The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), has caused many PreK-12 schools to transition from face-to-face instruction to some form of online learning. In order to support the transition to remote learning, the faculty, students, and alumni of the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program have put together several blog posts that will focus on general considerations, challenges, and specific strategies at the PreK-12 level.
We are honored to work with and learn from the MAET community as they navigate and implement this change in instructional delivery in their learning communities. Please enjoy the third post in our series by Elizabeth Eckenrode, an MAET student who is sharing a piece of her story in hopes to support you and your learners.
Elizabeth is an English as an Additional Language (EAL) instructor for 6th grade at an international school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She uses her love of technology to inspire students and push them to take risks in English. This is her third year teaching internationally and has previously taught in South Korea and the United States. You can connect with Elizabeth on Twitter at @MsEckenrode and on Instagram at @ms.eckenrode.
Student Well-being in the Times of Corona
Seven weeks of distance learning later – and I am exhausted.
All schools in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam were closed mid-February shortly following school closures in China and Taiwan. Initially, I felt that these were really strong precautions considering that there were just over 30 cases of COVID-19 in Vietnam by the end of the month. Face masks were sold out everywhere and that world-famous coronavirus song came out to promote handwashing (which we’ve been trying to tell our kids to do all year!) Aside from school closures, tighter restrictions on incoming travelers, and requirements to fill out travel declarations, life seemed normal.
However, as COVID-19 spread across the globe and became more prevalent, the school closures continued to extend. After seven weeks, the distance learning has taken a major toll on my students…and on myself.
I work in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam as an English as an Additional language instructor. My job involves supporting my co-teachers with in-class support and my focus is on making academic content more accessible to English language learners. My job description has shifted majorly since online learning began. I am usually a relatively organized person, but I now try to support my co-teachers by chasing after kids online to reteach, provide tech support, or generally follow-up with kids if we haven’t heard from them.
One thing I have done consistently is call my advisory group of 12 sixth-grade students every morning to check on how they are faring with online learning, their emotional well-being, and fit into mini-lessons on all those additional soft skills that make a student successful. My kids learned quickly through my screencasts how to write a (proper!) e-mail, how to navigate Google Hangouts, and how to use proper etiquette in a chatroom, amongst other things. The first week was exciting and new for everyone.
However, my 9:45 AM advisory calls began to evolve. There was a sudden shift into week 3 where I could quickly see how lonely the students had become. Some of them told me that their families asked them to stay inside all day. Others had no idea how to access reliable information and had created misconceptions based on whatever their parents had shared with them. Many of them were afraid to message classmates for help with classwork because they are teenagers fearing judgment from one another. They had been thrust into online learning – an entirely foreign concept to Vietnamese students and their parents.
They were lonely. They were confused. They were frustrated.
I really had to take a step back and forget my woes about not diving into the curriculum as I had originally planned. What could I do to address the emotional needs of my students and take away their stress about school? What could I do for my students who were not allowed to go out and socialize with their friends? How could I be the emotional pillar that my students desperately needed?
My co-teachers and I made major changes to our academic check-ins. We shifted expectations from self-paced assignments to a schedule that closely resembled our normal letter day schedule. Students were expected to be on small-group calls with their teacher during “class.” Instead of homework, we got kids on video calls to screenshare new content with them and asked them to fill out an exit ticket at the end of each call. More work was being accomplished after we asked less of them. More thinking and reflecting began to happen when we were purposeful about the structure of our video calls.
Many of us have now changed our 20-minute advisory calls so they are filled with games and fun activities. There are the usual “quiz” sites like Kahoot and Quizizz… but some of my colleagues have taken it to the next level by playing bingo, having “backwards day” where everyone had to say their names backwards to each other, filling in sentences like “I’ve been SO bored that I ______.”
As for myself? I like to take my kids by surprise sometimes! I’ve awarded house points for all students who can show me their pets on the screen (it was a BIG day when one kid showed me five piglets!). I asked kids to meow like cats if someone shows up to the call late while I’m screensharing. I hold a “question of the day” before every call to get some discussion going: Netflix or Youtube? What would be your ultimate ice cream flavor? What TV show would you watch for the rest of your life if you had to?
A test run of Gimkit the other morning with kids trivia – they LOVED it!
When you begin to make the shift that less is more, and try to bring some more life into your call, online learning gets significantly better. The students are desperate for some normalcy during these times and there is nothing like some fun to bring them all back together. Allow for some time to catch up with them at the beginning of each call. Eventually, these little changes will start to lessen your stress, too.
Our hearts are bleeding for all of the kids we can’t reach and for all of the kids who desperately need us. This is a challenging time for all stakeholders in education – it’s okay to go easy on ourselves right now. For the sake of yourself and your students, bring in a little extra fun and stay firm in the routine that you create for them. They welcome the consistency of each day and they are so glad to be with you.
P.S. – Try microblading your eyebrows before you start online learning. The kids will notice the changes in video calls.
The MAET community is here to support you. Looking for a resource? Feeling stuck with your next step? Trying to troubleshoot something? In search of inspiration? Have something funny or inspirational to share? Send a tweet to #MAET to connect.