IVVC Remote Learning Plan
Purpose
Due to the unprecedented shutdown of all Illinois Public Schools due to the COVID-19 Shutdown, districts are now providing learning opportunities at home for our students, which we are referring to as a Remote Learning Plan. We know that this is new to everyone, and our plan is to implement regular checks with our stakeholders to determine if and how we can improve this process.
Timing
The IVVC remote learning plan will take effect on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, and will continue for all calendar days where IVVC remains closed. Teachers will share lessons and expectations on Google Classroom and/or email by 9 am.
Communication/Availability
We expect teachers to be available and in communication with students throughout any Remote Learning Day. Minimal teacher expectations are to monitor their email, Google Classroom, or other digital means from 8:00 am - 11:00 am and 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. Our Remote Learning Days are purposely set up as a learning experience to enhance and reinforce student learning while providing flexibility for both the students and the staff.
IVVC teachers will be available to students for individual communication. IVVC will work in partnership with home school districts to make IVVC teachers available at a time that works for all students from all home school districts.
Attendance
Teachers will not be taking attendance online or from the students’ completed assignments. While attendance is not being taken, we still emphasize and encourage daily interaction with instructors to maintain a continuity of learning and instruction.
General Expectations
Remote learning can be real-time or flexibility timed, and it may or may not involve technology. It is fully acceptable for any teacher to utilize a blend of real-time, flexibility timed, technological and non-technological options. Teachers have been asked to prioritize industry standards, and focus on the standards that are pertinent to moving forward in the future when we are allowed to utilize face to face instruction, or what will best benefit our students that will be moving on to post secondary instruction or a career next year.
In general, student work on a Remote Learning Day will be based upon Research Based Instruction. Some examples of Research Based Instruction appropriate for Remote Learning include but are not limited to:
1. Setting Objectives
2. Reinforcing Effort/Providing Recognition
3. Cues, Questions & Advance Organizers
4. Nonlinguistic Representations (Graphic Organizers)
5. Summarizing & Note Taking
6. Identifying Similarities and Differences
7. Generating & Testing Hypotheses
8. Homework for later grades with minimal parental involvement with a clear purpose
9. Scaffolding instruction
10. Student practice
11. Individualized Instruction
12. Inquiry-Based Teaching
13. Concept Mapping
14. Reciprocal Teaching
15. Promoting student metacognition
16. Teacher clarity (learning goals, expectations, content delivery, assessment results, etc.)
17. Setting goals
18. Higher-level questioning
19. Learning feedback that is detailed and specific
20. The Directed Reading-Thinking Activity
21. Question-Answer Relationship
22. KWL Chart
23. Comparison Matrix
24. Anticipation Guides
25. Response Notebooks
26. Student Reflection
One of the best pieces of advice offered from other states is to not overwhelm students with work on these days. Student work will be relevant, meaningful, and manageable for them. Should a circumstance, such as a power outage, not allow a student to complete the assignment, that student will be given adequate time to make up the assignment without penalty. If a student does not have access to the internet or required technology to complete the work, a non-electronic method of completing the work will be provided to the student.
Daily IVVC assignments should take students 30 minutes minimum - 45 minutes maximum to complete.
Support
Should teachers or students encounter any technical issues on a Remote Learning Day, the administration will be available as they are also working during the Remote Learning Day. All instructional staff may use a district device for Remote Learning.
IVVC teachers and support staff will work together to meet students’ special populations needs in the context of remote instruction. IVVC special populations facilitator will work with individual teachers on a case by case basis. IVVC will work in partnership with special populations staff at home school districts.