School leaders across Minnesota are getting creative to deliver quality education via distance learning this week. MREA reviewed a series of plans developed during the recent statewide planning period and shares a few key practices and notable examples. View gallery of distance learning plans from across Greater Minnesota.
Key Practices & Examples
1. Use a short video from the principal explaining the plan and expectations.
Start with a positive message, outline the plan, repeat critical information, and conclude with a positive message. The best examples are delivered with energy and the personality of the principal comes right through the screen.
2. Outline time spent per day.
by grade ranges to be spent on lessons and suggested daily routine or schedule for the students at home
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- Elementary example (pp. 7-10)
- Elementary example (pp. 3-5)
- Secondary example
3. Clearly identify technology to be used and when lessons will be posted.
This can be broken down by grade range. Plans listed morning times (9 am) or late afternoon times (3:30 pm) for the next day. Plans that listed later afternoon times stated they were doing this so parents could look over the lessons ahead of time to help students with the lessons the next day. The key is to limit to posting once a daily, and not having multiple updates.
4. Provide a schedule for physical learning packets.
Communicate when they will be delivered and picked up. Consider weekly, the Friday before the next week, to give parents and guardians an opportunity to plan ahead. Teachers, then, should have their lessons planned out more than a week ahead of time. District example (pp. 5-6)
5. Link to Internet resources and offer to help get connected.
Identify the resources available in your community to gain Internet, including the name of the provider, contact information and brief overview of what’s being offered. District example (pp. 2-3)
Key Takeaway
What was noticeable in the distance learning plans was the reliance on asynchronous learning. This requires effective teacher videos for teaching concepts, skills, and content. Check out these 10 tips for making videos and share them with your team.
Please keep sending MREA links to distance learning plans info@mreavoice.org
View gallery of distance learning plans
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