Lately, I’ve been hearing with increasing frequency about folks who either:

  1. have students who are struggling with the new *learning* expectations, or
  2. as teachers they are struggling with the *teaching* expectations

Let me summarize three of the anecdotes I have heard recently. They all revolve somewhat around the same topic, but from different points of view.

  • Students arrive to the remote learning environment ill-prepared or in other ways unready to learn
  • Teachers have a hard time getting the **management** system to do what they want, and they fail to engage with the entirety of the class
  • Teachers and students are both frustrated because the system seems to be getting in the way of (teaching | learning) and it seems easier to just "flee" (disengage and just be present instead) than "fight" (resolve the issue adequately)

[Aside: Of course, let’s not skip over the largest issue, which is access to technology in the first place. A student cannot participate online if they do not have both an Internet capable device AND reliable access to fairly robust Internet. I started learning formally about technology education in the mid-90s, and this (or a very close analog) has been a challenge for all of that time. Devices wear out and break, or at the least need periodic replacement. Internet access is a subscription that costs money. If ones school or home situation does not allow this discretionary spending, then no devices. If fortunate, a student may have access to a cell phone with a data plan, but very likely not a separate device for remote learning. This topic is an entirely different situation. And is beyond the scope of this discussion. Perhaps, even on a larger scale than this one. In any event, back to the topic .]

Not to speak out of turn, but I have seen my own kids roll out of bed just barely early enough to switch on their computers, and activate the video conferencing software. So, there is no judgment inferred…

Come along, dear reader, and let me walk us gently through this problem. It rained last night, so mind the puddles and wet pavement.

Let’s remind ourselves of the situation that existed for us just a few months ago. School was a destination. Teachers arrived to School. Students arrived to School. The manner of that arrival differed, but everyone left their home environment, went through at least several minutes of transition, and arrived at a very different environment from where they started.

Now, remember the example I shared just a few paragraphs earlier. Presumably, since the teacher is leading the video conference, they have gotten dressed and laid out their materials for the intended lesson, and prepared the video environment for the student. A kid rises from bed (optional), switches on a device, and begins participating in the learning activities.

Push pause.

Let’s compare the experiences of the student and the teacher, each with the “before pandemic” experience. The teacher rises, gets dressed, prepares lesson materials, sets up the technology, gets the video conference ready for the students to join. The student rises from bed and jumps immediately into the learning environment.

It seems to me that the transitions and preparations are vastly different for the student. Aside from the common difference (neither has gone from their homes to the School), the teacher has changed context by preparing (at least superficially) from “home mode” to “school mode”. The student has not.

Unpause.

The lessons are very different from those that either group has experienced previously. The teacher is not used to speaking into a device, tethered (figuratively) to a single area where the camera might capture what they have to say and demonstrate. Students are not used to learning through a device, exclusively. They have also never tried to learn for a lengthy period in their own living environment. All the “comforts” of home are just a few steps away.

Pause again.

The School environment and this substitution are vastly different from each other. Neither teacher nor student are fully in their “learning OR teaching” mode. This difference is important to remember.

Unpause.

The online portion of the learning day is shorter than the learning day at School. In my experience, it might be 1-2 hours long in a contiguous block. There are very brief (if any) pauses between topics. In my experience, it has been a block of one topic each day, with no transitions.

Once done, the teacher signs off and everyone goes about their “regular life”.

End of example.

Throughout this example - simple as it is - there are tons of missing cues from the “normal School” situation. students don’t have informal communication. Teachers cannot give “the eye” to a particular student to bring them back to attention (or to stop a disruption). Students have plenty of opportunity to “hide”. Turning off their camera, or pointing it at something else in the room. Learning in this way has gained one more layer of abstraction. Instead of being physically together, people are now watching it on TV.

I have intended to point out the differences in learning and teaching contexts. This shift from School to Home has been sudden and drastic. It seems that few people have yet to transition mentally from learning (or teaching) in a place called School to doing all those functions at Home. Teaching and learning is an intentional and transactional activity. There is often some vulnerability there too. When one side of the equation is able (or allowed) to not prepare, or not participate, the intention of the activity is unclear. The person who is uneasy or unwilling to participate gains confidence that they don’t want to [and they disengage]. The parties feel unbalanced or especially unequal. Frustration ensues (or maybe even prevails).

OK, I painted a picture. Now what can we DO to change anything? Here are some thoughts:

  • Start a routine that involves "activating" some of the transition from "Home" to "School" Maybe a theme a day. Like orange socks day, or blue shirt day, or funny hat day, or whatever. Something that would draw a learner into changing their thoughts from Home toward School.
  • Post questions in advance that have a correct answer. Student needs to answer the question correctly before joining the video conference.
  • Get them up and moving. Start a lesson with an ad hoc "show and tell". Each person needs to find something round (or green or cubic or whatever), and needs to describe it in one sentence to start the conference.
  • Ask everyone (one at a time) to say their names, and tell one idea about the assignment that was confusing (or especially awesome). Allow some time for conversation.

Comments? Hit me at jkenton@towson.edu

[Thanks for reading!]

Comments?