Time to think about closing the schools

[DolphinFC]

ONS survey finds that education staff are 37% more likely to catch Covid than other workers.

Previous data showed they were no more likely to catch covid than other workers and many people (especially MNetters) felt that this was all the proof needed to keep schools open.

Well, new data shows the reverse is now the case.

I feel like it might be better, in the event of another shutdown, for the government to just put a single unified scheme of work (using Oak) on the BBC (actual TV), and send out workbooks aligned with this. For primary, at least.

So, on Jan. 18, you just watch the TV segments for that day, and then open your workbook at the page that says "Jan 18" at the top and then just work through the practice exercises. Snap photo of work and send to school (for those families with no smartphone, there might need to be an alternative method).

It would be incredibly simple (minimizing work for parents) and also allow kids with no computer access or dodgy/slow internet to complete the work. Could also put the segments on the BBC website, to cater for the very small number of families who have internet but no TV.

[quote justasking111]@DolphinFC if the government don't issue furlough then the employer just won't pay out they're not charities[/quote]
I know.

@Kokeshi123

I feel like it might be better, in the event of another shutdown, for the government to just put a single unified scheme of work (using Oak) on the BBC (actual TV), and send out workbooks aligned with this. For primary, at least.

So, on Jan. 18, you just watch the TV segments for that day, and then open your workbook at the page that says "Jan 18" at the top and then just work through the practice exercises. Snap photo of work and send to school (for those families with no smartphone, there might need to be an alternative method).

It would be incredibly simple (minimizing work for parents) and also allow kids with no computer access or dodgy/slow internet to complete the work. Could also put the segments on the BBC website, to cater for the very small number of families who have internet but no TV.

Absolutely agree @Kokeshi123 . Seems daft for hundreds of teachers to cobble together some sort of learning rather than combining resources and putting together something brilliant that can be shared!

My DC had the dullest PowerPoint presentation on space to go through. Not even one illustration! Surely watching professor Brian Cox would be a waaaaay better idea!

A concerted effort to pull together shares learning material could have brilliant results!

@Kokeshi123

I feel like it might be better, in the event of another shutdown, for the government to just put a single unified scheme of work (using Oak) on the BBC (actual TV), and send out workbooks aligned with this. For primary, at least.

So, on Jan. 18, you just watch the TV segments for that day, and then open your workbook at the page that says "Jan 18" at the top and then just work through the practice exercises. Snap photo of work and send to school (for those families with no smartphone, there might need to be an alternative method).

It would be incredibly simple (minimizing work for parents) and also allow kids with no computer access or dodgy/slow internet to complete the work. Could also put the segments on the BBC website, to cater for the very small number of families who have internet but no TV.

It would. Except that all the "schools must never close" rhetoric means that none of this work has been done and it would take time to get up and running.

A concerted effort to pull together shares learning material could have brilliant results!

They did. And teachers were slated as lazy if they used it.

Question - if a teacher asks a class to do questions 2-8 from a textbook in class, or to complete a commercial worksheet, is that wrong because they didn't write the textbook or the worksheet?

If that's OK in class, with teachers available to answer any specific questions, is it OK online to use pre-prepared material some of the time and be available online for support / questions, spending time where it perhaps matters more - differentiation, pastoral work, a lot of the social services work we did in lockdown, support of vulnerable children and families?

We taught Maths, English and Reading from our own plans (a mix of live and videos) but used Oak for some other subjects like Science and History. We found that the most critical thing in ensuring engagement was quick response - quick feedback, quick response to questions - and rigorously following up anyone absent, rather that the format of the input and tasks.

@Dghgcotcitc

Tu be fair most other professions sending a video of someone else doing your job isn’t the same thing as doing your job yourself and wouldn’t be allowed in my workplace! although be great if instead of presenting at the meeting g on Monday I could just send a YouTube video in abs put my feet up! It’s not surprising that those of us who had to do our work for Home for teachers involved such short cuts. And confusing why it took 40 hours a week for most teachers to do nothing more than upload some links on a website but we know teachers were working the whole time even if all material was provided by the bbc!!

What job do you do? Be interesting to comment on it while showing absolutely no understanding of what it entails...

@cantkeepawayforever

Question - if a teacher asks a class to do questions 2-8 from a textbook in class, or to complete a commercial worksheet, is that wrong because they didn't write the textbook or the worksheet?

If that's OK in class, with teachers available to answer any specific questions, is it OK online to use pre-prepared material some of the time and be available online for support / questions, spending time where it perhaps matters more - differentiation, pastoral work, a lot of the social services work we did in lockdown, support of vulnerable children and families?

We taught Maths, English and Reading from our own plans (a mix of live and videos) but used Oak for some other subjects like Science and History. We found that the most critical thing in ensuring engagement was quick response - quick feedback, quick response to questions - and rigorously following up anyone absent, rather that the format of the input and tasks.

That was pretty much how I was ‘taught’ Maths in the 1980s and there was no modelling, explaining, scaffolding etc.

It’s incredibly difficult to do these things online but I don’t think in itself using textbooks is good teaching. It’s something that compliments good teaching, of course.

More bullshit about teachers from the poster who claimed they all want schools closed.

I presume you mean @Dghgcotcitc, Giraffe!

But if pre-prepared online Maths lessons involved modelling, explaining and scaffolding, would it matter if the lesson was a nationally, regionally or locally prepared one rather than your specific teacher doing it? My point was ‘is a resource intrinsically worse for being more centrally created?’. Our view was that for some subjects, individually prepared resources were well worthwhile, while for others there was no point in creating our own versions of perfectly decent lessons, especially as we could then have greater impact on children’s learning and well being in other ways.

@Kokeshi123

I feel like it might be better, in the event of another shutdown, for the government to just put a single unified scheme of work (using Oak) on the BBC (actual TV), and send out workbooks aligned with this. For primary, at least.

So, on Jan. 18, you just watch the TV segments for that day, and then open your workbook at the page that says "Jan 18" at the top and then just work through the practice exercises. Snap photo of work and send to school (for those families with no smartphone, there might need to be an alternative method).

It would be incredibly simple (minimizing work for parents) and also allow kids with no computer access or dodgy/slow internet to complete the work. Could also put the segments on the BBC website, to cater for the very small number of families who have internet but no TV.

This would be ideal if every single child in the class was at exactly the same ability level… but they’re not. And the work needs to be differentiated accordingly. I do agree using a central pool of recourses is sensible and I think many schools did use oak and bbc to supplement. I don’t think just solely using a resource like oak on a daily basis presuming all children are all at the same level and point of learning would ever work though

I don’t think it matters in the sense that teachers should be doing what they are paid to do, I’m just not convinced that a pre prepared lesson can meet the needs of your class.

FFS no. Schools should not shut. Children need to be educated properly, alongside their peers.

You're all going to get it. Stop running. Accept it. You'll most likely have a sore throat.

What they should be doing (and some other countries did ages ago) is invest in equipment to properly and warmly VENTILATE the classrooms so that germs aren’t constantly circulating. The government didn’t want to spend the £ so instead the state schools were told to just leave windows open throughout winter. The children are freezing and this lowers the immune system and has increased illnesses 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I’m just not convinced that a pre prepared lesson can meet the needs of your class

All our lessons are preplanned. We don’t make it up as we go along

They should never have got rid of the bubbles either. Our school has just started with RWI - they've got the whole year group mixing in different phonics groups.

@manysummersago

I don’t think it matters in the sense that teachers should be doing what they are paid to do, I’m just not convinced that a pre prepared lesson can meet the needs of your class.

Are you a teacher?

Yes.

But if the kids are going to get a recorded lesson anyway, then what is the benefit of me cobbling together a maths loom explanation using my limited equipment, compared to an Oak academy lesson on the same topic with their animations and time to put it together properly? Or even Corbettmaths?

Some parents seemed to be obsessed with the idea that it had to be the class teacher doing it. What is the point of teachers endlessly reinventing the wheel?

We used an online maths programme in the first lockdown, when we didn't do live teaching. It's step by step explanations and interaactivity was actually pretty successful - and easy to differentiate up / down within the same topic or set something completely different for some children.

I don’t disagree to be honest Giraffe. Recorded / online teaching is just never going to be like teaching in a class.

@manysummersago

I don’t disagree to be honest Giraffe. Recorded / online teaching is just never going to be like teaching in a class.

I agree. It's never going to be the same.