To wonder why schools are saying they’re not allowed to do live lessons

[Plinkplonkplank]

Because they’ve just started doing them at my ds’s state secondary. We had to fill in an online permission form. So it is possible after all.

It’s possible. There are all sorts of issues which have been given in numerous threads.
Educationally, though, the point is that they are no better than recorded lessons and for many children much better. If you have 3 children and only one laptop, which one is going to do the live lesson and which 2 aren’t going to get any education? If the lessons are recorded they can all access them. But you know this, I’m sure.

*For many children recorded lessons are much better.

Depends on lots of factors, pupils resources at home, teachers resources at home, number of children with child protection worries, ..... Not one size fits all a has been mentioned very many times

My son’s school was very against using Zoom or video lessons. Suddenly it’s all up and go from next week!! So I think a lot of it was needing to get trained with the software and the actual logistics of sorting this stuff out.

The Council in my area have a blanket ban on online teaching, whether live or recorded. "Safeguarding" is the reason and the approach is do not question us, do not ask for online teaching because it's not going to happen and that's that.

Some unions and some LEAs advised against them. If the lea gives the instruction then maintained schools have to follow their instructions.

Not all schools will do live lessons if it doesn't suit their catchment and school community, or if their staff do not have the necessary equipment to do them.

I work in an infant school and we made the decision early in to offer no live lessons and that is unlikely to change. It would not benefit a vast number of our children who wouldn't be able to access them. It is just inappropriate for our school as a whole. Instead we offer teacher made video lessons which can be watched at different times, alongside printable (or view in screen) documents. These materials can also be used both in school and at home.

We are starting to do live lessons from the 15th. However only powerpoints with no videos of us. My school has provided 120 laptops and dongles to students without proper Internet access.Staff don't want to be on footage and photoshopped on to memes or worse. It has required staff training. Putting all this together has taken time.

Certainly in our schools case, it’s because they don’t want to. Not because they can’t.

Applies to recorded lessons as well as live though.

The lessons will be recorded so dc who can’t access it at the time can watch it when it fits in with their circumstances.

(Zoom is not safe btw) there are huge safeguarding issues relating to these types of online lessons and that’s assuming every child in your home has access to a laptop etc not all do...

Actually, I’d really struggle to deliver online live lessons as my internet connection is poor, particularly during the day. It takes ages to upload my recorded lessons. Imagine an online live lesson. As host, my internet drops out and everyone has to rejoin - maybe multiple times. In the course of the lesson, the same thing happens to several children. How much will they learn with the constant disruption?

Also the 120 laptops are just for year 10 we can't afford to do the same for the other year groups and our students come from one of the most disadvantaged parts of the country.

@Plinkplonkplank

The lessons will be recorded so dc who can’t access it at the time can watch it when it fits in with their circumstances.

You said live lessons in your OP. Which is it? Or are you stirring?

Yep all to do with Safeguarding apparently.

So private schools don’t worry about safeguarding issues?

Or the state school down the road that has been doing online lessons since the start of this? Of course you can sign a disclaimer and crack on with it but that is too much effort for some.

It’s the inequality that pisses me off. If our children are not to have access to education for 6 months or more then the government needs to step up and give the schools some guidelines.

It’s way easier to do nothing but send a daily worksheet and nothing else bar emails wittering about “mental health” Yes I am bitter!

@ChocolateCard

Certainly in our schools case, it’s because they don’t want to. Not because they can’t.

Applies to recorded lessons as well as live though.

How do you know this?

Absolutely, Delatron

Cardibach - because I am a governor. I’ve been hugely frustrated by some of the conversations that I’ve had to be involved in, and have put forward my views. However, the teachers don’t want to do it, and they are supported by both the deputy and the head, so my voice means nothing.

My DC's school is doing live lessons. I think the huge benefit to my DC is the structure it gives to their school days.

Our school aren’t because apparently some teachers ‘arent Comfortable’ on video. Meanwhile, in the real world, everyone else has had to get comfortable with that concept (video conferencing) real quick, as without it, most people would be fired.

My dd is getting a few now and they are being recorded at school where I guess they have the tech and broadband. Plenty of empty classrooms too. Can be watched any time.

They are from the teachers who don’t have young kids at home.

We didn’t have to sign any forms for DD to receive them.

But there are recorded online lessons for everyone for free on Oak National Academy. DD is Yr3 and we've been dipping into some of their lessons in various subjects. The work sent from her school is good but sometimes she does require actual teaching, and their lessons are pretty good for that side of it. If they are able to keep that going they'll have a whole year of national curriculum lessons online and accessible to whomever, whenever they need it. Brilliant resource, although obviously no teacher contact.

At private schools all online interaction is recorded and archived apparently. Both my children have live online lessons, their teachers are amazing. It takes loads of energy, resources and planning to do well. School IT departments need to be really on the ball.

@cardibach they have been doing these lessons with the year 10s for a while now and had not had the issues you mentioned so are extending them to the other years.
Dc log on at a specific time for the live lessons. This lesson is going to be recorded so available to others who can’t access devices at that time.

Also, the kids at our primary are now staying to hear about the technology being used in other schools from children they know in outside school groups.

So sad to see how shocked the kids are that their teachers haven’t bothered. They’ve all been nagging me to try and arrange it for them, but I have no say