Why can't secondary schools do lessons via zoom?

[Dickorydockwhatthe]

I know not every child will have access to a computer or be able to log online but I'm surprised our school has not attempted it or even pre recorded lessons like the online oakwork academy. I know most private schools are setting up lessons via zoom. I really hope the government and schools take this into consideration for our children especially those coming up for GCSE's next year. It's just seems our children will be disadvantaged.

My children are at a state school (years 10 & 12) and the @Home provision has been outstanding.

In answer to the people asking what schools are doing this is it:

They (like many schools) have used the Google Education suite for many years (Google Classroom etc). In the anticipation of schools closing they trialed Google Meet in school in the week before lockdown so everyone knew what they were doing.

School day changed slightly- lessons 40 mins, breaks between each lesson, longer break & lunch time.

8.40 Tutor Time on Google Meet - register taken, tutor checks in with each student any absences followed up with parents by office staff.

Assembly- these are pre recorded on YouTube twice a week (1 by head 1 by key stage leaders - sometimes include student contributions)

Lessons a mixture of Google Meet, Pre Recorded Videos, written set work. Some examples - gcse drama meet as whole class then split into smaller groups. Maths taught pretty much as normal on Google Meet (this works VERY well). English - teachers pre recorded some discussions on set texts - students watch these then meet to discuss. A meet can be a whole lesson, a 5 minute intro with catch up at end.

All work uploaded via Google Classroom so it can be seen to be done. Homework marked / returned via Google Classroom.

Peripatetic music lessons via Google Meet.

Academic societies (student led) vis google meet - these have been popular and successful.

Virtual Choirs (there are around 6 different school choirs) - people record their piece at home and then school mix them together to produce finished piece.

6th form induction happened via Google Meet.

Careers advice via Google Meet.

Various whole school sporting initiatives organised via PE Dept with daily updates etc.

Drama Dept streaming videos of past school productions (in the same way as National Theatre).

Register taken each lesson (absences followed up) and missing work followed up.

Support staff available to chat with students about concerns (won’t go into detail but this all follows safe guarding concerns).

Fun competitions eg VE Day Bake Off.

It’s not perfect but it is good. It maintains involvement and a sense of community. I am sure that this involves an immense amount of work from staff. School estimates that they have covered all content they would expect to have done. Exams start after half term primarily to identify gaps in knowledge.

Much school equipment was sent home with students prior to lockdown. Pupils who can’t study at home can come into school.

Disadvantaged students:
I don’t think this argument really holds. Surely it’s better to get the right kind of lessons to some students, rather than none?

Why are people insisting that zoom is “the right” kind of lesson and everything else is shit?

My school does this:

Work emailed our early in the day, on a timetable for different subjects.
Different levels are sent to different classes.
A stand alone much more scaffolded version has been produced for the students who struggle the most.

Teachers available by email especially after work sent out, but also throughout the day.

Feedback is sent out later in the day - answers to comprehension questions and model answers for longer questions. Students can self assess and are encouraged to send longer answers to their teachers - work is celebrated on school website and Facebook.
Each year group had had 2 opportunities per term to complete and assessed piece for individual feedback from their teacher.

The document sent out to students has audio embedded, reading extracts/explanation/giving additional information.

Students with no IT get exactly the same work/answers in a booklet delivered to their house by staff. Obviously they can’t access the audio, but otherwise they are getting the same as those who have IT.

Can one of the zoom advocates explain why zoom lessons are better please?

(50% no IT access at home)

We also do a weekly phone check in with tutor groups.

@piggypugwashed
Fair point re the grading for large cohorts so apologies for that.

@piggywaspushed -sorry for the incorrect name

@smileeachday - we use Teams, videos off at all times. No experience of zoom.
It is important our students get some contact with their teachers, be it by phone, email, teams etc. Of course all schools have different ways of dealing with this crisis, but communication is key on both sides.

The teacher doesn't stand at the front of the class and talk at the students for an hour.

This is the crux of the matter. Most people genuinely believe we stand at the front, talk for most of the lesson and then students so a piece of work that they complete entirely independently while we serenely stand at the front and watch. Most people don't have a fucking clue how teachers actually teach and impart knowledge.

That sure is true thisone!

Thanks Valencia.

It is important our students get some contact with their teachers, be it by phone, email, teams etc. Of course all schools have different ways of dealing with this crisis, but communication is key on both sides

Yup. I agree completely with this.

@KittyMcKitty

Wow congratulations to your school for embracing change and finding a solution that gives the children feedback and still a sense of community. You all must have worked very hard and together as a team, so hats off.
I realise that there will be many who will say this is not appropriate for themselves for whatever reason, but surely those examples where schools feel they have reached a working solution should be shown off within the industry as an example for those who are not comfortable to put.such measures in place on their own, but feel that they could do it with some kind of blueprint (and a positive attitude)

@thisonebreath

I get that this may be the ideal way that you would want to teach, but we are not in the realms of ideal right now and if you are suggesting that standing in front of a class and just delivering a monologue/working through examples to your class has no benefit over no direct teaching, then I think i would have to respectfully disagree. Many lessons in schools until recent times were very much a listen and learn type arrangement. Address one issue at at time rather than waiting for the ideal, which may never come, then build on the good bits and discard the bits that dont seem to work, it's an iterative process.

But I am directly teaching them. Just not through live lessons. I set work that I've adapted for online learning. I record voice overs for some parts. I then am on call to respond to students questions and queries. I give almost immediate feedback, often having a back-and-forth conversation via SMHW or college email. I follow up on students who aren't there.

I am also home schooling a year 7 and year 4 and looking after a toddler. The toddler alone means live lessons for me aren't possible.

And that leaves out the fact that the demographics of my students mean that all the issues above of access/space/peace etc still stand.

We're so disappointed with DS school. He logs onto email every day and is set work for each lesson as per timetable. 50% of the teachers don't mark the work, there little to no feedback, no 'live' lessons, no extra teaching through half term, he is in year 10 yet the school have made 3 tik tok type videos with all the teachers and publish these online.

Maybe some teachers on this thread can explain reasons as to why the work isn't being marked and the feedback is minimal?

He is losing faith. We have contacted the school and there seems to be the general consensus that because zoom type lessons would be distrusted by some boys it's not worth reaching out to the boys that would benefit.

There was also a recent survey where parents were asked if they would send boys back in June and because only 25% said yes the school isn't opening!

I really do appreciate we are all working in difficult times, my DH has lost his job, I am front line NHS and have never worked so hard but I am so worried year 10s are bring failed.

Only the teachers at your school can explain that. I can't. I'm marking loads from my students.

Thanks @GrammarTeacher it's interesting to read here that the majority of you are marking work. You're all doing a fab job so Thank you

Why are you expecting extra work at half term? Would you normally expect that?

northener, already plenty of examples of shared practice in go the DfE and EEF websites. Not all involve live learning.

Pre-recorded PowerPoints are just like a lecture tho' with no interaction . I teach in an indie -core subject and teach part of every lesson via Zoom which is feedback on previous task, questions/misconceptions addressed, then explanation and middi g of today's task with time for questions. The RC then go off line to do the task, submit it electronically and I mark online and revert electronically. The children can do that task at any time before the next lesson. Working well, pretty much 100% presence, no bad behaviour and parameters last tightly to avoid hackers. Much easier to keep track of who is submitting work and the children seem happy with the routine.

I teach at a school in a rural area- many of our teachers and students live very rurally. We have been using teams for video meetings within departments, and even these struggle with the relatively poor broadband in the area. I know a couple of teachers have tried using teams with their sixth form classes (so again, small class sizes) and it hasn't really worked, so as a school we've decided it doesn't work for us, and to stick with the methods we were already using reasonably successfully since Easter.

We set work via SMHW each week and students can work through it at their own pace. The can email us for help and we are providing feedback in line with our marking policy + acknowledging all work sent. Form tutors are also in contact with parents via phone to try and help with any more general issues.

We have tried recording powerpoints, but this makes the file size quite big, so parents have asked that we don't do this! Some teachers have also made short youtube videos to e.g. demonstrate a concept that isn't easy to demonstrate via powerpoint. However, for my subject there are lots of excellent videos out there already, and I usually link to these instead!

There are also safeguarding risks with zoom/teams live lessons involving video for staff or students and I can understand why lots of schools have felt they shouldn't take the risk.

Also, if you are doing live teaching, what happens on the days you are on-rota in school?

@BeltaneBride that sounds good.

Maybe some teachers on this thread can explain reasons as to why the work isn't being marked and the feedback is minimal?

No. Because nobody knows what school your Son goes to.

Yeah what is with these Tik Tok videos. Our primary school seem be doing it every week

The teacher doesn't stand at the front of the class and talk at the students for an hour

If they did that on a PGCE final placement observation they'd be unlikely to pass the placement (not a teacher but a long term governor who has been involved with many PGCE students as link governor)

@lilymarshall I meant any reasons as to why worked may not be being marked in general obviously!