Photo of students at Saigon Kids Early Childhood Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which is now doing remote learning. (Photo by Elsa Sahruddin)Juggling work and family time was already a challenge.
Now, with the coronavirus quarantine, parents are also teaching their own kids online from home. Meanwhile, teachers are figuring out how to reach students with limited access or knowledge of online systems, while fast-tracking the development of any of their own online skills that need fine-tuning.
Expert teachers, graduate students and PSU College of Education (COE) professors — the teachers of teachers — offered advice on educational tools and activities. Their tips include age-specific tools for how to execute at-home online instruction while still keeping calm in a crisis.
Here’s a sample of what they had to offer:
Parents learning how to teach their kids
Tip #1) It’s OK to be imperfect.
Nimmo, whose children are 23 and 28, knows all too well that parents can place high expectations on themselves. Nimmo, an associate professor in the early childhood (an online offering) and doctoral leadership programs, said remember to view yourself with compassion.
“You don’t have to be a super-mom or super-dad,” Nimmo said.
Tip #2) Take care of yourself.
Hix-Small, an associate professor of special education and coordinator of the Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) program, said a parent cannot fill up a child’s bucket, in terms of learning and energy, if that parent’s bucket is empty. “It’s really important for parents to take time for themselves as much as possible, even if it’s only 10 minutes a day to have a cup of coffee,” she said. “You can look at the research on trauma and resilience. The way children experience this situation depends on what they are exposed to and how their parents/carers frame the situation.”
The McKittrick family pauses to pose: From left to right are: top row, Conner, Lanya, Todd and Cole; and bottom row, Hunter and Dalton. (Photo by E. DuBois Photography)Educating children with special needs
Tip #3) Break up the day, the lessons and the projects.
“Take many sensory breaks during the day,” said Lanya McKittrick, who holds a Ph.D. in special education and is the founder of the Hear See Hope Foundation in Washington. “We purchased an independent trampoline for our sixth-grader to jump on; we take walks outside; all our kids use the treadmill. I chunk projects into smaller sections. Learning time is broken into small chunks (like 15-20 minutes).
McKittrick’s take on sensory breaks makes sense to Amy Parker, Ed.D., an assistant professor and the coordinator of the Orientation and Mobility Program at the COE. “Building these into routines, along with plenty of access to healthy and crunchy foods helps us a great deal,” Parker said. “Also online learning still takes time and focus. Some people think it is easier than face-to-face, but it isn't really. It takes self-management and having movement breaks. Taking notes and going outside is still vital to staying on track.”
Shepherding toddlers and pre-K kids
Children at Saigon Kids Early Childhood Centre in Vietnam enjoy active play before the quarantine. (Photo by Elsa Sahruddin)Tip #4) Remember the good times.
“I added a virtual art gallery (so children can see their drawings at home) and a page for revisiting past experiences in the class,” said Elsa Sahruddin, a COE Master in Early Childhood program student who teaches at Saigon Kids Early Childhood Centre in Vietnam.
Tip #5) Use your hands!
According to COE Master in Early Childhood program student Danielle McCrea, little students love: “sensory, sensory, sensory.” “Sensory experiences are an integral part of early childhood curriculum,” said McCrea, a teacher at The Wonder School in Israel. “They get us beyond looking and listening and into the senses of touch and smell. Stimulating these senses can be very grounding and focusing. I also think we all could use a little extra love through touch in this awkward time of social distancing.” Her sensory ideas include making play dough.
Holly Lawson's sons, Ari, 7, and Kamilo, 12, release some energy outdoors. (Photo courtesy of Holly Lawson)Supporting K–5 students
Tip #6) Enjoy quality time together.
Holly Lawson, Ph.D., assistant professor and coordinator of the COE’s Visually Impaired Learner program, said, “I have somewhat younger kiddos, an 11-year-old and a 7-year-old. My youngest is on the spectrum and a routine is important. Our routine is focused more on quality time and connecting than academics.”
Tip #7) Be flexible.
Sahruddin, who has an 11-year-old son named Kiran, agreed that connection is critical: “Have enough structure, yet be flexible when it’s possible and appropriate. I have to continue to readjust and reassess our situation as time goes by. For example, I realized that he does not need a seven-hour ‘schooling at home.’ When he is on his own, it goes so much faster to do certain work. And I need to honor that.”
Exploring hands-on learning and group work for 6–8 students
Franklin High School senior Chris Two Two said in 2019 that he has had Oregon Teacher of the Year Mercedes Muñoz (right) as his teacher for four years, and he believes that she deserves recognition for all of the students she has helped. (Photo by Jillian Daley)Tip #8) Explore ideas, especially through hands-on learning.
Maria O’Connor, a master’s student in the COE and sixth-grade social studies teacher at Hazelbrook Middle School in the Tigard-Tualatin School District, offered a tip for social studies homework that kids may find helpful to process their thoughts during the quarantine. She said she tells her students: “This is history in the making and you are a part of history. If you write down your thoughts and feelings and everything you’re seeing now, that’s a primary source. … Share with your families, get some feedback and submit to the Oregon Historical Society as a primary source.’”
Tip #9) Have kids work together.
Professor Emeritus Pat Burk, Ph.D., who works in the Educational Leadership and Policy Department, suggested working in pairs or in clusters of “five or six, where each person has a particular role. Pick a way to present your group’s work to the other group. Think debate teams taking pro and con to a core question that they develop,” he said. “Or consider, sometimes, bigger groups or teams ... Make it a quiz show, like ‘Jeopardy!’”
Emphasizing academics and social life for 9–12 students
Possible Portland State students visit campus. (PSU file photo)Tip #10) Consider going audio-only.
Associate Professor Anita Bright, who works in the COE’s Curriculum and Instruction Department, said, “Some school settings have (or will) implement synchronous, web-based learning with their students. This can be taxing for students and families in many ways, including the fact that not all students necessarily have good access to the required technology and infrastructure, as well as the fact that in many families, there are multiple folks competing for the same resources (such as electronic devices as well as bandwidth). And although it’s often wonderful to get to see the faces of our students, insisting that the camera be turned on is not necessarily best for all learners, for a variety of reasons. Providing flexibility on this is essential.”
For a list of educational, technological, and psychological resources, please visit the Teaching from Home resource page.
To share stories with the College of Education, email Jillian Daley at jillian@pdx.edu.