So apparently all the state schools could have had interactive lessons

[chopc]

As per GW today all were given access to a Microsoft Teams/ Google classrooms and could have had interactive teaching like the private schools. Not sure if he mentioned anything about the safeguarding concerns of zoom which miraculously have been overcome recently ...........just sayin

Did some teachers say they have been instructed by their SLT not to give interactive lessons or mark homework etc?

Sorry I know you must be bored of these threads but couldn't help myself

[Pipandmum]

Aside from the fact that so many kids don't have access to computers, or enough in the family for all the kids.
Never understood the safeguarding issue - my daughter's school uses teams and there's been no issue for any of the years (junior and senior school).

[Titsywoo]

Well ours finally set up teams last week and have since done basically bugger all with it. Said "we'll use this from now on so we can interact" then the teachers never answer any questions posted. There is talk of online lessons but who knows when that might occur. I just pray they can all go back in September.

[m0therofdragons]

My dd1 is in state secondary and they’ve been great with googlemeets lessons. They had google classroom for homework so they set the work on that. Can’t understand why schools aren’t doing it, especially secondary when every dc has a mobile this days even if they can’t access a laptop.

[lootsharks]

They could if all pupils and all teachers had suitable computers, internet access and a space to do the lessons at home. They could if all schools had the money to provide these laptops, they could if the teachers were technically capable of setting it up. There are many what ifs.

[Redolent]

As someone said, if they’d invested half the effort for procuring a laptop for every child as they did for health capacity (eg ventilators) we’d be in a much different position.

[MockneyReject]

Would have made no difference to my child. We live in bottom-tier private rental, and the landlord won't allow me to have internet. So, we don't have the technology or the know-how.
I work full time, so have more money coming in than I did when we first left DV refuge, but still don't have any way to access Zoom (whatever it is). I know that the families still there do not have internet. Those of us that had a phone, would poke it through the window bars to get some signal. There's no way any of the 30+ children there could have 'interacted' with lessons. I can only imagine how much worse it is, in there, with the current restrictions on mixing/supporting each other/borrowing phones/money/milk.

[RedCatBlueCat]

Hahahahahaha
When every child has access to a suitable device and a stable internet connection (not a hotspot off a parental phone), along with a quiet work area, it might be feasible.
Oh, and everyone available at the same time...

[Nquartz]

And from what I've read some schools /pupils are still waiting for their laptops so those kids wouldn't be able to participate

[W00t]

And behold, Gavin spake, and all children beheld the laptop and broadband that appeared in their home. And the heavenly host was heard: "glory to Gav in the highest..."

[meditrina]

If we get a second spike, or simply enough pupils off in household isolation, or off sick for other reasons, plus the shielded, then the capability to have a virtual participant in an actual lesson could be a really good solution.

But it doesn't solve it for DC with inadequate tech. Some solutions exist - there have been community programmes under which furloughed geeks have been checking, cleaning and reformatting donated old laptops to be given to pupils in need. Could broadband issues be solved by dongle?

[ohthegoats]

We got given access to MSTeams at half term - 3 weeks ago. A 6 week development programme was put into action in the first week of the easter holidays. No one knew how to use it, all training just fell down due to internet issues.

Also - issues as above re children being able to access these live lessons. Not just about timing, because lessons can be recorded, but also about actual access to a device. No laptop given to a disadvantaged child in our school has arrived yet.

[ohthegoats]

Over the next 2 weeks I'm running training sessions for kids - 5 at a time - to show them how to log in and access learning/join a meeting. At that point we'll have 2 weeks of term left in which to do 'live' learning.

It's really for September. The government know this is a long haul situation.

[mineofuselessinformation]

Have you considered that, besides the technology issue for students, it's also there for teachers? And there's the matter of children running around in the background, etc....
If you could wave a wand, however, that would be another matter.
Next time, I suggest you do resist.

[ohthegoats]

Huge issue for teachers. I doubt we'll use it for live lessons - more have a couple of slots for problem solving - like a 'clinic' we'd run in school. Shorter and less issue if they are cut off by a teacher's child shouting 'I need a poo'.

[Nat6999]

The tutoring thing is just one huge lie, how can £80 per pupil make up for losing 3 months of school? I've been paying for a tutor for ds for maths, he was one of the cheaper ones £30 an hour, so each pupil would get less than 3 hours tuition.

[Useruseruserusee]

Well Gavin wasn’t telling the truth. We applied for the grant to set up Google Classrooms and it was denied despite us meeting the criteria.

[coronabeer23]

100% live lessons for year 12 here and about 50/60% for year 9 state secondary. I do understand that not all children can access tech. Works well in our school, they take a register and those expected online and who don’t log on get an email home from the teacher.

[tilder]

I have huge sympathy with teachers through this. Fwiw, I agree that it's ridiculous to suggest all schools could or should have been doing zoom etc.

However, the whole 'but I have a child at home' thing is getting a bit old. You know what? We all have kids at home. Well, I think the majority on a website called mumsnet do.

I have 3 children at home. Like 1000s of others. We still manage to do video calls with lots of people. It's not easy, of course it isn't. But we manage with the imperfect, like everything else under lockdown.

[Grasspigeons]

This obsession with 'live' lessons drives me mad. My sons school obviously took advantge of this microsoft teams offer (which is new). He has some lessons the old way (well thought out presentations with links to pre-rcorded explanations and demonstrations from their teacher, oak leaf and bitesize, teacher avilable via email for questions and reponds quickly and feedback on written work submitted.)
Now he has to sit and watch the teacher at the exact moment i need the laptop for my work. Plus he is too embarressed to ask questions as its 'live' and only half the class seem able to log on. Not blaming the school for trying but i cant see it offers anything educationally over the old format.

[hellsbells99]

Why have the government not supplied education through television? Almost everyone has access to this.

[Oblomov20]

Nonsense. Neither ds's have had any. Nor has anyone I know round here.

[ohthegoats]

Ah, but if the other people on your call are adults, the fact your child appears is alright. As in, everyone understands.

If a child appears in the middle of a lesson to a load of 7 year olds, you may as well end it right there.

I like the video lessons personally, and weve had no complaints. Rather the opposite. Kids can watch over again, I do a video of myself chatting through the tasks too - they can mark using that, it's further consolidation of method, they can use my ideas to edit. Some of this stuff would be super handy to use day to day 'normally '.

[waltzingparrot]

I must be missing something because why couldn't the Y10 children without access to technology go into school and be taught in the classroom and the lesson beamed live to those with technology at home. I know this won't work for every school in the country but I bet it would work for a lot.

[RoseAndRose]

"Shorter and less issue if they are cut off by a teacher's child shouting 'I need a poo'"

Not likely to be an issue if the teacher is in a classroom, teaching the pupils who are actually present; and those who cannot attend are able to dial in

Getting the tech and connectivity in the right hands is only partly solved at present.

[ohthegoats]

Because they weren't allowed in school?
Because stigma?
Because bus travel to school?
Because no tech = put your kid at more risk?
Because poor = put kid at more risk?
Because that's streaming lessons and other children's input to lessons, into private homes - safeguarding.