Written on April 7, 2020
Disadvantages: At the present time, I find that there are a few major disadvantages to Remote Learning. The first major disadvantage is not seeing the students on a daily basis. One of the reasons why I went into teaching was because I wanted to work side by side with high school students. Remote Learning does not allow for this since all work is done online. Even though you use apps such as Zoom, Hangouts and Screencastify to communicate with students, it is not like being in the actual classroom with the students. I miss seeing their faces, their laughter and their tears; I miss their stories and their sharing; and I miss their successes and their struggles. I miss the crazy things they do. It is great to watch students when they overcome a struggle with a specific problem or step. To see their faces light up when they find success, makes teaching exciting. In general, I miss watching them mature and grow up.
Another major disadvantage is not meeting with my team. I miss the everyday camaraderie that I have with Ryan Read (co-teacher) and Tammy Pierson (my aide). I miss our working together to solve mysteries and issues; I miss the casual conversations that we have; and I just miss working alongside them, listening to their struggles and successes. I miss their laughter and their smiles! I miss their encouragement and their support. Funny how we often take these moments for granted until they are stolen away from us. I think I work with some pretty great people, and not seeing them on a daily basis is heart-breaking.
Another disadvantage has been Internet access. However, I can say that our District has taken on the challenge by providing "hotspots" for families that do not have Internet access in our District. They have provided families with Chromebooks and have been in contact trying to work out issues that might prevent students from participating in Remote Learning. I commend our District for their efforts, and though they are still trying to work out problems, I think our Superintendent, our principals and our tech personnel have arisen to the challenge! I thank them for successfully taking on the enormous issues facing families and teachers.
The last disadvantage of Remote Learning is the lack of care by some parents in helping their children excel in Remote Learning. Let's face it. Some parents just don't care, and their children are left helpless, stranded and without support. Thus, they become students disconnected to learning in general and do not see the point of their education. Sad. However, I do think our administration, teachers and counseling staff are trying hard to get these students involved; we all are hard at work trying to let these students know they matter, even though the challenges can sometimes be disappointing. The most important element here is to not give up on these students, and keep reaching out to them to get involved.
Advantages: Ryan, Tammy and I have been working all year with our students trying to get them to think on their own and think outside the box. We have worked with them on exploring software and how to use a variety of apps. We have challenged them to be responsible for their own learning and not rely on us for interpreting directions for them. We have tried to reinforce in them that struggles are positive learning steps, and from these struggles, they will retain more and find success and retention in their learning.
One advantage of Remote Learning is recognizing those students who have seriously taken on the responsibility for their own learning. In Remote Learning, these students are obvious. Surprisingly, it is not always the best students with the best grades that are consistently participating in their Remote Learning, and participating well. These students who are engaged in their learning do not look for ways to get around work, but take it head on as a challenge. They are not afraid to email a teacher when they need something, and they seem to enjoy rising to the occasion. Fortunately, I am blessed with many of these types of students.
Another Advantage: though students might not agree, the accessing of work in Google Classroom and other app tools that teachers use to provide work for their classes, are challenging students in their understanding of how the computer functions as well as how apps work. I hear over and over again how great students are on the computer, but to be honest, this is not my experience as a technology teacher. Most students are only good at what they know: playing games. When it comes time for them to work in a new app, they run up against a brick wall. Since most students do not recognize that most apps have similar features, they seem to go blind when trying to use a new app and become frustrated, resulting in a hatred for remote learning. Thus, their experiences of remote learning become negative. From a teacher perspective, I think this is great. Challenging students to get out of their learning comfort zones is awesome and in line with our teaching goals, though students don't like it. It's uncomfortable and challenging for them. However, most of us teachers can understand their frustration. You might be facing similar frustrations. However, providing students with new tools for learning is challenging them to think outside the box. With guided instruction, we hope they overcome their app and learning deficiencies, because all too often, students are given way too much credit for understanding apps and computers. As we listen to the complaints by students for remote learning, keep in mind their frustrations are connected with two things: First, they are being challenged to learn in a new way, which we all know can be frustrating. However, it is through their frustrations and struggles that they will learn to overcome obstacles, and learning how to work in new apps are part of that learning struggle. We just need to be there for them in the best ways we can. Second, they still have to do school work--school is still in session for them, when most would prefer a holiday.
Another advantage is that Ryan and I are able to see clearly who knows how to follow step-by-step instructions, which we have been working on every semester. In general, students have to read the instructions and follow the steps. Ryan and I have both been preparing for Remote Learning for at least two years. We have set up our classroom assignment with Remote Learning in mind. Though we did a lot of in-classroom assignments, we wanted our students to understand the step-by-step process of accessing their apps as well as learning how to use them independently from us. Through Remote Learning, I am finding that our students appear to be well prepared. Though Ryan and I have had to work through logistic issues, students follow the same steps in Remote Learning as they did in the classroom. Our goal was to provide a similar type of learning environment whether it be online or in the classroom. In general, I think we have accomplished this goal. Very few students appear to have difficulty assessing their work or completing it; though some students still struggle with Internet access, affecting their ability to complete assignments in a timely manner.
Another advantage is one that is kind of surprising. Remote Learning has challenged me to come up with some activities that are outside the box of what I normally use, which has been exciting. Brainstorming and pondering on how to present a particular activity has been a great stimulus for my brain. Remote Learning is challenging me to move from traditional ways of presenting material (traditions are good--not meaning that they are bad) to more interesting and engaging lessons for my students. It is challenging me to move out of my rut. I think I am coming up with some good activities; however, creating them takes some time. However, since I enjoy working in new software and creating new activities, I find the work enjoyable and mind-expanding. Because of not being in the classroom at this time, I actually have the time to come up with new ways of presenting material, which has been very helpful. The best news is that when we actually return to classroom instruction, we still have these activities that we can incorporate into our lesson plans.
Another advantage: some teachers might see this as a disadvantage, but I do not. It is time (as mentioned above). Teaching in the classroom everyday is fun and exciting, but it is also draining of energy. Most of my evenings are spent recuperating from an exhilarating day at school. I don't often have time to ponder on new ways of presenting concepts and ideas to my students. Most of my "new ideas" are sparked during summer vacation. However, Remote Learning is providing me with time to gather ideas from a variety of sources to come up with activities that I think are more engaging and fun to do. Thus, time has been a gift to me during these troubled times. Teachers around the globe should be commended at this time for their willingness to share out ideas that they find successful in their classroom. Could there be a better group of people than teachers? To all of my comrades: thank you for your willingness to be an open door of knowledge for all teachers. You all are pretty awesome!
The last advantage with Remote Learning is that you do not have to deal with classroom discipline. As much as I love working with the students, the constant discipline of some students gets old. I have to admit that I don't miss this end of the job.
NOTE: if you are a teacher and are looking for some ideas, please visit my Wakelet Website (CathieMurphy639) or click on the QR code below.
No comments:
Post a Comment