Tag Archives: Distance learning

Tech Trends/Lifestyle, How To, home

Take the Stress Out of Virtual Schooling

By Tracey Dowdy

As summer draws to close and more school districts are opting for online over in-person learning for the Fall, parents once again face the challenge of virtual homeschooling. As last Spring’s school closure taught us, finding a balance between work, home, and school to make distance learning work for your family requires patience and flexibility. The juggling act becomes even more challenging if one or both parents work outside the home. 

So as we head into the 2020-2021 school year, keep these principles in mind as you prepare your family for their new normal. 

Take a minute for yourself before you start your day. As Dr. Robert Puff says, “The first word in “alarm clock” says it all.” Instead of rushing headlong into the day, set aside a few minutes for self-care before you tackle caring for everyone else. Read something inspirational, pray or meditate, savor that first cup of tea or coffee of the day, and determine that no matter what the day brings, tomorrow is a fresh start. 

A second key is to plan your child’s learning schedule around your work schedule. It may seem obvious – and sometimes not feasible – but whenever possible, try to keep your schedule flexible for times they will most need your attention and schedule your work calls or tasks around their independent reading or subjects that are less demanding for your child. No one accomplishes much with constant interruptions, and both of you will end up frustrated and annoyed.

Give clear instructions. Whether it’s a clearly defined list of tasks or a detailed schedule of their day, most children will need structure to stay on task and accomplish their goals. Let your child know you’ll be checking to see if their work is complete to determine if they are hitting their milestones. 

Be rigidly flexible. Most children thrive on structure to move through their day yet others struggle to stay on task for long periods. Work with your child’s teacher to understand how they supported your child during in-class instruction and adapt those principles to at-home learning. Even the most academically gifted students will struggle with an assignment from time to time, so be flexible about when the task has to be completed. We all benefit from taking a break throughout the day, so consider whether this is a task best tackled later in the day when you both have the freedom to work on it with fresh eyes and a better mindset. 

Take advantage of teacher and peer support. Just because they aren’t face to face doesn’t mean your child’s teacher isn’t equally invested in your child’s success. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s school for suggestions on tutoring, discussion boards, and a myriad of other resources. Be patient – remember that 100% online instruction is probably new for your child’s teacher, and they are doing their best to give your child the support they need. Just like you’re juggling your work/life balance, so too is your child’s teacher. A little kindness goes a long way these days. 

Parents, remember to be kind to yourself. These are uncertain times with demands on your family beyond what any of us could have anticipated. Everyone is struggling to some extent, and comparing how your family is coping against what you see online – especially on social media – is a shortcut to frustration for both you and your children. This is only a season, and like all seasons, it will pass. 

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits, and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

home, Tech Trends/Lifestyle, Online Safety

Helping Children with Online Learning

By Tracey Dowdy

If nothing else comes out of this pandemic, parents will at least have a greater appreciation for the myriad of skills it takes to teach a classroom full of children. Granted, most of the parents trying to teach from the kitchen table are also managing a household, working from home themselves, and hadn’t chosen teaching as their profession, making their job infinitely more complex. The prospect of accomplishing anything remotely resembling academics may seem overwhelming, but with a little preparation, clearly defined rules, and reasonable expectations, you can do it. 

Here’s how. 

Get set up. 

Determine which video conferencing platform they’ll be using and create the account together. By involving them in the process, you’re demonstrating that you are there for support but ultimately this is their responsibility. Do a practice run or a demo so your child knows how to answer a call, raise their hand, share their screen, record the lesson, mute the microphone, and how to exit the call. Many of the platforms allow you to save your settings, so while you can test the camera and mic on your system, make adjustments in the video-conferencing software you’ll be using. Gather earphones, an external camera and/or mic if there’s not one built into the computer, paper, pencils and any other necessary supplies (protractor, pencil sharpener, eraser) to take notes. Because video conferences use a lot of power, your battery will run down quickly. Make sure you have adequate battery life, or better still, plug in the device to avoid dropping the call. 

Don’t Hover

You may want to be within earshot the first time or two, but after that, take the time that they’re “in school” to work on whatever needs your attention, just like a regular school day. Of course, you’ve taken on the role of the teacher in some aspects, so if they’re goofing off and not paying attention, help them stay on track and focus on the lesson. If you have older kids, allow them some privacy so they can interact with their peers and teacher without worrying about you overhearing anything. You can check-in as needed, but don’t hover. 

While one of the benefits of video conferencing is being able to do it from anywhere, consider whether your child’s bedroom is an appropriate place to have on camera. Remember, privacy is still very important, and screenshots are easily taken by anyone participating in the conference. Wherever you choose, tidy up around you and make sure there’s nothing personal – photos, clothing, art, etc. in the background you don’t want on camera. Before the call starts, sit down, open your camera, and look at your background. If you want real anonymity, consider a virtual background that will take the place of your personal space.  Also, if your student is going to be sharing their screen or sending screenshots, make sure no other browser tabs are visible to avoid any potentially sensitive or private information being shared. 

Encourage them to go to the bathroom before or wait until after class – NOT during. A video of a student bringing her laptop into the bathroom during class recently went viral, and no one wants that kind of attention. If they really can’t wait or there’s an emergency, remind them to make they temporarily disable the video and mute themselves, and then turn everything back on again when they return. 

Remind your students that you and the teachers expect the same level of respect and appropriate behavior as when they were face to face. If your student is using Zoom, caution them about Zoombombing, and remind them there are real-world consequences for online behavior. Again, any live video chat can be recorded and screenshots captured by participants so it’s important to always behave appropriately. 

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.