When crises strike, such as the quickly-spreading Coronavirus or the recent tornado in Nashville, Tennessee, educators around the country have an important role in striving to retain or restore children’s access to learning as quickly as they can. Remote learning is one way that schools and districts can do just that. We hope these tips are useful as we all seek to remain calm, make plans, and prepare to manage these difficult situations in a way that eases the strain on children and their families.
In the case of crises like the Coronavirus, subject area teachers have the opportunity to provide students with materials for one to two weeks of learning. This may require putting in some extra time getting things ready, but if schools remain closed for an extended period of time, everyone will be grateful for students to have work to keep them engaged in their learning.
With 99% of schools accessing high-speed internet, students and teachers are more than familiar with how to use online learning resources in the classroom. But, what about at home? Before or after a crisis, educators should provide families with clear information about how to login to the school’s online learning resources, including user-names and passwords, if possible. In addition, it’s helpful to let families know where they may be able to find public wi-fi hotspots in the case internet is down or not accessible from home.
Many ed tech programs, like Achieve3000 Literacy, have special editions just for families to use with their children. This requires separate login information for parents, but also provides teaching supports and tools specifically designed for parents. In the case a home edition is not available, schools and districts may want to consider including a few tips for parents along with the independent work they send home.
For more information about how to access Achieve3000 Literacy outside of school, please go here.
