Monday, April 20, 2020
Woodland Public Schools’ teachers and staff revamp in-class lessons and develop multiple approaches to adapt to the new normal of remote teaching and learning. At Woodland’s elementary schools, staff ensure the district’s youngest students continue learning the fundamental building blocks of reading, writing, and math during the statewide school closure.
In order to fit lessons with families from all walks of life and technology capability, Woodland’s teachers prepare remote learning lesson plans in both online and offline formats. Jazmin Rebstock, a kindergarten teacher at North Fork Elementary School, wanted to offer her students a way to connect with her even if they could not see her in-person. “I wanted to film myself teaching so my students could see me and hear my voice,” she said. “When we were preparing lessons packets, I decided to film one video for each content area so my young students could receive visual and audio guidance throughout their lessons.”
Woodland’s teachers experiment with new techniques to continue developing and honing their skills at teaching remotely. “Everyone – parents, students, and teachers – is learning how to educate and promote student engagement virtually now,” she said. “In my video read-alouds, I try to pick silly books, create voices, and make learning fun; it’s a challenge to make sure I can reach my kiddos through this virtual wall.”
In her videos, Jazmin uses visual aids, models, and guides students through the lessons by asking them to pause the video, finish the work for that lesson, and then restart the video from that point. Jazmin emphasizes that parents should act like learning coaches and not feel pressured to replace teachers. “I make sure my videos focus on curriculum content with simple directions for parents and students to follow,” she said. “I want to avoid feeling like I’m asking parents to reinvent the wheel when it comes to instruction; instruction is the teacher’s job.”
Carter Mullikin, a kindergarten student in Jazmin’s class, works on lessons as he follows along with Jazmin’s video instruction
Just like with traditional classroom learning, student engagement during remote learning remains a top priority. In order to make remote learning work, teachers work with parents to create a teaching and learning team. “Partnering with parents and having their support is key to making remote education work,” said Jazmin. “I regularly have pep talks via video conferencing with parents on how to promote and enhance student engagement.”
Using the myriad of technological tools and online resources for remote teaching can present a daunting challenge for the most tech-savvy IT professional, but Woodland’s teachers have ramped up their efforts to take on the task since the start of the closure. “I’m not particularly tech-savvy, generally,” said Jazmin. “This experience has offered great opportunities for me to practice the growth mindset of always being open to learning new things.”
Given the limitations of access to online learning in rural communities like Woodland, the district’s teachers ensure to offer a variety of learning opportunities. “Several families in my class don’t have Internet access or easy ways to get a hold of resources, so making sure I reach all of my students continues to remain an important priority,” said Jazmin. “Woodland’s school staffs work as teams to make sure families can get access to learning opportunities in multiple ways; I’ve greatly appreciated the help I’ve received from the district and my colleagues to get ahold of families.”
Many families have expressed concerns feeling pressured to act as home teachers. Woodland Public Schools encourages parents to serve as learning coaches, partnering with the district’s teachers, not replacing them. “Engage in more play-based learning than a typical school day and don’t feel guilty for taking time to play with your kiddos,” said Jazmin. “While curriculum-based content is important, parents and guardians can make an impact by letting their kids learn through play and bonding experiences like gardening, cooking, and playing board games – it’s okay to embrace the fact that learning at home looks different than learning at school.”
Do you have a home learning story you’d like to share?
Please send it with pictures and/or video to Eric Jacobson, our Communications Manager, at jacobsoe@woodlandschools.org