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How to Teach in an Online/Blended Learning Environment

It is more critical than ever that learners have a nimble, accessible, equitable educational experience regardless of space, place or time.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) developed a statewide initiative* designed to bring high-quality, online professional learning opportunities to educators that will build their capacity to meet the dynamic needs of each learner in online, blended, and digitally rich learning environments. The Institute for Personalized Learning, a division of CESA #1, is partnering with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to assist districts in this transition. These two agencies will work alongside other key strategic state partners including: the Wisconsin Digital Learning Collaborative (CESA 9 and eSchool Network) and the CESA Digital Learning and Instructional Coordinators to complete this work.

Below you will find an inclusive list of resources (for teachers, students, families, and communities) that can be leveraged to help in the planning and programming of high quality online and in-person teaching, learning, communication, and engagement. These materials can be embedded in professional learning, included in classroom lessons, or referenced for best practice in teaching. The resources in the table below are aligned to the National Standards for Quality Online Learning and are further organized by topics within those standards. These standards also connect to supports around coaching in the Educator Effectiveness program for both teachers and administrators as they create and provide blended and virtual educational experiences.

Standard A: Professional Responsibilities

Standard A: Professional Responsibilities

Topic
Brief Description
Connected Resources

District and Building Level planning resources

Modules, planning templates, and glossary of remote learning vocabulary terms.

Quality Online Teaching

Best practice for teaching in an online learning environment. Topics such as:

  • Teacher Online standards

  • Student Engagement

  • Teacher collaboration

  • Student collaboration

  • Student agency

Syllabus Development

How to include the following into syllabus design:

  • Integrating expectations for online and blended learning environments

  • Virtual office hours, technical support, and family contact information

  • Redefining work expectations

Google Resources for Remote Learning

Resources, information, and tutorials for Google tools to support remote learning.
Google Classroom

Scheduling

Help students arrange their time, schedule classes, account for time (calendar setup and use), teacher daily/weekly schedule (time breakouts)

Attendance (DPI information coming for districts)

Best practice for attendance. Instructional hours, and participation in a remote learning environment.

In-person vs virtual instruction time
  • Using the Fostering Innovation Guide to support decisions about instructional hours

Standard B: Digital Pedagogy

Standard B: Digital Pedagogy

Topic
Brief Description
Connected Resources

Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy

Resources and materials to support the implementation of the ITL standards across all content areas. These standards/competencies are focused on providing students and educators with the skills and knowledge to be successful in all learning environments as well as be future ready.

Content Connection Documents

Live Stream/Web Conferencing

Resources and best practice for connecting with students and families to deliver content, live teaching, conferences,

Web/Video Conferencing Tips for Students
Other resources for teachers

Screencasting/Recording/Video Production

Best practice for recording lessons, audio/video feedback, live teaching, and more.

Best practice for online learning/flipped classroom would be to leverage a screen capture tool (examples below) to record your lesson to send to your students
**Students watch the video before so that you can utilize your time together answering questions and building understanding

Accessible Education Materials (AEM) Center = Top Ten Tips for Creating Quality Videos

 

Data Privacy and Virtual Learning  Information and resources to be aware of data privacy and security during virtual learning.

Equity/Unintentional Roadblocks

Ensuring equitable access to learning as well as similar learning experience for all students

Standard C: Community Building

Standard C: Community Building

Topic
Brief Description
Connected Resources

Effective Ways to start the school year in an online and blended learning environment

  • Family connections

  • Student Success

  • 70/30 Rule - support for technical, culture building - front loading teacher time to ensure every student in successful

  • No impact practice of technology tools and individualized supports for students and families

  • Modeling effective discussions, participation, and

Support and communication for Families and Guardians

Resources and best practice for supporting and communicating with families, guardians, and the community for consistency, fidelity, and clarity?

Standard D: Learner Engagement

Standard D: Learner Engagement

Topic
Brief Description
Connected Resources

Classroom Community, Culture, and Engagement

Best practice for building community, culture, and engaging students in an online environment

PBIS
Engagement in Remote Learning

Effective online discussion and participation

  • Sample grade-level rubrics

  • Alignment of online tools and options to build interaction activities

  • Google Tools

Standard E: Digital Citizenship

Standard E: Digital Citizenship

Topic
Brief Description
Connected Resources

Online Safety and Digital Citizenship (Leadership)

Helping teachers and students to navigate digital tools while practicing safe and healthy online behavior. Being cognizant of the following:

  • Online behavior - Keeping Kids Safe Online

  • Participation guides & rubrics by grade level - LMS/tool agnostic

  • Civility - anti-racist/equity/humanity/civic engagement

  • Screen time - dpi webpage/district example guidelines

Digital Citizenship
Copyright, Intellectual Property, and Fair Use Resources and tools for integrating copyright, intellectual property, and fair use laws into an online, blended, or in-person educational experience.
Standard F: Diverse Instruction

Standard F: Diverse Instruction

Topic
Brief Description
Connected Resources

Social and Emotional, Mental Health, Trauma

 

Resources to help support students, families, and educators with SEL, Mental health, and trauma while navigating an online learning environment.

Special Education

The ability to include IEP's and equitable access to learning for all students

Early Learning

Additional information about early learners and guidelines for online/blended environments.

Bilingual and English Language Learners

 

Accessibility

Resources for the following:

  • Captioning

  • Translation

  • Transcript

  • Video

  • Text-to-speech

  • Read and write

Assistive Technology Resources
Closed Captions
Translation
Text to Speech
Speech to Text

Equity/Unintentional Roadblocks

Ensuring equitable access to learning as well as a similar learning experience for all students

Lower Tech options

With so many variations that exist in accessing content, communications, and learning, we must have alternative ways to connect with stakeholders.

Communications
  • Personal Cell phone (block number with *67) - consider personal data plan limits and option to use web-based tools that can do phone calls

  • Zoom Phone access

  • Google Meet Dial Access - Only if added by your Google administrator

  • Email/Newsletters - Keep communication lines open

  • Remind - many teachers & coaches use this for two-way messaging that will not show personal cell phone numbers ( FERPA & COPPA link for Remind)

Collaboration
Digital Content
Standard G: Assessment and Measurement

Standard G: Assessment and Measurement

Topic
Brief Description
Connected Resources

Assessment and Grading

How will we be assessing (formative/summative) students and assigning grades in online/blended environments?
 

Academic Integrity

How do we ensure academic integrity while utilizing online digital tools?
Standard H: Instructional Design

Standard H: Instructional Design

Topic Brief Description Connected Resources
Planning and Design Resources, tools, and samples of best practice in remote learning
Literacy and Mathematics For specific resources, tools, and courses to plan for literacy, English language arts, and mathematics instruction during an extended school closure Literacy and Math Team web page
 
**The DPI will not endorse the use of any specific virtual instruction platform, tool, or product. The DPI facilitates discussions between school districts on successes and challenges in providing virtual instruction to help each district identify and utilize tools that fit the district’s specific needs. Each district should work with its own legal counsel to ensure the use of a particular product complies with state and federal law, including student privacy requirements, as well as local school board policies.
For questions about this information, contact Amanda Albrecht (608) 267-1071