I had no mandatory zoom meetings for my job!)

[ang79]

I learned that while my district tried to keep kids engaged with Google Meets, most of the time it cut in and out and was not useful at all (this seemed to be a bigger problem for my middle schooler than my 5th grader - that may be because her teachers had kids on in smaller groups and were more tech savvy to begin with). I have no idea what they are planning if it turns to online school part way into the year but I do hope it is more academic than what they got in the spring (a lot of that was review or busy work).

I kept a sticky note on the fridge for each kid with the info for google meets (log in info, days/times the teachers were available, etc.), as well as a paper with that info for the kids to stick with their binders they used (DD2 always forgot how to log in for violin and clarinet lessons). DD1 kept all her school stuff in her room. DD2 kept hers in a basket that she carried to wherever she chose to work at (she doesn't have a desk in her room like DD1). If we move to more intensive online schooling this year, I would try to be even more organized with where they keep items and where they work (I wasn't too concerned about it before, knowing that they were just coasting til the end of the year). I will also try to have a better set schedule (get up at a certain time to get started on work rather than sleeping in late and staying up late).

Both of mine got their work done and stayed on top of what was due pretty well. My fifth grader's ELA teacher emailed a list of weekly expected tasks to parents on Monday morning so that we could check with that our student was keeping up with everything. That would have been nice for my middle schooler as well.

If DH continues to work from home and I am able to find something to work from home at, then we may need to increase our internet high speed.

[Liziz]

1. Routine is key. Having and sticking strictly to a schedule saved us.

2. Kids need breaks, but don't always choose the kind of break they actually need (i.e. - go outside and burn off energy) - but if I make sure to push this, it really helps the rest of the time.

3. A dedicated space that is only the "school" space is important. This spring we had a dedicated space, but didn't have the best "desks". If they need to do distance learning again this year I'm getting better desk spaces for them.

[echoesofspring]

What did you learn from the spring? What worked well for your family? What would you change this go around?

What worked well for your family
At some point we decided school was over by X o'clock whether or not we had finished the work. This helped with those days where it just seemed like we were fighting for anything to be completed.
Everyone got a little screen time at the end of the day b/c the adults needed the break. Our OT recommended this, everyone gets a little treat regardless of how successful the day was. How long that screen time was depended on whether you had finished your work or not.
Everyone had their own device, it was chaos before we had those.
Everyone was separated while they worked, this didn't always work out b/c we did need to be able to watch them on the devices since they weren't as locked down as I would have liked.


What would you change this go around
- We didn't set up a schedule/expectations right of the bat, not going to lie, I wanted to but I was working and DH was on child duty and wanted to do things his way. I felt like we played catch up the rest of the time, and it was especially bad after spring break. If we have to do distance learning I think we'll skip any school closure days/breaks and keep our routine.
- I'm going to lock the devices down harder. I've got an app, I just haven't taken the time.
-Trying to brainstorm how we can avoid what we did over the spring b/c it really wasn't successful for my kids. (details are in a separate thread, but DS has ADHD and needed constant supervision, and DD is very social and in an immersion school and at some point went on zoom strike). I'm really ...not all the concerned about the academics since we're all in the same boat, but I am worried about the mental/emotional toil, it was terrible esp for DD. I told DH today that's #1 for me. I'm not sure what we would do but I'm considering the possibility of hiring someone. Or we investigate the local private schools, most of which are religious based and we aren't. Or I go on leave and we actually homeschool. But if DH's biz is shut down again I don't think he's up for homeschooling so not sure how that would work, and the fall is his business season with the harvest.

Our district just had an issue this week whether they somehow promised the snrs an inperson graduation this weekend w/out clearing it with the county and had to quickly shut it down yesterday. I don't know what exactly happened but loads of families are now disappointed and I just don't even know how they thought they could pull this off when we're about to go on the state monitoring list, they clearly had a communication breakdown across the high school/district/county. Then I bumped into DS's teacher from last year at the grocery store and she told me the district has communicated *nothing* to them about what's going to happen in mid August. The poor teachers, I would be sooo frustrated and stressed in their shoes. Between the 2 things I'm pretty skeptical we can do this as a district.

[lizzywednesday]

...

What did you learn from the spring? What worked well for your family? What would you change this go around?

I learned that:

(1) DD's executive function challenges make it difficult for her to manage her own work without a lot of parental involvement
(2) while I am not a teacher, I can manage to explain/teach basic concepts in math and English
(3) DD needs more supports than I am able to give her
(4) I am terrible at sharing my things
(5) DD's teachers must be physically and emotionally exhausted with all that they do to manage her challenges
(6) I am writing many many many letters to the District this summer

Keeping DD on a schedule as close to "normal" worked really well for us, including getting dressed - I let her have one PJ day in June and it was one of her worst behavior days - and brushing teeth/hair, etc., as if we were leaving the house. I also restricted tablet & video game time - she wasn't allowed to begin tablet time until after 4pm (she wouldn't get home before 4pm) and no video games on school nights.

We also were able, thanks to having reliable high-speed internet and a lot of time, to keep her speech therapy appointments with the school SLP using teletherapy. This year's therapist was a long-term substitute and DD will miss her next year; that she was able to get departmental approval for teletherapy early in the closure period was huge for us.

Challenges included getting DD to respond to questions using complete sentences, including using their "RACE" framework (Restate the question as your topic sentence; Answer all parts of the question; Cite - or copy - your evidence; Explain your conclusion) to write more than a sentence or two.

I want to be assured, in writing, that DD and I will have support she needs to succeed, not only in 5th grade, but also in middle school. I don't know when a viable vaccine will become available; nobody does, but ... I came away from the District's "conversation" on June 25th frustrated, angry, and terrified that other parents aren't following proven harm-reduction measures.

Yes, we are sending DD to two non-consecutive weeks of day-camp. It's all outdoors and I saw photos of this week's programs today. The kids and staff are all following recommendations on distancing and masking; I'm really proud of them and feel more confident that she will be as safe as possible.



What are you thinking/planning/considering??

I'm still recovering from the spring and marshaling thoughts for the letters I will send to the Superintendent, Principal, and Student Services.

My child needs supports. I struggled to provide those supports. I am continually told she can't get supports because she has passing-to-good grades. I don't expect hands-on, but I will need strategies, plans, and metrics if I am required to be DD's support. Again.

I unloaded a lot of this on the poor school secretary who called today to ask if DD would be returning physically to school in September.

I said I wasn't comfortable with it, but also that I had struggled a great deal with remote learning. I can't deliver the support my kid needs, but if masks and other simple protective measures aren't going to be mandatory for kids & teachers, I can't send my kid to in-person school.

[smiles33]

I think the success of distance learning really hinges on the individual child. You can certainly help with having the right conditions, but that's not sufficient. Echoing some of the PP, we are fortunate that we could make sure each DD had their own device, a private space to study/meet on-line, and the fastest internet speed we could get (since we often had 3 Zoom/Google Meet calls at once!). Their school had mandatory live classes every day while I was working full-time from home with multiple Zoom meetings per day.

I was also surprised that the middle school continued to evaluate using regular letter grades. Most other public schools nearby switched to pass/fail instead. This meant my 8th grader was expected to meet all the regular expectations and do it virtually. I thought it was unreasonable as I imagine many students struggled with the virtual learning environment. The teachers tried to maintain regular daily classes, but they mostly sent assignments by email and then offered live science and math lessons. There was also a daily "morning check-in" class that was just 15 minutes to take roll and then the teacher (an 8th grade teacher!) would read a chapter aloud. I know this because I did not insist DD1 wake up by 8 am to do that. I'd log in for her, keep the camera off, and then log off when the teacher finished reading. I usually don't "break rules" but I know DD1 needs her sleep. She still graduated with all A's so she put in the work needed.

For DD2, a 5th grader, they had occasional class meetings, but it wasn't every morning like my 8th grader. She had to submit "tickets" once she completed the work to show her teacher she finished the assignment. I was working full-time so I didn't have time to monitor how that process worked. Fortunately, both of my kids adjusted well to independent learning with very little supervision from me or DH. The key was having their own devices and designated space. Plus both are diligent and conscientious so we're fortunate that they're naturally inclined to work well independently.

The biggest issue is that they really missed their friends. So we relaxed our screentime rules and let them Facetime/Google Meet friends or play Fortnite/Minecraft online with their friends. We have had WAY too much screen time since the shelter-in-place orders began in March but this was a survival tactic. If we go back into distance learning, I assume we will continue the unrestricted screen time so they can interact with friends.

We did host an outdoor playdate for each DD, with everyone masked and 6 feet apart. The hardest part is making sure they remember to stay 6 feet apart. DD2 and her friend basically played on their devices and talked to each other 6 feet apart. DD1 and her friend took photos of one another and talked a lot. DH or I occasionally went outside to make sure they were keeping their masks on and maintaining their distance. Thankfully all of them did a good job of being strict. We know it's risky, but emotional health is important, too.

[Kestrel]

What have we learned?

We have learned that in person school works better for us, if that's reasonable. However, it is more likely to be hybrid for first semester, at least.

We learned that our internet sucks even worse when more people are home. DS was unable to do any zoom/live classwork AT ALL due to internet issues. We pay for the best internet available in our area, and it's awful. We are not the only ones in this boat - of DS's class of 28, eight were able to zoom regularly. When teachers would record things to watch, we would have to set up to download them overnight, and have DS do them the next day, so we were always behind. I don't understand how we can possibly do long-term distance learning this way. The school's answer was to remove the restrictions on their building's WIFI and then they expected the parents to drive the kids to school and sit in their vehicles in the school parking lot so the kids could do their meetings/schoolwork. Guess how well that went over?

We actually did better with less of a set schedule, unlike previous posters. Screen time was not allowed until schoolwork was done, but DS would often do schoolwork for a while, then lego or read for a while, then school work again. It did help a lot to get him a small table for lego, and restrict his desk to school things only. Then he could just stop and walk away, without having to put things away.

Socially, 11yo DS is struggling. We just moved for the first time last September, and he was just finally getting settled when this virus hit. He is very social and athletic, neither of which is happening right now. He's an only child, huge for his age, and we have no neighbors within 2 miles. Our dog even passed away in May. He's feeling the tension - me being out of work, DH (real estate agent) trying to get established in the new community. This year we've made about one third last years' income, so we can't even buy him fun things to ease the boredom and stress. DS was so looking forward to the change to middle school this fall, and right now it's a huge mess, no graduation, no open house, no access to the new campus at all - we don't know what school will look like.

It's extremely stressful - I wish there was better communication from school.

[carolinacool]

I learned that my rising fifth-grader, who had ADHD and some comprehension issues, learns better in person. Full stop. Like a couple of other moms said, he needs support that I am not trained or qualified to give him. It's a bit frustrating because North Carolina still has not announced our plan yet (supposedly coming next Friday). And while some districts/counties have announced their proposed plans, mine has not.

We have devices and wifi. We do not have room/spaces for desks, so DS and I both work at the kitchen table. But that's just as well. This spring, I was up and down every 20 minutes or so helping DS understand what was needed or answering questions. If I had a call, he would stop working because I wasn't available to answer questions. I can't do that again in the fall. I'm fortunate to be able to work from home but I can't keep interrupting my work day.

I was disappointed that our school did not offer live instruction, which I think would have helped him some. I was disappointed that his core teacher did not offer any recorded lessons for kids to watch. Everything was written lessons on the education platform (which I thought was clunky and hard to navigate). On the other hand, his PE, music and art teachers recorded short lessons every week. I could tell that helped him a lot. He was able to watch what they were doing and watch it again if he needed to, and then start on the assignment with little help from me.

[bcafe]

We learned that as a dual income, working family, online is not feasible. DH shouldered ALL the schooling and that was just the bare minimum to get through the year. He is back at his office and we cannot have our 9 year old be responsible for her schooling when both parents work outside the home. So, there it is. All our children will be returning to school full time and in person while wearing masks.