Blended Learning at the BSP September 2020
Teaching online – Remote and in school Over the past months we have been forced to consider new ways of working in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. In some ways it has accelerated the inevitable, after all many pundits have spoken of the demise of the classroom and the rise of more and more online educational experiences for some time now. If our period of lockdown has shown anything it is that remote teaching can be a powerful tool, but only when it is based on solid classroom relationships. It is clear that this approach has enormous potential, equally evident is that we will not be abandoning face to face learning in the classroom any time soon. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a structure for online learning in the event of a lockdown. The needs of Nursery are very different from those of Year 6. A Year 9 pupil will need a different approach to a Year 12. And then there are exams and assessments. Another key element of what we do, another area of enormous uncertainty. From our post COVID-19 parental survey in June we know that our community will expect more than just a repeat of the approach that was taken during the March to May/June lockdown. There is a real appetite to see teachers in real time delivering lessons in as normal a way as possible. What follows will hopefully reassure colleagues rather than alarm. There are many ways that workloads can be eased with a ‘camera or audio on’ approach, and there is no suggestion here that all teaching will be live and online. We know that it is impossible to (sustainably) teach in person and prepare materials for those who are at home. The roll out of iPads means that we will have access to the full functions of platforms like Teams; lessons given in Paris at nine in the morning can be recorded and watched back hours later if necessary. If we take the next step into delivery of lessons live then we will, I suspect, achieve the twin goals of lessening workload and keeping our community happy. I hope that you find the following document useful. It is intended as a guide and there will be modifications within phases, departments and faculties to find the most appropriate approach. Ultimately, I rather hope that all of this planning will turn out to be unnecessary. Thank you for all of your support of the School at this time. Nick
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Teaching online during a period of remote school or lockdown The following ideas should be discussed in phases, departments and faculties so colleagues are aware of the approach that is to be taken. At present it appears to be the case that the Government will do all that it can to ensure continuity of education by keeping schools open. Future lockdowns might affect only part of the school or may see elements of particular year groups removed. In this fast-paced environment it is difficult to predict the exact nature of the next lockdown or even if it will occur.
Make it mixed
The most successful online learning is provided when there are a variety of different ways of providing the information. You may wish to pre-record some elements of your lesson and let pupils watch at their own pace. It is sometimes good to provide a plan, resources and let pupils get on with it but it is also a good idea to speak directly and ‘live’ to pupils. Think carefully about what you want to achieve with each lesson or session and adjust your approach accordingly. Chunking lessons is more important than ever. Beware. When we aren’t in lockdown it is all too easy to be sucked into teaching remotely and teaching in person. You can double the workload for yourself very quickly. Experiment with your iPad to see how easy it can be to simply provide a live feed of your lesson. If you want to start with the camera off then do, however it is worth experimenting with camera on. Pupils like to see the class and like the interaction that live, visible teaching provides. This way you deliver one lesson rather than two.
Don’t rely on live video or audio alone
Don’t use live Teams sessions or Showbie for every element of your teaching. You can’t always guarantee the quality of your feed. And as said already, mixed is good so do have some lessons where material is provided but you don’t join virtually. Feedback
is useful
Invite student engagement and feedback. Do listen carefully to what the pupils are saying. What do they like and what do they find less interesting? We also have to consider the views of parents. It was certainly the case during lockdown that parents wanted to have the chance for their children to see the teacher and interact in live rather than simply recorded sessions. In some cases, it is a good idea to establish times when you know you can be reached on video, such as at the start and end of the day for Junior School classes. You may choose to have an audio link open all the time to answer questions and deal with comments as the lesson progresses. 3
Other live interactions
Check in with students often. If you can’t see a student’s face, it’s difficult to tell if they understand the material you are covering. Consider interactive elements such as short quizzes and Q&As where you as the questioner are visible as are the pupils. Pupils might also miss the social interaction provided by school, so it helps to engage them with opportunities to talk to one another during a live session. When a lesson has a clear beginning and end pupil interactions at the beginning often are the most valuable of all so it is a good idea to be ‘around’ if possible. Pupils value the chance to chat in these less structured moments. We have become used to mute on and mute off as a way of dealing with online platforms. Think about cameras on and cameras off in the same way. 1:1 Sessions. You should only have individual contact online with a student in a planned timetabled session. For example, Learning Support lessons that are timetabled are permitted but an off the timetable revision session is not appropriate. If you are in doubt, ask – protect yourself.
Not everyone works in the same way
Identify and support struggling students. Research suggests that almost every pupil experiences some type of ‘performance penalty’ when learning remotely and the penalty is generally more severe for the most vulnerable students. Some pupils will fly when not in class, others will fall by the wayside quickly. Keeping track is important so we know what has to be done when the pupil returns to school. Use the established methods to let people know you are concerned. In the Senior School this may well be the ‘white for worried’ slip. Safeguarding The most important point to make is that staff should only ever use a platform that is approved by the School. Teams is an excellent platform as it is impossible for guests to join uninvited. You as a teacher create the class list and control who is invited to each session. You should have a colleague or line manager as an additional guest in your class so they can pop in from time to time to see what is going on. When we are open in approach, we are generally safer – it is a bit like teaching with your classroom door open. Frog remains the best place to post pre-recorded material and Showbie can also be used. 4
We need to keep ourselves and our pupils safe online and in virtual environments. When starting with live sessions you may feel more comfortable if you ask pupils to turn cameras off while you have yours on. Think about the place that you are broadcasting from – you may wish to use a blurring tool or a different background, if you are broadcasting from School then your classroom should be an appropriate background. You can always record the lesson so that any issues that emerge are recorded for your own security. You should use a school issued device for your work unless you have discussed use of another machine with your line manager and this has been approved by the Deputy Headmaster. If you feel that you are seeing into a private area – such as pupil’s bedroom – encourage the whole class to blur their backgrounds as well. Pupils should be dressed for school – report any cases where you think pupils are dressed in an inappropriate fashion. Avoid singling out any one pupil publicly. If you feel that you are seeing into a private area – such as pupil’s bedroom – encourage the whole class to blur their backgrounds as well. Pupils should be dressed for school – report any cases where you think pupils are dressed in an inappropriate fashion. Avoid singling out any one pupil publicly. If anything happens that makes you feel uncomfortable don’t keep it to yourself – pass it on to the DSL in your school. It is still possible for a pupil to make a disclosure while online so the normal rules will apply if this happens. Live lessons have, over the period of lockdown, become an accepted and normal form of teaching. The same safeguarding rules apply in the virtual classroom as they do in the real one. One advantage of the online approach is that you have an enormous degree of control over what is happening in your classroom and you can control who says what perhaps more effectively than you are able to in a normal classroom.
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Pupil Rules for online sessions Responsibilities as a BSP pupil when learning online. Learning online could be a major part of the way we work this year. It is important that you follow these guidelines to make sure that the experience is a positive one for all members of the BSP community. Whilst online learning presents certain challenges it is possible to keep making progress without sitting in an “actual” classroom. How we make online learning work at the BSP: • Be online and on time for lessons on Teams, Showbie or any other platform being used. Where non-live approaches are being used ensure that you use the material in line with our published timetable • Submit all materials that your teacher(s) ask for promptly and follow the instructions of your teacher • Check Frog every day for information about your lessons and learning • Only turn your microphone on when you are asked to speak or when responding to questions • Make sure that you are dressed appropriately for learning (something you would wear for an out of uniform day) • Keep your online chat focused on the learning. Ensure chat is respectful of all participants • Keep your mobile phone off and away from you whilst learning online. You wouldn’t have it out in a lesson, so you don’t need it now • Complete all online and offline learning tasks • Raise any points that you don’t understand, don’t think that problems with your learning and understanding will solve themselves • If you experience technical issues email your teacher to inform them and so you can find out what has been missed • Maintain a sense of purpose and don’t be distracted. No chatting, gaming or checking social media while trying to do your schoolwork • Contribute to online discussions and lesson in a positive manner as you would do in lessons in school • Be patient with your teachers as online teaching is new to them as well • Be patient but also alert the teacher to ways things may be improved • There is to be no filming, recording or sharing content (you must not take screenshots or record staff members presenting information to you) • You are to inform all members of your household that you will be joining a video lesson and that they could be seen (if your camera is on) and heard (if your mic is on) • If you feel uncomfortable with any online behaviour make contact with Mr. McCann or Mrs Pearey as soon as possible. You can use the speak@british school.fr email address
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