We are back from our Easter break and I was reminded that I had not blogged in over 3 days!
So much has happened...and the focus this half term is on refining our current teaching practices whilst also adding in the element of interactivity.
While we continue to use Seesaw and Showbie in the primary years, it is time to bring the children together. Through live assemblies and some subject teaching, it is intended that our students will be able to see each other and close the widening self/family isolating gap that we are all facing. Our focus this term is on student wellbeing, introducing ImpactEd research survey's and in creating live open spot light sessions encouraging student voice (and picture) for them to share their experiences. Students love to hear their teachers and watch their pre-recorded their video's but can you imagine their faces when they join them in real time and interact with their friends too!
With the older students, the use of Teams via Microsoft 0365 has been our live saver! While we are immersed in live lessons through means of scheduled or live meet now sessions, teachers are able to carry on teaching in both synchronous and asynchronous ways.
Lesson learned:
Conducting full synchronous learning is exciting, intense and mirrors traditional teaching in as much as it can. But, it is not sustainable. Teachers have found that it is best to deliver new material and/or connect with their students for their first 10-15 minutes while live in teaching and then offer a pre-recorded presentation or task. This allows for the teacher to be freed up and focus on those students who need more help or guidance.
Our teachers have received virtual training in adding automated marking, assessment and offering feedback through means of Assignment in Teams and/or Inking in Office applications as well as the use of Microsoft Stream. Stream is one of the most effective tools that I have come across (and still has much potential in development).
For those who don't know about Stream, it is another app available within Office 365 (although may need activation). It allows a user to slice up their video and add in interactivity (using Forms). Teachers can then share these video's with their students and monitor at what point they may have stopped watching the video. There is also a subtitle view to the video and it is possible to get it translated in 27 languages.
