Distance Learning

Updated March 27, 2020

SMCOE Distance Learning Guidance Resources

Distance Learning Steps

Step 1: Ensure Access for All | Step 2: Set Your Goals | Step 3: Get Comfortable with Your Tools | Step 4: Weaving It All Together | Additional Support

Step 1: Ensure Access for All - What Does Everyone Have?

CDE Guidelines

On March 17, 2020, the State released guidance designed to help schools, districts, and County Offices of Education adjust to the at-home learning model. This guidance addresses equity and distance learning, special education, continued meal programs, and other topics.

SMCOE Distance Learning Guidelines: Continuum Considerations

This document supports the CDE’s Distance Learning Guidelines and Continuum (see image at right or full size here). SMCOE has reframed the CDE phrase “Continuum Considerations” to “Delivery Strategies.” For each delivery strategy there is a definition, possibilities for school communities in San Mateo County, examples, and questions that districts and sites might consider as they put together a more long-term distance learning plan.

Best Practices for Planning Digital Media Distance Learning

See page two of the Best Practices for Planning Digital Media Distance Learning document to understand current Laws and Regulations and Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) required for student data privacy.

Step 2: Set Your Goals - What Are Your Goals?

Have an Overview

Stakeholders Roles and Responsibilities

This document supports understanding all stakeholders' needs at-a-glance.

Creating a Schedule

An important way to help students maintain a sense of stability and psychological safety is to create and maintain a predictable routine. A reliable schedule can help students manage stress and connect with someone who can help them manage that stress.

SMCOE Distance Learning Guidelines: Sample Schedules

Below are sample schedules (adapted from the Contra Costa County Schedule Guide) that can be used by school communities AND parents/students to provide structure to what a distance learning school day might look like. These schedules assume mostly asynchronous distance learning generally through paper packets or online curriculum. As school communities increase the ability to provide interactive synchronous distance learning schedules will likely be determined by individual schools.

Considerations and Decisions for educators and parents as they structure daily learning:

Age of student
How stable is the student’s learning environment(s)? i.e. Does the student have a home? Is the student in one home or moving between two homes? Does the student have their own learning space within the home?
What are the different learning styles for each student?
What access do kids have to 1:1 technology devices for learning (laptop or tablet)?
How much support is available to students from other parents/guardians?
In which order do you want to organize subject areas and other segments each day?
Are you able to combine any content areas in order to create more in-depth learning experiences for a specific topic or theme?

Step 3: Get Comfortable with Your Tools - What Do I Need to Learn?

SMCOE Distance Learning Guidelines: Curriculum Resources

Section 2 of this SMCOE Distance Learning Guidelines document focuses on resources that educators and parents can use for designing students’ distance learning curriculum.

As school communities make the transition to more long-term distance learning it is recommended that educators start with their already existing instructional materials, to continue on with the curriculum that students were previously learning. Each resource page also provides high quality vetted resources that educators and parents can use for supplemental learning materials. A critical element of each student’s day is to provide time for social and emotional learning, physical movement, art/creative time, and other opportunities for quiet reading and listening time; therefore, these resources are also included in each resource page.

Guide:
- Preparing for Digital Distance Learning - A Getting Started Guide for SFUSD Educators and PD Providers
Applications and Support:
- Canvas
- Flipgrid
- Google Classrooms (GC)
- Screencastify
- Seesaw
- Nearpod
  - Nearpod 101
- Zoom - for the classroom and staff

Step 4: Weaving It All Together - What Is the Plan?

The SMCOE Distance Learning Guidance: Instructional Design Considerations document provides an overview for instructional design, and provides some recommendations for how teachers and instructional leaders might approach re-designing instruction for distance learning.

Most schools will need to offer a blend of offline and online learning, both which may include elements of asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities. Strategies will need to be flexible depending on accessibility to devices and the internet. Additionally, strategies will likely change, both in the short- and long-term due to unforeseen circumstances.

Educators can use this document as a starting point to self assess current strategies, and as a planning tool for determining next steps in designing high quality distance learning.

Considerations for:

English Language Learners
Students wih IEPs
Students without digital access

Integrated Learning

Visit/Move/Make (Math+Science/Social Studies+ELA)
Environmental Literacy Distance Learning Resources and Exemplars

K-12th Grade Environmental Field Research: Field Research is the collection of data and observations that helps students investigate what is going on with an environmental topic in their local context (at home, at school, or in the community). Here is a video overview of these field research activities. To find the field research activities select one of the environmental topics on this page; select “Resources,” then find the field research activity at the top of each environmental thematic page. Teachers could assign a different environmental theme each week, or design a longer unit around a specific topic.

6-12th Grade Environmental WebQuests: WebQuests are a self-directed learning tool that helps learners construct their own learning by determining which sources are most useful, and conducting research at their own pace. Here is a video overview of these WebQuest activities. To find a WebQuest by topic, select one of the environmental topics on this page; select “Resources,” then find the field research activity at the top of each environmental thematic page. Teachers could assign a different environmental theme each week, or design a longer unit around a specific topic.

12th Grade Independent Solutionary Project Based Learning: Independent Solutionary Projects provide students an opportunity to apply content and skills across multiple subject areas such as: ELA, Science Social Studies, Math, Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), Health, etc. This style of unit is ideal for distance learning because students will be working mostly independently from the instructor; however, the instructor supports as a facilitator of students learning, and a coach. Here is a video overview of how to teach this type of unit, as well as a take-and-teach guide for teachers in this framework (also includes student handouts, examples, and teaching strategies).