Back to School Post Lockdown - A Brainstorm Session

A blend of in-class and remote teaching as we return to school in the new normal?

As students, parents and teachers await the next announcement indicating what our lives will look like after an extended, Nationwide Lockdown - many of us have question and fears about going back to school. Afterall, a virus does not comprehend human deadlines... So what are we to do to mitigate the fallout of this global human tragedy?

A few years ago, while exploring the new approaches to sustainable school design I came across an article that suggested schools will become smaller, more compact and designed around interval-attendance. Now, it was a few years ago and I will update this entry with a link when I trace it again, but I was intrigued by the idea that students would come to school only once or twice a week for face-to-face interactions and spend the remainder of their learning supported online. It might be an idea for us to think about as we brainstorm what to do next to protect school communities from becoming infection hotspots.

This is my brainstorm around how we might make school safer for our students, staff and parents (I use the Phase that I currently teach in as reference point, I trust other Phases to take the idea and shape it around their unique needs and challenges):

Interval Attendance Programme

For Grade 8-12

I suggest that schools adopt an interval attendance programme where students are not at school for the whole week.

ATTENDANCE:

MONDAYS - GR 12 @ SCHOOL

TUESDAYS - GR 11 @ SCHOOL

WEDNESDAYS - GR 10 @ SCHOOL

THURSDAYS - GR 09 @ SCHOOL

FRIDAYS - GR 08 @ SCHOOL

@ SCHOOL:

The grade physically at school will be screened for fever upon entering the school grounds and/or leaving the boarding facility each morning. Those with temperature anomalies will be redirected to a medical enclosure for further support by school's Health Officer and Dept of Health representatives.

Students will have received careful instruction to maintain (and how to maintain) social distancing while in social spaces at school.

The grade at school will have been divided into learning pods based on the amount of students and subjects to be covered for the day, e.g. 9 subjects (inclusive of an assessment lesson) would make for 6 students per Learning Pod in a grade comprised of 54 students. Students will start the day with summative assessment slots where required, those not involved will use this for revision and listing questions for the academic lessons to follow. Each pod will rotate its way through all their subjects in the day. Lesson times will be significantly shortened as this is no longer a chalk-n-talk scenario. Flipped lessons will have been shared prior to coming to class and these face-to-face contact session are to troubleshoot, unpack new concepts and to give and receive feedback.

The day is divided into the following sections:

Lesson 1 - ASSESSMENT for the day: Reserved for Tests / Practicals in need of test conditions

Lesson 2 - Academic contact lesson for feedback, unpacking of new concepts, clarification or formative assessment

Lesson 3- Academic contact lesson for feedback, unpacking of new concepts, clarification or formative assessment

Pod 7, 8 & 9 Break (Strict Social Distancing rules apply)

Lesson 4- Academic contact lesson for feedback, unpacking of new concepts, clarification or formative assessment

Lesson 5- Academic contact lesson for feedback, unpacking of new concepts, clarification or formative assessment

Lesson 6- Academic contact lesson for feedback, unpacking of new concepts, clarification or formative assessment

Pod 5, 6 & 7 Break (Strict Social Distancing rules apply)

Lesson 7- Academic contact lesson for feedback, unpacking of new concepts, clarification or formative assessment

Lesson 8- Academic contact lesson for feedback, unpacking of new concepts, clarification or formative assessment

Pod 1,2 & 3 Break (Strict Social Distancing rules apply)

Lesson 9- Academic contact lesson for feedback, unpacking of new concepts, clarification or formative assessment

SPORT & CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

While matches might not be encouraged in the beginning, coaches can devise general fitness programmes for the whole school community that can be shared online. Specialist athletes and culturalists can be provided with specialised support to keep skills and form match ready. When at school those specialists will have time to connect in sport contact session with coaches (within govt. requirements and regulations for group sizes).

Teachers

During these days teachers will also apply social distancing in contact times and during ADMIN lessons will be available to remote-assist students learning from home.

Here is an example of what this could look like:

LEARNING DESIGN

Remote teaching under crisis situations differ from remote teaching under a relaxation of crisis measures. Emotional support and guidance still takes precedence and learning design must adapt to a tru new normal.

Assessments do not have to be stressful events and can be managed in many different ways. Small group interactions based on blended learning best practices will change the nature of interactions between teachers and students. these factors are to be taken into account when planning learning experiences. Inquiry-based learning and online tools will become more frequently used. Experience from crisis-based remote teaching will also inform technology choices and learning design in crucial ways.

One of the most important lessons for me was to help all the teachers in a grade realise what the real-life total expectation load was on students in a week. This really helped everyone rally together to ensure there was no overload or single-subject imbalance. Once this was established things became a lot more manageable.

The other shift was moving away from end-product assessment to a mastery measurement mindset approach to track student progress. Probably the single most challenging shift to make for teachers and students used to the system of tests and exams regulating progress.

Learning design has to change to shift the focus for the end product to the learning journey resulting in an end product. Feedback and reflection become the main tools in helping each student through the process of understanding new concepts, acquiring and applying new skills. This approach also allows for real, meaningful scaffolding to take place as it is one of the process' organic outcomes. This is one of the areas I am most excited about as I used to find it difficult to pinpoint the real areas where support was needed and also where extension was required using only tests.

My 'WHY' when it comes to Inquiry Based best practices as the platform of choice:

I will address IB learning design details in an upcoming post, but for now, I'd like to unpack WHY it is my go-to tool for learning in the 21st century by focusing on five pillars:

1. Student Driven

I include the use of choice boards and allow students to choose themes and topics for lessons as well. When students choose what to learn about and how to make their learning visible they usually go beyond basic requirements and their engagement is all but guaranteed.

2. Learning Made Visible

When student are given a choice of how to present their work, they usually choose platforms that they are comfortable with, this takes away a barrier where platform could have been a hurdle in making their learning visible. Now they can relax, explore and get to know their concept and skill sets without the struggle of trying to fit into a 'box' they don't fit into...no-box learning. Their thinking and decision making as they learn become part of an observable learning journey that the teacher can now access.

3. Effective Tech Integration

Integrating technology is no longer fad-based. It becomes a choice based on suitability. For the task and the student. Technology in learning must be as natural a part of the 'stationery case' as a pencil or ruler. It can no longer be a shine bell or loud whistle. It can never be an online textbook... textbooks should no longer be the foundation of learning design. Students who grow up knowing which tech to use when are more suited to roles they will have to enter when leaving school.

4. Bespoke Feedback

Feedback to students move away from tick and 'Well done!' to voice notes and transcripts and specific attention to details along the way. As feedback opportunities are interwoven in the IBL process students learn to share their planning, and give feedback to peers while interacting with teachers regarding their feedback. This to-and-fro process drives learning to a deeper level and unlocks access to metacognitive practices and habits.

5. Reflective Practices

I love including mini-reflections after each step of the IBL process and then have a end-of week reflections session with my students to find out what worked, what did not work and what we should try next. Thy become more and more excited about the next week's work as they see their own idea and input included in planning and activities.

In short...school will not look and feel the same after this. And that is OK. We will have hand sanitiser stations at classroom entrances and bathrooms and collection points and we'll wash our hands after every lesson and we won't sit so close together as we used to during breaks, but our learning will have become exciting and a real exercise in thinking and exploring the world we live in - not allowing for a repeat of the situation that brought us to the point in the first place.

My next entry:

It takes a village in the real world - linking learning to the real