Why aren't teachers providing lessons by Skype?

[Folicky]

If schools are to close, which they will eventually, why don't they teach the lessons via a video link / Skype? At the moment, as I understand it, if schools close, parents - many of whom will be working from home - will he expected to home school their children. How is that going to work?

Let’s say one family has 3 school aged children but just one laptop. How do they decide who has it?
As it is for a lot of schools it’s not always the case that the children have laptops.

I work in the nhs and we're expected to come into work but contact patients by phone.

Yeah. Patients one by one. Not 30+ all at once! Do you really not see? You have just said your DS’s school is using Microsoft Teams-that is online video learning via the teacher. Why does it have to be Skype? What is your actual issue?

There's an assumption that everyone has a tablet or laptop

Well you’ve rather answered your own question there.

My understanding is that Microsoft Teams will be used to circulate workbooks for the children, not for video based teaching.

Universities and further education colleges are delivering lectures via video based methods to groups

Our school is already doing this. The kids that are isolated at home are on iPads from home - one girl even carried her 'electronic lab partner' around the room when doing an experiment in physics! The sixth formers all stayed at home today to make sure remote learning worked. All logged on and some said they got alot more done as no distractions.
It won't work in all cases - our school isn't shut so teacher's children are in school. But it hopefully means that with some cooperation at least the kids facing major exams can continue learning, and the others can keep up. Not ideal but everyone is trying their best to make it work as well as they can within their abilities and available technology.

@BertNErnie they'd all just have wandered off to watch paw patrol before you even started 😂

My understanding is that Microsoft Teams will be used to circulate workbooks for the children, not for video based teaching.

Your understanding is wrong.

There is a difference between teaching university students and children.

I'm in a country where schools are closed.

We are setting daily work on Google Classroom, are online during timetabled lessons, & are using Zoom for conference calls.

There are huge safeguarding concerns about how we can do this (jeez - Skype? Really?!) & also practical issues. We are certainly giving it a good go, but it isn't a panacea.

The most useful thing, we are finding, is work set & teachers online to respond to problems via Google Classroom.

& yeah, we do have our own kids in all of this, too. I have to monitor three teenagers & ensure they do their work. Colleagues are having to care for much younger children who are out of their normal settings & routines.

So no, Skype isn't really a great option.

What about teachers who have older children, but only one computer in the house?
Who gets it - the teacher whilst their own children's education goes down the pan, or the children whilst their parent cannot work? This is all under the presumption that the teachers have webcams etc, and the right software to access - and the ability for their home broadband / internet access to cope.
What do you suggest?
I'm sure there are lots of online resources your child can access (I'm assuming you are a parent, although you haven't said if you are in your OP).
If you are, I hope you learn to consider others in this too. No-one is in this situation by choice.
If you're not, then you're just being a GF and I'm calling you out on it.

Pipandmum interesting that this is already being done in some places

My point is really that - if everyone in the family is well - most workers will get a maximum of 3 days paid emergency carers leave to look after their children if schools close. If they're allowed to work from home beyond this - and again aren't unwell - they'll be expected to turn in a usual amount of work.

DC's school has said that workbooks will be uploaded to Microsoft teams but that's all

What about the children who don't have access to skype? It's a huge assumption to make.

Some kids won't even get lunch if the schools close, never mind sign up to lessons on a tablet.

Skype is an absolute non starter. Yes I could do it in theory but, hardware issues aside, it a safeguarding minefield and I would never do it, besides local authority would never allow it. I have spent the last two weeks trying to set up how to 'teach' remotely and to train pupils how to use the platform we have chosen to use (alongside teaching a full timetable of normal lessons). Every teacher I know is going over and above to try our very best to maintain pupils' education but this is a whole new ballgame for all of us. I have impressed on my pupils that we will try our best but it may be somewhat trial and error for some time. So please parents, be assured we are doing our utmost (I would far rather be in a classroom teaching that scrabbling around for meaningful resources for my mostly practical subject) and have patience!

I’m probably being really thick, but could someone spell out the safeguarding concerns for me?

Me too Rallnanight

Forget about Skype, that's becoming a distraction, what are the safeguarding concerns about texting via video link?

Also so posters are assuming I'm implying that teachers aren't pulling their weight. I don't think this for a second, the ones I know are very committed and talented. Just trying to see how it will all work

Having the ability to have one to one video access to a teenager alone at home without any witnesses? Video not recorded? The scope for allegations is huge. Unfortunately we have to protect ourselves.

But why not for children with an adult in the room?

*teaching not texting

folicky I have prepped work sheets for students and made sure they have access to online tasks such as Seneca and Memrise.
I will set a mix of work sheets, online tasks and perhaps some project work.
If my children are also off school then it would be hard to provide Skype calls.
I do think it's unfair however that some people are already WFH and you will have to find a way to get into work. Police, NHS, shop workers etc will struggle to manage this.

Work either uploaded to a site like Teams or sent home in packs = good, reasonable idea.
Work delivered by some form of live lesson - stupid, unworkable idea.
Take my own dc. If I'm off, I would need to be delivering these Skype lessons at 10am (and throughout the day). By two children would also then need to be Skyping their own respective teachers at exactly the same times as me. This will not work - we don't have enough machines or enough broadband. Work set that can be carried out at reasonable times thoughout the day and week - that should work.

But why not for children with an adult in the room?

Because that's not going to happen for most secondary pupils and I need to provide for all of them.

Rainallnight
online sessions can be recorded and edited and this could lead to inappropriate postings on social media. Safeguards must be built in to prevent this and safeguard teachers and pupils from bullying comments, who are participating and if teachers feel concerned about this they should not be required to deliver sessions in this way.

My daughter was off today and the teacher trialled a google 'meet' for the lesson with other pupils.
Not in bedroom
It was brilliant - I could hear the whole lesson and the pupils watch it and then engage at a time when the teacher wants so they can't just walk off
They found it brilliant and should the school close - it should carry on as normal

I still don’t see the point you are trying to make.

Whether we set work or show everyone our homes via video link will make no difference to the problem of you only having three days off for childcare, will it OP?