Classroom Lessons via Zoom

[jjx111]

AIBU to expect the teachers at my daughter’s rs primary school to offer at least some lessons via Zoom? The feedback I have been given is that that they aren’t offering it due to a) safeguarding issues, and b) it would add to the teachers workload. Well, surely if we parents consent for our child to sign in for these lessons then no safeguarding issue. Plus, at present, we parents are doing at least 60% of the teachers work for them via homeschooling. (I appreciate that they are setting work for the children, but this is part of the planning they would do anyway).

@beentothecoastalready they are chucked out. And no I did not sign up for any of this - on line teaching was not part of any training I ever had. I've taught myself along with my colleagues support and I am now ok at it. But memes of me will be floating around by now and some people don't want that happening to them. I'm 53 so figure can't affect my future career too much.
My laptop is my dad's old one - it's about 10 years old and not v fast. Is anyone offering to buy me an iPad and pen because that would be fantastic.

@beentothecoastalready oh and lessons are only recorded if I remember to hit the record button.

schools cannot afford ££££ for the secure zoom , IT people etc to put in place. Plus training each teacher (some are more IT savvy than others).

While I think your other points are valid, Zoom is now free for schools!

didnt know that bit

The evidence is shaky because this is a unique situation but there is little evidence that real time live teaching has an impact.

What live teaching does do well is satisfy parents who want value for their money that teachers are working at least school hours - so I can see why it is popular with private schools. But the educational value compared to pre recorded lessons is negligible - so if you are interested in educational outcomes for your children live teaching has safeguarding and practical drawbacks( for children sharing devices and teachers working round their own families) with negligible benefits. If you want to just make sure that teachers are working as many hours as possible live teaching is the way to go.

I totally accept that not all schools are providing the educational support they should be for various reasons. I also have some criticisms of the way that unions have handled this - for example saying that teachers should not be marking - ( although I would use the phrase feedback) or that we should not engage in discussions.

What matters more is the quality of the teaching and the clarity of explanations than a teacher doing a live lesson. It can also help to enable some kind of peer interaction which can happen with a platform like teams. My department does not deliver live lessons but we are using online quizzing to check for gaps in learning and misconceptions , video lessons in which we give clear explanations and some human interaction. At KS3 we provide clear success criteria so that students can check their own work and improve their work - this encouraging of independence and self regulation is recommended . We use information from the quizzes to inform future planning. At KS4 and 5 exam questions are regularly set and whole class feedback given just as we would in school.

I totally agree that parents are having to do some education/ teaching and more than is ideal - it is not in my experience 60% though.

This report may be of interest https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Covid-19Resources/Remoteelearningevidenceereview/RapidEvidenceeAssessmentsummary.pdf

My DH reaches at a private school and has been delivering a full timetable plus usual staff meetings, form time etc, via zoom. Touch wood, everything going well so far. He has put in place obvious safeguards, they have a password, they have to wait in the 'waiting room' until he admits them and obviously he only admits who is expected in that class so no chance of a random popping in causing trouble. And the pupils wait there until there are a few and he let's them in, rather than being one on one. He has positioned himself in our dining room where there is a constant flow of traffic so he's not hidden away privately, just as he would leave the classroom door open at school if a child wanted to speak with him after a lesson. He is well aware that parents could well be around while he's teaching so he remains professional as always. I know there are risks of him being recorded etc but, to be fair, I've seen tik tok videos my DD has shown me of teachers in her school who have been covertly filmed during face to face lessons so it's not an online issue.

I think its great and I wish my Dd's school had similar but she is at state school and there isn't the budget to equip everyone with devices. She has had a Teams Meeting with one teacher and some pupils which was great and I emailed the teacher to thank them for setting it up as it isn't just the educational side that is the issue as work is being set for her, but the social side which is the main advantage IMO of face to face online lessons. They can engage in discussions which further their understanding and just see some familiar faces. We've also had a call from her form teacher as well as emailed feedback about work to both her and me as well as feedback being given via Showbie.

I think that if the expectation is for teachers to do virtual lessons then the EdDept should provide them with a free and secure system to do it on and not expect teachers use profit making private businesses.

@TwinsetAndPearlss disagree for primary. we have one teacher who for personal reasons does a mix if pre-recorded and life lessons. life is much, much better as young kids need the engagement. secondary, you are probably right..

I play quizzes with my tutor group once a week and we watch stupid YouTube videos together. It's supposed to last an hour but I'm frequently still there with them at 5pm. Just chatting about dumb stuff. Does my MH lots of good

@myself2020 that contradicts the evidence from EEF but that will be limited. I also don't have experience of primary and would not want to contradict with someone with chalkface experience.

For me having time to plan a pre recorded lessons allows me to craft careful explanations. It also means students can access the lesson when they have a time or device - although I guess live lessons can be recorded. I can also record lessons around my children - so I record lessons between 5 and 7 and when they have gone to bed. So technically yes I am putting my child first but students get my time. I also try to be online when lessons start. Of course many teachers are in school with students on a rota - on those days I have to pre record.

My dd school are using teams and zoom, depending on what lesson.
Skype are for individual music lessons.
It's private though and was set up for the Monday they closed, a week before state schools.
Every lesson has gone ahead, with marking, feedback, availability to contact teachers from 8.30 until 4.30.
Although dd was talking to her English teacher at midnight the other night.
It's safeguarding that's the problem, it's holding so many children back. It's a bit OTT, really.

Why on Earth was your child talking to their teacher at midnight, and why on Earth are you seemingly okay with that?

The quality of the input from teachers is far more important than the method of the delivery of the lesson, so pupils will learn well through remote learning designed by qualified teachers.

The main requirements are how effective the strategies are. Teqchers have to give clear instructions and ask apt questions. They have to adjust and support and reshape. They have to know their subject ans explain it to someone who doesn't. They have to give feedback which develops skills.

That can all be done remotely, but it takes time and might not all be visible to all of Mumsnet through video conferencing. None of the parents are in my google classroom. My colleagues are and we can see meaningful interactionss where we check on pupils' learning and guide them as we do on the classroom. Sometimes I send messages of written marking, sometimes I record my voice, sometimes the quiz I set self marks. This is all valid and what I would do in the classroom.

@WillAshton totally agree with that.

That sound fab WillAshton, wishing for just a little bit of what you're doing for my kids.

Sacha

Because I'm not OTT with safeguarding and I trust the teacher who is head of English and head of 6th form.

@TwinsetAndPearlss i think 4/5/6/7/8 year olds are just quite unlikely to carefully listen to the video. they do respond well to interactive zoom lessons, and that they can raise their hand snd contribute. i would hope 11 and up are a bit more sensible and self disciplined , and less reliant on direct, immediate feedback

I don't understand the zoom intrusion thing. I teach an instrument and have been using zoom for lessons since lockdown. Each individual has to be on my contact list and has to be individually admitted to the meeting by myself as the host. I seriously don't understand how others are having strangers crashing in on their zoom meetings. What am I missing?

@Bubbletrouble43 many originally didn’t use passwords, and gave all participants full rights. the results were predictable. used sensibly (as you do) zoom is fine

Phew! Thankyou.

@myself2020 my little boy who is 4 and has some additional needs has been using the Oak National academy resources which are pre recorded. He responds well to being able to see the teacher but they work well for him because we can pause when he loses focus or needs something repeating

But we have not tried him with live videos other than PE with Joe Wicks the odd live story time and so no fair comparison

@Devlesko, who the heck initiated a midnight conversation? Your child? If so, you need to be having words about, a) the appropriate and polite times to message somebody, and b) bedtime!

Although dd was talking to her English teacher at midnight the other night
This is wildly inappropriate.

It's safeguarding that's the problem, it's holding so many children back. It's a bit OTT, really
Your daughter talking to a teacher privately at midnight is a huge safeguarding issue for your daughter AND the teacher.

50% (roughly) of my school don’t have access to a device to work on. I don’t know how to solve that, if lessons are online. At the moment we email work - with some audio. Then we email feedback later, students self assess. We’re experimenting with recording some model answers/annotations etc from a visualiser. At the moment we provide hard packs of work and answers to all students with no devices - a massive logistical undertaking in terms of delivery, but it means we can lay eyes on students also.

@TwinsetAndPearlss do you need to sit next to him, or does he do
it completely independently? the nice thing about live is that it doesn’t need parents. they just raise their hand, and the teacher explains. plus the teacher asks questions to see ifvthey follow

@Devlesko how could your daughter be talking to her English teacher at midnight?! There are some serious boundary issues there, and I shocked you're ok with it!