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As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, countless schools across the country radically changed the way classes perform, with an emphasis on distance learning. Within a few weeks of the pandemic, almost all of Florida's 74 school districts made the transition from in-person to a distant learning model. This shift was possible due to the ease of access to necessary devices, supportive learning tools, and assistive technology. The change equipped students with the ability and freedom to learn from home while remaining on course for academic success.
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See how these educators responded to distance learning needs in their district:
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I am a teacher of French in Montgomery County, Maryland, and the Resource Teacher for World Languages at Takoma Park Middle School. I've been teaching French for 25 years at the university, high school, and middle school level.
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My name is Steve Louis-Jean, and I am an assistant principal for the Osceola County School District. I have been in education for nine years, and I am completing my third year in administration.
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Jocelyn Watson, Resource Teacher for Special Education at Takoma Park Middle in Montgomery County Public Schools, MD. This is my 16th year with the county and 19th year working in education.
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My name is Tammy Heath, and I have over 29 years of Pre-k-12 experience in Putnam County, FL. Currently, I teach students who are Medically Fragile with varying Intellectual Disabilities, who exhibit medical conditions such as seizures and trachea with oxygen orders.
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My name is Caroline Chance. I am a student support teacher in Montgomery County Maryland at Takoma Park Middle School. I have been an educator for 27 years as an elementary school teacher, math resource teacher, special educator, middle school math teacher, and now a student support teacher.
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Distance Learning: Frequently Asked Questions
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How can you support students during this time?
Continue encouraging the successful completion of assignments and schoolwork. It is important to consider the mental and emotional support you can provide students with at this time. The pandemic is an uncertain situation for all of us, and the pressures of academic achievement, or at least participation, can add unnecessary stressors to students. A suggested strategy to productively guide students during this time is to:
- Remain neutral
- Be a role model
- Stay up-to-date with the news
- Communicate with students
- Monitor students’ mental health (where/if possible)
How can you set a productive, healthy schedule for yourself and students?
When working from home and managing a significant number of students, consider the limits and expectations your school has set in place both for yourself and students. Take adequate breaks throughout the day, ensure that students are participating while completing required assignments, and promote a positive virtual atmosphere while creating enjoyable learning experience for students. The less stressful an environment, the easier it is to inspire and motivate students to show up to do their best. The access to technology may also aid in student interaction by creating a calm environment allowing students to learn and work at their own pace. For some students, self-pacing is critical to academic success.
What are the best platforms for effective, reliable distance learning?
Google
and
Zoom
are worth considering during this time, especially for distance learning in large groups (such as a normal-size classroom capacity). As with any change of structure or curriculum, it will initially be foreign, but students become more comfortable in the virtual learning environment as time passes. We also recommend BigBlueButton and
FaceTime
for more personalized lessons and tutorials.
What if I’m not tech savvy?
Not to worry. Many distance learning platforms are extremely user-friendly, making the transition from in-person to virtual and distance teaching nearly effortless. YouTube has a variety of useful tutorials on how to easily teach online, and many apps/distance learning platforms have been formatted specifically for both beginner and advanced learners in mind. You can visit our website at
TLC-MTSS.com
for tutorials and to loan out assistive technology to support students. We have a variety of AT, such as the
VGo
which
enables individuals to replicate themselves in distant locations to see, hear, talk, and move around as if they were physically there.
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Instructional Websites & Apps to Support Virtual Learning
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Screencastify is a screen-sharing app that allows educators to share documents and lessons that may be too large or complex to upload into email format. Screencastify can be used to thoroughly explain lessons to students, and provide visuals when educating or tutoring. It is accessible via Google Chrome browser. Screencastify allows you to save videos to your Google Drive and upload immediately to Google Classroom.
Subject Highlight:
Science & Math teachers will benefit from the ability to upload large and complex documents.
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Jamboard is often compared to having the same fundamental concepts as Microsoft Paint, a standard application on Windows computers. In essence, It is a service offered by Google that acts the same as a whiteboard. Jamboard is excellent for fast-paced lessons and quick note-taking, providing students with insightful visuals on an interactive canvas.
Subject Highlight:
Art & History educators will benefit with detailed lessons that require comprehensive information.
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Similar to Jamboard, Ziteboard is a whiteboard platform that’s excellent for distance teaching and learning, offering an infinite amount of space on your screen to draw, take notes, and instruct. Ziteboard is compatible with most devices, such as laptops and tablets. Ziteboard’s website says it is “optimized for iPad’s safari, and Google Chrome” use and offers image insertion, as well as the ability to save your work for future and after class reference.
Subject Highlight:
Math & Science educators and students will find ease of access for note-taking, tutoring, as well as saving progress.
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As stated by their official website, Flipgrid is “social learning for PreK to PhD learners...and beyond.” Flipgrid offers a virtual classroom-esque platform, with customization abilities, naming and privacy options, video responses, and creative assignment capabilities for a modern approach to traditional learning that can engage students in personalized assignments.
Subject Highlight:
PE, Art, & Science educators and students will find Flipgrid useful for innovative, self-expressive, and experimental projects.
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You may be “Zoomed” out, but professional development must continue in the pursuit of supporting students with appropriate assistive technologies and UDL practices. As such, webinars can assist in educating teachers on understanding dyslexia, assistive technology, and UDL. We encourage the use of
Florida Virtual Schools
,
Don Johnson
,
Cast
and our very own
TLC-MTSS
and
PS/RtI
resource website to stay abreast of your PD needs. Some of the most interesting webinars we have attended are
Supporting Parents and Families During Distance Learning - Communication and Collaboration
(PS/RtI) Stories From the Field: Visual Arts & UDL (Cast), Remote/E-Learning: What It Looks Like From Here (Don Johnston), as well as How To Make Instructional Content Accessible on iPad (Don Johnston).
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The global COVID-19 pandemic leaves the current and future state of classrooms in need of restructuring and reordering. The eventual reintroduction of students to face-to-face learning and in-person classrooms may be difficult, but through effective lesson planning, a focus on equity and administrator support, teachers and students will begin to bridge the gap for the 2020-2021 school year.
We now have a broader knowledge regarding the types of educational technology available for use with students should an event similar to this occur again. To prepare for the upcoming school year, it’s vital to implement assistive and instructional technology combined with Universal Designed for Learning, as it has allowed curriculums to remain intact during this time.
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Accessibility Considerations for People who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Re-opening Schools and Ensuring Communication Access for All
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The
most recent CDC guidelines for opening schools
include the use of masks for all attendees, including children and adults. This may result in the need for assistive technology not previously considered, not only for students who are deaf and hard of hearing, but for those with auditory processing disorders or other specific learning disabilities, or any disability that negatively impacts a learner’s ability to process auditory (and especially linguistic) information.
- All masks, including those made from fabric as well as those with the clear plastic panels, may negatively impact the auditory signal produced by the speaker’s voice. Schools and districts must be prepared to provide accommodations, including but not limited to assistive technology, to ensure equitable access to language, as stated in ADA Title II. This could be through improved use of classroom amplification, captioned media, and/or visual supports such as notes provided ahead of time, use of graphic supports (e.g., pictures, diagrams, outlines), etc.
- Regardless of the style of the mask, the speaker's voice may not carry through the mask, resulting in a muffled version of the speaker's voice. Care should be taken when pairing amplification with mask use. Placing a microphone on the outside of a mask may not achieve the intended goal. Microphone wearers must evaluate through trials how to best utilize an amplification system to ensure that the student is not receiving an amplified distortion of speech, further blocking accessibility to his or her teacher and academic environment.
- Pass-around microphones for soundfield amplification may not be feasible as they would be considered a shared supply, the utility of which is in direct opposition to the most recent CDC guidelines for opening schools. Teachers can accommodate this barrier to language by repeating what students say or ask, a best practice for many learners including English language learners, students with attention-based disabilities, those with auditory processing disorders, and those with other learning disabilities in addition to students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- While masks are in use, it is imperative that a functional listening evaluation (FLE) be conducted for students who are deaf and hard of hearing to determine the rate of access to the auditory signal for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Ideally, an FLE should be conducted both WITH and WITHOUT amplification so the IEP team can determine if additional supports are necessary to ensure equitable access.
The new school year promises to bring with it new adventures and challenges whether we are back in face-to-face delivery, continuing online learning, or embarking on a new blended model. Ensuring each child has access to all parts of the learning day is not only ethical but critical to fostering community, regardless of the platform on which it’s delivered. The use of masks will be an integral part of keeping everyone safe, a necessary addition to our day. Thoughtful and intentional consideration of all learners ensures they all have the opportunity to learn, grow, connect, and thrive.
RMTC-D/HH is happy to support districts as you move forward. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Sign up for our
RMTC-D/HH newsletters
to receive future updates in your inbox. Feel free to reach out to RMTC-D/HH if you have questions or would like more information regarding anything you have read in this article at
info@rmtcdhh.org
or by calling 1-800-365-6731.
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This resource was funded through the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services with IDEA Part B dollars. The information and resources are provided as a free awareness service to the educational community and do not reflect any specific endorsement by any parties involved. Please note that access to some resources may be blocked by individual school districts.
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