I'm going to try to add some online learning/teaching tips specifically for teachers who have students with IEPs to this thread whenever I can. Please add your favorite tips to the thread!
1. While it can be challenging depending on the platform you are using, consider ways to include visuals, besides just your face. A real white board you hold up to the camera, a chart, or slides with icons or sketches can go a long way towards supporting comprehension
2. If you have access to your students' IEPs try to send a list of 'at home' accommodations for caregivers to have nearby to use during online learning. I would send it to everyone because we know that not everyone who needs an IEP has one.
3. Some things you might suggest:
-Headphones for less distracting audio
-pennies, beans, marbles or other small items to count
-shaving cream or hair gel to put in a sealable baggie for a make shift 'gel board'
-something heavy to put on lap (bag of rice, dog food, weighted toy)
-Headphones for less distracting audio
-pennies, beans, marbles or other small items to count
-shaving cream or hair gel to put in a sealable baggie for a make shift 'gel board'
-something heavy to put on lap (bag of rice, dog food, weighted toy)
4. Other items:
- paper, crayons, markers, pens or pencils
- any home fidgets (Rubik's cube, play dough, etc.)
- a blanked or rug to sit on or a dining room chair turned to straddle to help give an anchoring space to sit
- paper, crayons, markers, pens or pencils
- any home fidgets (Rubik's cube, play dough, etc.)
- a blanked or rug to sit on or a dining room chair turned to straddle to help give an anchoring space to sit
5. When contemplating reading materials, if possible, opt for platforms that have audio or video access as well as written. Students who have reading based disabilities might not have the coaching and materials they need to decode all the words.
6. Libby (overdrive) is my fave app because you can access you public library’s audio books for free! But Epic and Audible are offering free access too. They just have a fairly limited collection.
7. Pro-tip: remember to teach into audio comprehension. Previewing texts, visualizing, pausing and thinking and any other strategies you teach with print, other than decoding, can be worked on with audiobooks
8. Whether recorded or live, keep lessons short. Like 10-15 minutes. And as interactive as possible. A great way to learn more about specific of doing this is to follow @LitLearnAct or read their book: heinemann.com/products/e0767…
9. If you can manage it, set up one on one or small group time for each child, via phone or video conference at least once a week to either coach into what family is doing at home or your curriculum. It’s important to connect with you and gives time for indiv kids and family Qs
10. When planning whole class, avoid shooting for the middle. Instead consider ways to make the work most accessible for students that face the most instructional obstacles. This is my favorite piece on the topic from @tweetsomemoore blogsomemoore.com/2013/11/05/inc…
11. If you're not yet comfortable teaching a lesson live, consider asking your kids, via an emailed direction or one posted on your classroom's digital platform, to watch a video, do an activity, read something, gather something. The gather together to share. SEL is important too
12. Lots of kids are reading using digital platforms (audio books, digital texts, multimedia). Students benefit from explicit instruction into not only navigating the text but also comprehending it. See @MaryanneWolf_ 's work for more on this
13. Concrete is better for a lot of kids. When possible encourage students to grab things they can touch while you’re live teaching or they watch a video: rubber band to stretch out words or sounds, pennies, beans, legos to count or break up, pen/marker/pencil/finger on palm
14. Give a bit of feedback, live if you can or even canned as they try something. Always positive. ‘Keep going’ ‘You can do hard things’ ‘Look at you!’ Think of how video games give positive feedback
15. And ask them to give you feedback too. If the lesson is live they can hold up a color or symbol telling you stop, slow or keep going (pause/stop/play or slow/pause/go) or rate the lesson and make suggestions for making it better.
16. Simple is 🔥. Many families are busy or maxed. Kids are feeling a lot of big feelings. Learning is hard in the best of situations. Simple, do-able, enriching lessons, inquiries or activities help students (and any adults helping) increase their sense of accomplishment
17. Depending on the age of your students, consider using their environment as part of inquiries you raise: what fraction of your crayons is _____? How many legs in your family? What percentage of your online time is spent on social media?
