Distance Learning Guide: From A to Zoom

Distance Learning Overview Within Sierra Canyon’s mission lies one of the most important factors of our success: We

are defined by an energized, attentive, and diverse student-teacher culture. Building

relationships between the school and families, teachers, and students, genuinely creates the opportunity for us to move forward as a community, whether in person or through distance learning. Furthermore, as the mission continues, it is this community that affords us all to grow for the challenges of a fast-changing world.

The world has changed quickly. And because we believe in being both proactive and responsive, we have created the following Distance Learning Guide to help empower the students and realize their educational goals in this virtual environment.

The details provided in the Distance Learning Guide improve upon what we implemented in the spring of 2020. As an institution of learning, we are determined to learn from and grow in all of our efforts. Thus, this Guide, the schedule, and our recommendations offer advice for how students can digitally engage in school as successfully as possible, while we deliver our full curriculum and educational program.

Distance Learning from A to Zoom will help set up the best possible experience for your

child. The routine and rituals of in-person school should be maintained as much as possible so that students experience the formality and importance of focus, engagement, and learning. It’s critical for families to work in concert with the School to prepare for the start of classes so that students build good habits and can become confident with their instruction and experience.

TABLE OF CONTENTS ATTENDANCE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 BREAKS……………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………3 CHECKLIST……………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………3 CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS…………………………………………………………………….………………………3 DIGITAL RESOURCES……………………………………………………….………………………………………………….4 FOOD and DRINK…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 HELP.SIERRACANYONSCHOOL.ORG……………………………….……………………………………………….5 INSTRUCTION……………………………………………………………………………….…….……………………………….5 LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION…………………………………………………………………….…………….6 MATERIALS and SUPPLIES…………………………………………………………………………….……………………6 MINDSET…………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………..6 OFFICE HOURS………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………….7 ORGANIZATION………………………………………………………………………………………………….….……………..7 PORTAL……………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………..……7 SCHEDULE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 RESOURCES for COMFORT………………………………………………………………………………………..……..…8 TECHNOLOGY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 UNIFORMS and DRESS CODE……………………………………………………………………………..……………...9 ZOOM………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

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DISTANCE LEARNING FROM A to ZOOM ATTENDANCE As usual, teachers will be taking attendance regularly. If a student will be absent from class, please notify school as usual. If a student is having difficulty connecting to a class, make sure that there are steps in place to troubleshoot logging in. Our Guide will help with this, but always plan on being early to class through Zoom and wait. Should problems persist, notify the teacher and relevant help immediately. It is imperative that students attend class. If they miss class, the teacher must be contacted to make up what was missed.

BREAKS Taking time out from academics between classes is a natural part of the in-person experience.

Given the nature of focusing on the screen, it is important to get up after and before classes, to stretch and move your body, get water, take a bathroom break, etc., just like being at school. These breaks should not occur during class so that students focus on instruction and learning.

Teachers also need all students to be prepared and organized before each day so that they do not have to get materials during class. In addition, all students need to focus on using the time in between classes to take care of any non-academic business, as these are great opportunities to be away from the computer screen.

CHECKLIST It is never too early to help a child learn how to create, maintain, and see the value in a checklist.

These can be made to help with homework, long-term goals, materials, and daily protocols.

Therefore, it is recommended that parents help students create checklists for distance learning so that students feel prepared and are building independence in their learning environment.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS Classroom expectations are very similar to “in-person� requirements, but there are some that are specific to distance learning. While teachers always go over these expectations to begin the year, it is important to review them with your child regularly.

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Below are just a few examples of in-person expectations applicable to distance learning, followed by specific guidelines for the digital interface:

In-person • • • •

Patiently wait to be called on by your teacher.

Listen diligently to instruction and directions.

Ask questions when you are unsure of something.

Be respectful of all other class members and show you are listening by referencing what someone else has said when appropriate.

Zoom-based •

• • • • •

Audio: Mute yourself when you are not speaking. This helps eliminate background noise.

Video: Make your face and work area visible on the screen so your teacher can see you and how you are working.

Chat: If chat is enabled and allowed, make sure all of your messaging is appropriate and relevant to learning and instruction.

Breakout Rooms: If breakout rooms are used, make sure you are staying focused on the lesson.

Speaker View: Putting Zoom on speaker view eliminates seeing too many students and only focuses on the speaker, something that can greatly help limit distraction.

Listening: Actively listen to what your teacher and classmates are saying.

DIGITAL RESOURCES All students have access to Microsoft Office, a suite of products that includes invaluable resources like Word, PowerPoint, Outlook (SC email), OneDrive, etc. Simply go to office.com and sign in to get these applications, or refer to the help site, help.sierracanyonschool.org, for further information.

There is a host of digital resources provided by Sierra Canyon that contributes to the success of distance and in-person instruction. Goformative, Seesaw, IXL, Raz-Kids, Epic, and Turnitin are just some examples of the powerful ways that teachers interact with our students digitally. It is critical students and parents keep track of their log-in information for these resources and familiarize themselves with them.

FOOD AND DRINK Just as in class, students should not bring food and drink other than water into their distance classrooms. This is a distraction to themselves and others. Permission may be granted on special occasions, but it is imperative that the day is planned in such a way that meals are scheduled just as at in-person school. This planning can help facilitate breaks for food and drink and things like using the bathroom (see above for Breaks).

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HELP.SIERRACANYONSCHOOL.ORG Distance learning can pose some unique challenges, but as we learned in the spring, solutions are just a click or call away. Help.sierracanyonschool.org provides a wealth of information that can assist you with things like Portal access, installing and signing into Zoom, Microsoft app access online, etc. Please familiarize yourself with this site in order to trouble shoot different features.

In addition, if you cannot find what you are looking for, contact help@sierracanyonschool.org.

Please provide the following information when you email for help: • • • • • •

Full name of student Grade level Specific problem (mention this both in subject and body of email) Screen shot, if relevant, of any error message What type of device students are using Best way to contact you

This will help us help you as quickly as possible.

Should you have general or specific questions, you may always reach out to your teachers, who are happy to address your questions. They will provide valuable information to you regarding their classes, distance learning best practices, et al., at the start of the year, but are available to you for anything further.

Lastly, you are always welcome to reach out to the administration should you need any additional support; we would be happy to help you.

Kristine Theodoratos, Lower School Director, ktheodoratos@sierracanyonschool.org or ext. 111 Adam Horwitz, Lower School Dean of Students, ahorwitz@sierracanyonschool.org or ext. 108 Lindsay Koss, 7th – 9th Director, lkoss@sierracanyonschool.org, ext. 312 Thomas Perry, Upper School Director, tperry@sierracanyonschool.org, ext. 307 Tom Keller, Director of Studies, tkeller@sierracanyonschool.org, ext. 168

INSTRUCTION Our teachers dedicated a significant amount of time this summer to strengthening their distance learning instruction and to learning about new resources to help students thrive online. They will be sharing information about what digital resources they will be using and tips to maximize the effectiveness of their distance teaching. You are always free to reach out to them with questions, but please be sure to pay attention to things like app sign-ups, website navigation, et al. They will be sharing this information and providing references through their SC Portals, email, and direct instruction.

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LOCATION FOR CLASS A student must be in a designated location for learning and make this a daily practice. The space should be clean, well-organized, prepared for class with all materials and supplies (see below), and it should limit distraction as much as possible. While a common room can be good, too much traffic and activity can take away from instruction and learning. A desk or table in a student’s room can work, but distractions should be minimized as much as possible. A student’s room might be less effective if there are too many things to draw attention away from the screen. Any quiet area (e.g., office, study, etc.) that can be dedicated for regular classes everyday would be ideal.

Minimizing distraction means that phones should be turned off, no other browsers or applications should be open on the computer unless relevant to school, and that there should be relative peace and quiet so that the best learning can take place.

Posture and background also matter. Students should be seated upright, not reclining, for their classes and when they meet with teachers. In addition, even if “seated,” a student’s bed or the floor are not an appropriate place to maximize learning. There should not be anything distracting to classmates or the teacher in the background either. Students should make sure that their environment is appropriate for school and not cluttered or overly busy.

Lastly, if there are two or more students in a household, please make sure they are in different rooms. Having two students in one room creates a large distraction for each student as well as the classes.

MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES Refer to the relevant campus resource page for your supply lists. These materials should be set up the night before to ensure the best success and limit any last-minute needs for class preparation.

This includes printing out everything needed from the night before, whether it is from the class portal page, an assignment, or a continuation of a previously used resource. Having paper and pencils/pens ready for notes, books, etc. lined up is also a great way to begin the day, so preparing the night before is recommended.

MINDSET Spring was very instructive in seeing how students successfully managed distance learning.

Students who demonstrated perseverance in the face of problems, patience with technical challenges, and an overall growth mindset regarding teaching and learning often thrived in their education. It is important to cultivate such a mindset in-person for learning, but it takes on greater significance should there be challenges unique to distance learning.

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OFFICE HOURS Teachers will hold virtual office hours that they will advertise on their schedule and/or on their portal sites. These will be discussed with students early on in the year. They reserve this time to address student needs. As always, students are also free to email their teachers anytime for help and schedule an appointment for a Zoom call.

ORGANIZATION Being organized does not just mean physically having all materials ready to go for class and keeping these things in their proper places. It also refers to one’s computer desktop. Having a cleaned-up system of keeping track of documents and subjects is very helpful to make things readily accessible. It is highly recommended that digital file folders are created for different subjects and that parents help their children see the great value in organizing their digital desktops. Teachers and administrators are happy to advise on this should you need help, but a general rule of thumb is to keep folders for each subject and sub-folders within these for things like homework, assessments, notes, handouts, etc. Just like a digital binder, students will greatly benefit from seeing and using this level of organization.

PARENT ASSISTANCE Parents should feel comfortable helping with technical challenges and issues. However, they should not help students with work during class, as this would not be possible in-person.

Students need to develop their growth mindset (see above) so that they are capable of learning and thriving in distance learning.

PORTAL The SC Portal serves as a hub for much of the communication and information for student and parent needs. It is critical to be familiar with this important resource, as it will house links to daily Zoom lessons, assignments, additional resources, schedules, etc. In-depth familiarity with the Portal is critical for the successful operation of all instruction and learning. Please keep in mind that the same login (username and password) are used for many resources like email, Portal, and Zoom.

If you need help with your parent password or login for the portal/ email, please contact Christina Ellinghouse, cellinghouse@sierracanyonschool.org, ext. 122.

If you need help with student password or login for the portal/email, please contact help@sierracanyonschool.org following the above guidelines under this heading.

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SCHEDULE As we are all starting out with distance learning, it is important to note how the Lower and Upper Campus schedules will run both when we are 100% distance learning and when we return to inperson instruction.

For the Lower Campus, all teachers are beginning the year with slightly altered schedules to mimic more closely the plan for those families who elected distance learning. When in-person instruction is possible, the distance learning schedule will be only slightly altered from the inperson version. Although there may be long blocks of time scheduled for some subjects, teachers have prepared to provide diverse activities and lessons with sensible transitions between them.

Also, when in-person, 5th and 6th grade will run their classes for distance learners through a computer during live instruction and so are more like the Upper Campus classes.

All Upper Campus distance learning schedules will be the same as the in-person schedule and so all students will follow their normal rotation of classes and find their live links in each class Portal to begin the year. Each day’s classes and their schedule can be found in the Portal within My Day > Schedule.

Because things have been in flux, we are going to provide a digital version of the Upper Campus student planner at the start of the year for just the first semester. Once formalized, the second semester will be shared.

RESOURCES FOR COMFORT AND FOCUS Although not required, students may consider the following items that may enhance their comfort while learning online.

• • • •

Blue light glasses: These have been known to help eye fatigue due to screen time.

Earbuds/Headphones/Headset with microphone: These resources can help to block out surrounding noises and focus student attention where it should be—on the lessons.

Ergonomic furniture/ equipment: There are chairs, desks, ancillary furniture, keyboards, etc. that all try to make sitting and working better and more comfortable for online work.

Fidget toys: These can help students focus on lessons so that their hands are occupied in a way in which their listening and attention is focused.

TECHNOLOGY As we depend upon technology for the vehicle for distance learning, it is important to review how the digital connection will be most successfully made and maintained.

• •

Test your video and audio initially by trying it out first (e.g., making a Zoom call to another SC parent or student).

Make sure the computer has a functioning keyboard and the student is very familiar with using it.

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• • • • •

Although wireless (WiFi) connectivity works for most families, and there are no problems in most cases, if you have the option of using a wired internet connection, it tends to be more reliable.

Fully charge computers each night.

Bookmark relevant websites (e.g., the Portal, an app the class is using) and have student usernames and passwords saved/handy for easy access.

If you need to share devices and are signing into the same website, you may need to use a private or incognito window in order for a different user to log into the same website.

If a technology problem persists (e.g., freezing, inability to connect to Zoom, “glitches,” etc.) for either a student or the teacher, communication will be key. If a teacher needs to, she/he will email or text the class (students and/or parents), so please be vigilant in case such a message is necessary. If a student has a problem, she/he should communicate with the teacher. Classes will be recorded if connectivity issues persist for students.

UNIFORMS (LC) and DRESS CODE (UC) Although Lower School uniforms are not required during distance learning, they are highly encouraged. Upper Campus students are also recommended to follow dress code policy. This brings a heightened level of formality that is expected for our students and their learning. If you are not opting for the above, students should make sure to change in the morning, not be in pajamas, and come to their first class well-groomed.

ZOOM Zoom is the video conferencing tool used to host classes. Our teachers are hosts and control who may enter the classroom, limited to Sierra Canyon credentials. Once in Zoom, students should make sure they are following the above guidelines for classroom expectations. It is important that students are on video during the duration of class. Just as an in-person teacher would see a student throughout an entire class, a distance teacher needs to monitor and support each student, and that begins with video and how it can capture students and the space where they are working.

Zoom has several advanced features like chat, breakout rooms, and polling. Teachers may choose to use these as viable means of instruction, so students should monitor both when they are given instruction to participate in these different features. All chatting, discussion, and behavior in a breakout room must comport with classroom guidelines. Teachers will go over these at the beginning of the year and likely remind students before each occurrence, but this should become a habit just as positive and constructive participation becomes routine.

As mentioned under attendance, it is imperative that students attend class. If they miss class, parents or students need to contact their teacher and make up the work as usual.

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