High school - interactive /live lessons.

[hardknocklife43]

So online learning began this week. My DD is s4 and should be doing prelims.
Once again her state school has NO live lessons. Obviously last March most state schools did not offer this and I must say her school was particularly poor. Year group hand outs. No hand ins or marked work. It was a disgrace really but understood the school were in a difficult situation.

So lockdown 2 and I really thought would be better delivery. So they have to mark themselves in and thrown up a few you tube links/ powerpoints to make their own notes.
My DD has inattentive ADHD and online learning last time was a bloody nightmare. She just didn't engage. I spent weeks printing off notes and trying to teach a 14 year old.

So back to school and she was doing ok - just seems to learn better with being actually taught or teacher breathing down her neck.

Are we the only high school with ZERO interactive/live lessons. Like nothing - every other parent I've spoken to from other state schools say their kids now have full timetable of live lessons!
I'm so bitterly disappointed she's been let down again when other schools have stepped up to the mark. Can you give me your kids experience of on line learning this time round?
Is there any point in raising it with the school. I don't want to be a difficult parent when the teachers are the ones deciding the grades this year!!!

Dd has 1 subject with live lessons. The rest post work on teams for them to complete - shes S6
Ds has only 1 i think too. As above assignments and work is posted on teams. He's S3

The teachers are apparently available at the timetabled subject time if anyone needs help though

Dd is in s3 and had no interactive lessons last time but has been having them this week. Only in certain subjects but it's a start. I think all councils work to different rules - we're North Lanarkshire.

I'm north lanarkshire too

Must admit dd's school seem much more organised this time and the teachers are more available.

I cannot see why if one school can offer live lesson others can't?
Surely once again this is a tier education system disadvantaging children that aren't offered it. I think it's lazy leadership as I expect the head teacher lays out what they expect from their staff.
Like how can maths, science and especially languages be taught if no proper interaction? So some schools have pulled up their socks and trying their best. My DD school is falling short once again. Today she had to send a recording of her speaking Spanish. How can a teacher correct her if she can't speak to her? It's impossible.
I thought it was a council thing but doesn't appear to be so.
I'm so disappointed but last time all state school children in the same boat but not this time. They had months to organise this. Nat 5 level and thrown out a few powerpoints and told to make notes! Thought it would have moved on from this

We're in East Dunbartonshire and had no live lessons whatsoever between March and June last year. This time round it's being left to the teacher/department to decide what they want to do and this is being done on a class by class or subject by subject basis.

For example - my S6 is doing Advanced Higher Chemistry and had a zoom call (or similar on another platform) with his teacher yesterday. But there are only about 6 students, they're all at least 17, and the teacher knows them all well. My S1 has the same chemistry teacher and she is not doing zoom calls with them as 20 noisy 11 and 12 year olds on the same platform is an entirely different matter.

Online provision isn't as good as being in school. No way. But they've really stepped up since last time and apart from things like PE the kids are getting something to do at the timetabled slot for each lesson.

We probably have one live lesson a day, teachers available during the lesson time for others. May have a video or narrated PowerPoint to watch and can ask questions. It's about right, don't like them in front of screens all day. It's the primary school that is poor.

Live lessons are the choice of the teacher. No one has to do live lessons and nor should they . If you are questioning why any teacher might be uncomfortable with live lessons then you can thank Them for Us. The EIS teaching union has launched legal proceedings against them with regard to their actions against teachers trying very hard to deliver remote learning.
Yes, I do have a young person directly affected for the second exam year now. Yes, I do support her teachers who do care and are working hard ❤

So all of you have replied have at least had one interactive lesson. Our school have offered none to any year.
Yes, I think teachers should be encouraged to provide for exam years up. Obviously at our school they are not being encouraged. I don't think each school should be different if in the state sector.
I think my children are being disadvantaged especially my exam year DD.
Hearing numerous friends say how amazing the provision at their school is and how engaged their children are this time due to the interactive lessons. Whereas nearly a year down the line we have the same old system that was rubbish 1st time round.
I'm sore because my 4th year daughter will not engage if given the option to not bother. I know she has ADHD but I guess lots of regular teens will choose to ignore the boring you tube clips in place of real teaching.

ds's Higher subjects are a mixed bag of delivery, but generally can see the school is more prepared this time and it is much better than lockdown 1. I can understand scheduled live lessons have problems as it is not accessible to all pupils (lack of tech/bandwidth/other things going on at home that make it difficult to be there at a fixed time) so delivery needs to be fair to all.

Chemistry - Gives out work daily. Video of PowerPoint slides 3 times this week with teacher commentary and follow up workbooks, the videos are very good and ds can pause and take notes for revision later. Includes questions/examples to pause video and try then continue and the answer shown/explained. Optional drop in Q+A session on Wednesday to ask any questions (can also do this via teams/email the rest of the week), onus is on pupils to attend/speak up if they are struggling. No work handed in, self marked. "Supported study" live meeting 1 hour a week on Friday (he hasn't had this yet so not sure what it is like).

Physics - gives out the weeks work on a Monday. Animated PowerPoint slides with no audio commentary and worksheets to complete by Thursday afternoon and handed in to be marked. Pupils can ask for help if needed via teams/email and teacher is responsive. If there is a common theme needing further explanation they post a short video of them explaining, video is of their note pad writing/drawing (very neat handwriting!) with audio explaining.

French - They have had two live lessons this week one talking one where they did a listening exercise which ds says went ok-ish, but it is only the first week so teething problems expected. They also have reading/writing work to complete and hand in for Tuesday next week. Impossible to teach a language without talking.

Maths - They give out daily work and some prerecorded videos of an interactive screen/commentary (video content is good, audio is terrible quality - lots of interference, pupils have fed back and hopefully will be fixed next week). Daily optional drop in sessions at their usual maths period time, but not always their teacher, for Q+A and they can email to ask for help at any time and one of the maths teachers will get back to them. Again onus on pupils, no work is handed in, they mark their own work and ask questions if they need help.

The four subjects above have pooled their resources and each subject is delivered by one teacher to all pupils in S5, it is not necessarily their class teacher. They have clearly planned ahead for this by making sure all the classes were covering the same material at the same time this year so they are all at the same point in their courses. The volume of work they need to do is high and full on days, add to this the change in ways of learning and it is very tiring in front of a screen, he will need to do a few hours at the weekend to keep up.

English - This one is a nightmare for his whole class and a real worry, but specific to his class/teacher/school. He is missing huge chunks of teaching time from lockdowns and teacher absence, who also seems to have completely disengaged from them now. It is a shame as he had a brilliant teacher for English last year who really motivated and engaged them.

My S3 son has had 2 or 3 but up to the teacher if they want to do them. Apparently, between Mon & Thurs this week our high school delivered 600 live lessons. Haven’t done the maths to work out whether my son is getting his fair share but my immediate thought was, he isn’t.
The secondary schools put all their resources into the senior phase and kids still in the BGE are completely neglected. Those in S3 will have no time to catch up and yet there doesn’t seem to be any conversation around what the expectations will be for them in senior phase.
Our primary school has guaranteed 3 live lessons per week and my son has had 4 which I am happy with.

Well for my children the high school has been utterly fantastic. So far most lessons have been live. Then total interaction from teachers.
Tbh, I dont think teachers should provide live lessons. It can never replicate a school day and it is not meant too.
Shame on Us for them. I saw that about the court proceedings due to them trying to persuade members to record sessions where teachers are streaming live. I think it is utterly unnaceptable. No other profession would put up with that!

What i mean is it should be a balance but they shouldnt have too. Recorded lessons, live lessons and narrated powerpoints are just fine. That as well as a check in to make sure students understand what they are doing.

No live lessons in Aberdeenshire, I also have a S4, work been set online with a week to hand in, probably an hours work per subject. Very poor indeed

Same here. No live lessons. No recorded lessons.

Just you tube and PowerPoints.

They are planing to start a once a week online check in.

It's shit.

Forgot to say I'm in Fife.

OP think about what it is you want from these live lessons. They are not found to be the best way for young people to learn from home. In a live lesson your dd's french teacher will not manage to hear her and all the others speak in Spanish! She will be heard and advised more by a teacher she sends a recording to.
In one subject teacher A might offer live lessons, on camera. This teacher has their own study and no children. Teacher B has two children, one at primary needing home ed and one toddler who stands at the bedroom door shouting "mummy!" while she tries to go live. Teacher C has no children but live in a flat share and has to work from a chair next to their bed with shared wifi.
Don't be surprised if one class seems to be getting "more" than another, for these and many other reasons.
To the pp who talks about powerpoints and rubbish video links - all that happens in a live lesson is the teacher explains the powerpoint and video to them live! Teachers can also record lessons and give feedback on individual pieces of work.
Don't set up live lessons as some kind of teaching mecca. They aren't.

Also, I learned how to do something yesterday that is making this week's lessons better than last week's. Give it time.

My S4 son's Aberdeenshire school has mostly live lessons (at least for the first part of the lesson) so I don't think it's a council-wide policy. Most teachers seem to be pretty organised. He's certainly working throughout the day with very few breaks.

We have at least one live lesson every day for each child (s1 and s3). Apparently they can’t really do a full timetable as it’s not fair on kids who have to share devices which I can understand. They also have recorded lessons as well.

@ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown

• To the pp who talks about powerpoints and rubbish video links - all that happens in a live lesson is the teacher explains the powerpoint and video to them live! Teachers can also record lessons and give feedback on individual pieces of work. Don't set up live lessons as some kind of teaching mecca. They aren't.*

That's the bit that is missing though entirely.
We don't get live
or recorded
or explanation.
Just an email with a PowerPoint attachment.

The feedback is a one sentence 'well done"

I not asking for Mecca - all I want is a little tiny bit of human interaction and actual teaching between teachers and my children.

Here's a PowerPoint crack on appalling.

Sorry but it is.

Ginty ask the school if PowerPoints with voice overs could be considered for the future. That's not particularly hard, though it takes time to make them.

If live lessons aren’t the best means of teaching then why do the private schools do them?

And the “it’s not fair if we do live lessons as not everyone can access a device”. That’s not my child’s fault. That’s not my child’s teachers fault. That’s not even in most cases my child’s schools fault. It’s the fault of the Scottish Government and the local authority. Why does my child’s learning have to suffer due to the failure of the Scottish government/ local authority failure to get their finger out and sort these problems? It’s working to the lowest common denominator every time and it’s crap.

Private schools generally have smaller classes, it's much easier to teach 10-15 kids online than it is 30, and allow for participation and interaction.

My state primary kids are getting one live lesson per day, sometimes two, and some recorded videos and recorded PowerPoint. I feel it is a good balance. The teacher is also available to message with queries.