Curious to hear why you think kids can't learn on zoom

amother

Navy

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 1:18 pm

Ema of 4 wrote:

Either they should or they shouldn’t, but they don’t do that. What schools should have done or should not have done Is subjective.

If your child is still young, and not a teen that doesn't want you interfering, you can talk to the teacher. Sometimes people just aren't aware.

chanchy123

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 1:23 pm

amother [ Apricot ] wrote:

I use to teach in a center that had kids on virtual school for high school.
Some excelled some didn’t
Some could do their assignments on their own others needed help, some constant help and motivation.
Virtual school is not like zoom, though.
There is no live teacher during the lesson.
If a child wanted to he could contact the teacher for clarification on assignments or help.

I’m not sure why distance learning could not use the virtual school model that is already set up at least for 6-12 grade, english studies.

In Israel, at least in the four schools my kids go to, this is pretty much what is done.
Zoom is only part of the package, they have assignments on google classroom or a similar system. The teacher is supposed to be available to guide the kids during class time.
Some of the instruction is done on pre-recorded videos rather than zoom. There are assignments that are more like educational quizzes and some teachers will incorporate videos or songs on their lessons like Navy described.

keym

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 1:42 pm

dancingqueen wrote:

I think chabad kids learning remotely does show that when there’s a will there’s a way.

I think it shows that when a parent chooses to set up their lifestyle and expectations with online school and then choose the most ideal school, program, and platform or combination, then it can work well.

What we are all dealing with is nothing like that.
I'm talking about childcare while having to work, schools with hybrid situations, teachers that are expected to teach live and remote at the same time, parents that are not thrilled about the amount of screen time, schools who feel the pressure to increase learning time to excuse collecting tuition, and the disappointment of children who are missing the education and experience they were really used to and wishing for.

amother

Oak

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 1:44 pm

dancingqueen wrote:

I think chabad kids learning remotely does show that when there’s a will there’s a way.

There are definitely chabad families with kids who don't succeed remotely. Many of them leave that shlichus. Many hire local teachers to teach secular studies after the public schools let out. One of the parents is sometimes able to teach kodesh.

Re screen sharing, dd doesn't learn well if she can't see the teacher when the material is being presented. She also needs to do science experiments with a friend, sharing ideas back and forth and having everyone else around them to quickly ask a question of someone. With math, she needs a teacher to be able to point to something on the paper she is writing on. In general, she needs other students around her to learn anything. And the chats are very distracting, but without them it takes the teacher a long time to see who needs something.

Teachers, if you're sharing a screen to teach a concept, what is your method of checking students' faces to see who gets it and who is lost or spaced out without waiting until you have finished? Also, how do you cue a student to focus back in without having to call there name out loud and bringing attention to them?

amother

Navy

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 2:43 pm

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

Teachers, if you're sharing a screen to teach a concept, what is your method of checking students' faces to see who gets it and who is lost or spaced out without waiting until you have finished? Also, how do you cue a student to focus back in without having to call there name out loud and bringing attention to them?

As I said earlier, zoom works great for students who can focus. Those who tend to space out will lose out on zoom. There is no way the teacher can be as on top of them as in class.

I do try though, and I believe most of the class is with me most of the time, as the lesson is interesting and interactive and they need to submit things throughout the lesson.

I also do call out pupils during the lesson, just hey how are you type of comment.

amother

Periwinkle

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 2:57 pm

amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:

Curious if you would be able to attend virtual school for 5 hrs a day? Sit and stare at the screen from 9-2 tomorrow and tell me how it goes

Reread my posts. It doesn't have to be 5 hours of just staring at a screen. Unfortunately it sounds like that is how some frum schools did it.

amother

Chartreuse

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 3:30 pm

I have about 15 years experience with my kids on the shluchim online school. It was never their exclusive school though - from 5 until about 12 they attend a local Jewish school which teaches almost basic yiddishkiet but no chumash etc. Many of my friends use it as their kids only school.

But it does not teach secular subjects, so either parents teach their own kids or hire local teachers.

This year I have one kid (12) on online school full time. (5 hours a day) She loves it, and is doing great. She has a teacher who comes in person to do chol subjects.

Some of my older kids did really well with online school, others it was a disaster. They would just not learn anything at all, wouldn't participate and it was a complete nightmare. 2 of my kids did pretty well. In general, the older the kid, the better. I often ended up hiring a private teacher to teach online which worked better...they can't zone out like they can in a class of 15.

I know many shluchim who also find that online school works really well for some of their kids, not so well for others. So they teach them themselves, or hire teachers to teach remotely. Or drive them crazy distances to get them to an in person school.

One of my sons teachers was excellent at using the tech (online quizzes etc) to engage the kids and I think if you do that it can work well.

I do think cameras need to be on. Really teachers don't care about messy rooms or kids running by but how do you expect your kid to engage if he knows the teacher can't see him?

amother

Navy

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 3:45 pm

amother [ Chartreuse ] wrote:

I do think cameras need to be on. Really teachers don't care about messy rooms or kids running by but how do you expect your kid to engage if he knows the teacher can't see him?

This. I also know from my own experience at meetings. If it's a meeting where it's acceptable to turn cameras off, I don't focus at all. I turn on the zoom meeting and cook dinner, drive my kids, do whatever. If it's a meeting where it's expected cameras will be on, I am seated, dressed properly, with my professional smile on. Totally different.

amother

Navy

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 3:48 pm

amother [ Vermilion ] wrote:

Curious if you would be able to attend virtual school for 5 hrs a day? Sit and stare at the screen from 9-2 tomorrow and tell me how it goes

As others have said, it's not five hours of staring at a screen. It's one hour of zoom learning, with clips and songs and games incorporated, as well as breakout rooms where they have a chance to chat briefly with their friends.
And then an assignment for an hour, so they need to work. And then zoom again - but it's not supposed to be a teacher droning on monotonously. Etc.

Five hours with a screen is not the end of the world if it's done well. Plenty of people spend 9 or 10 hours a day sitting across a screen at their office.

amother

Salmon

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 4:35 pm

Uuuuh, because I personally witnessed with my own eyes that it's a disaster? And yes, my kids' teachers were well trained and got lots of professional development in this matter. It still doesn't work for 99% of kids. Anyone who says otherwise either has a kid who's a freak of nature or they're lying through their teeth.

amother

Periwinkle

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 4:51 pm

amother [ Salmon ] wrote:

I don't believe the parents who have sent me complimentary emails about my teaching and saying how pleased they are with their child's learning, are lying. I have had several, since the school year started. And many of them are either working from home (in the same room, I can see them) or are SAHM who are in and out (the first week or so they sat with their kids, now they have eased off) so they have a pretty good idea of what's going on.
Is it perfect? No. I do have one (bright but probably ADHD) student who is struggling to focus and work independently. I have another 1 who doesn't log on regularly to classes. But that is 2 out of 22 kids.

amother

Salmon

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 4:57 pm

amother [ Periwinkle ] wrote:

Actually, not once did I say the teachers are doing a poor job. I also sent complimentary emails to teachers, out of recognition for how hard they were working. The teacher can work their hardest and do their best, nothing can change how poor of a medium it is. It doesn't work for most kids, no matter how good the teacher is.

amother

Periwinkle

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 5:24 pm

Their emails pretty much all said they are happy with their kids' progress and how the virtual learning is going.
Sorry that isn't happening for your kids' school experience. But, it is possible. For many kids, if not all. (Just like the traditional classroom doesn't work for all kids, either.)

amother

Floralwhite

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 5:52 pm

Didn't read it all so apologies if I'm repeating
When you have 8 ppl online at once, the wifi slows down or shuts off in my house.

The zoom links don't always work

Kids with adhd &/or learning disabilities really are struggling to stay focused & understand the material.

It's harder to get your questions noticed & answered & no the teachers are not able to accommodate different levels.

No physical therapy or similar can be done via zoom.

Who can be online from 8 am till 330 or 4 pm?! Not me so why my kids?
It gives my kids headaches to stare at a screen so long

The school wants perfect quiet in backgrounds, no other family members & no one in bedrooms- where exactly is everyone supposed to go?! But in the same room they distract each other.

ChanieMommy

Mon, Oct 26 2020, 6:03 pm

I suppose you need different learning and teaching strategies with remote learning than with classroom classes.

Therefore classes will be hard on teachers, students and their parents, as long as the teaching and learning strategies are not adapted to the setting.

I suppose that with small children, much of the work is left up to the parents, in a remote setting, because the parents need to do the supervising, plus much of the teaching...

For highschoolers, it should not be too hard to switch to remote learning, if they are interested in learning.

A middle-schooler told me that she just left here phone on her desk and did something else rather than listen to remote school over cellphone (without video)...

I suppose that voice only vs. video also makes a difference...