What Should We Keep From Remote and Hybrid Teaching?
What Should We Keep From Remote and Hybrid Teaching?
As a Mentor Teacher, I work with novice teachers providing support with setting up classrooms, meeting students and parents, putting management systems in place, and modeling lessons. Last year my school system was 100% virtual from September – April, and then we moved a hybrid model for the remainder of the school year. The remote and hybrid teaching model presented a plethora of challenges for both our students and many educators. While these models were necessary, they lacked the connection that traditional education provides. These types of instructional models made me long for a return to in person instruction.
I am not against remote or hybrid learning when it is a choice or under exceptional circumstances; however, I miss the social interaction of education in a traditional classroom setting. I miss students reading books in our classroom library, collectively solving math problems, and engaging in science experiments at the same table.
Covid cases are on the rise in my state; however, my school system is planning on returning to traditional classrooms in the fall. If the current plan for returning to school staying in place, remote and hybrid classrooms will no longer be the norm. As education continues to evolve and change I don’t want all of the learning from remote and hybrid teaching to disappear. There were some aspects of those learning environments that I found beneficial. I want to find ways to keep the good stuff that remote and hybrid teaching brought to education while transitioning back into an improved traditional classroom setting.
Here are my top four remote and hybrid strategies that promote learning and collaboration and how I plan to incorporate them in a traditional classroom. For me, the chat feature is a keeper. I've found several ways to engage students using the chat feature, including the Waterfall strategy. The Waterfall strategy, known by several other names, is having students place their answers in chat but waiting for a signal before pressing enter. Once students press "enter," all of the answers populate at the same time. This strategy worked well when I wanted to gauge students' understanding of learning because everyone submits answers at the same time, teachers can avoid students copying each other’s' responses. Waterfall allows all voices to be recorded and heard as opposed to students thinking, "well, my answer is already taken, so I'll stay quiet." Using the waterfall strategy, I could see students' views before a discussion and decide what material I needed to focus on during the lesson. I could also use this strategy as an Exit Ticket.
Another way to use the chat feature in a traditional classroom is to use the same feature while students are in the same room but connected via Zoom or another platform. Students could watch a video or participate in a discussion. The teacher could use the chat feature to ask questions. The poll feature could also be used during this type of teaching session. Using the poll feature would offer anonymity to students while providing the teacher with data to support instruction.
An alternative to using the chat feature would be to have students complete a Google Form before, during, or after a lesson. Google forms populate immediately. The teacher could review the responses and use the information to tailor lessons. Another option is to go old school and use cards (index cards) with A, B, C, or D for multiple-choice questions or True and False. Students could hold up their cards to show their answers. These kinds of cards are easy to make and can be used multiple times. There are also apps such as Plickers, https://get.plickers.com/ that are great for taking this strategy digital.
Personalized instructional videos have also become one of my go-to instructional strategies during virtual and hybrid instruction. Before the change to virtual learning instruction, I rarely made short videos to teach a skill. Once the term asynchronous (not simultaneous or concurrent in time) learning became a part of my daily language, I started making instructional videos. The teacher-made instructional video is an instructional strategy I will continue to use. My favorite screen recorder is Screencastify, a free Chrome extension that records, edits, and saves videos. In a traditional classroom, these videos can become part of learning centers. Teaching my 3rd graders to divide a three-digit number by a two-digit number was challenging. I often pulled small instructional groups to review skills. I will still pull small instructional groups, however now I will create instructional videos that my students could watch and solve problems on paper or electronic whiteboards. For example, students could watch an instructional video of a science experiment and then answer questions. Some students benefit from being able to watch a lesson a second time. Creating short instructional videos provides a way for students to learn at their own pace and reinforce learning or extended learning when needed. Educators can create videos or review short videos and embed them in the learning.
During hybrid and remote teaching, I implemented powerful pauses (stopping for 1 minute to allow students to reflect on their learning). I used a timer and modeled how to use the powerful pause with students. I wanted students to take the time to reflect on their learning. This time was to develop any questions, think about the next steps, or reflect on the learning. I will continue to do this in the traditional classroom by setting a time and providing time for students to pause and reflect.
Pre - Covid students in my mentees classrooms often worked on a piece of chart paper or a science board in a traditional classroom when completing collaborative work. When teaching and learning went virtual, I started using various collaborative platforms so that students could work and learn together. Google docs (a collaborative platform that multiple users can write on and edit for collaborative work), Jamboard, and Padlets (a digital interactive whiteboard great for creating single or various walls that can house multiple posts) are some of my favorite collaborative platforms. We used collaborative platforms for class journals, writing projects, creating visual displays, etc. Collaborative platforms work well and have the added benefit of not generating the cost of purchasing chart paper. I will use these collaborative platforms moving forward.
While I believe some form of remote or hybrid learning will always exist, I hope that I'll have the opportunity to work in an updated traditional classroom soon. When we can all safely return to buildings I want to take the quality substance I learned during virtual teaching with me.
