Topics, Tips, and Talk Themes for the "How the heck?" HYBRID Challenge

We got thru the “crisis” of the spring. Mostly exhausted, but for many also proud, enlightened, stronger, and curious to learn more and prepare for what’s next. My early summer efforts shifted from supporting schools and teachers in their “crisis” online learning practices to looking ahead to likely needs and challenges for coming year. So much unknown. So much undefined. So much misconstrued, misunderstood, or misused. So much potential, so little time and too much rush, rush, rush.

The summer turned into an intense period of listening to needs and worries. Producing and delivering online events, classes, workshops with groups of schools and faculty worried, anxious, and curious about “how the heck will we do this?” Sometimes, these Zooms became simple moments of camaraderie or therapy for everyone (myself included) to laugh, frown, be frustrated and incredulous, breathe, and get even just 1 thing to think about, 1 resource to review, or 1 idea to inspire.

So many strands and questions: what tech to use? how to use the tech? how to plan routines? what about privacy and equity? how will I actually “teach” when I’ll have a “studio audience” of 8 students in my physical classroom while at same time have 8 students tuned in from the “TV audience”?

Factors and facets to contemplate quickly began to overwhelm us all. Any conversation or interaction quickly spiraled out of control because the list of “what about…” was so vast. I had to be prepared to pivot to any topic, any theme, any tech, any tool, any tantrum, any tirade, and respond to those in need who showed up seeking.

There were many moments of “porch pondering” during my summer evenings. I’d sit for hours sketching, doodling, tapping out endless “Notes” on my phone, pad, and journal notebook. I needed to process, filter, synthesize, write and rewrite just to get things out of my head.

Out of this effort, I began to bucket together big themes, topics, and “things to consider.” Here’s a current summary of what I came up with as “takeaway thoughts” suitable for any encounter.


LIVE SYNCHRONOUS “Hybrid Lesson” CLASSES (Zooms / Google Meets)

  • use your class projector, SMARTBoard, or large display monitor to display the “Gallery View” or grid view of remote students for you and your in-person students to see and feel they are there with you.

  • use a stationary secondary (or third camera) that provides a “whole class” view for remote students that you can switch to as your video feed when you transition to independent or class work time. Apps such as EpocCam or Camo Studio can make your mobile phone or tablet a low-cost additional camera source. Alternatively, remember to reposition your laptop/computer camera for a whole class view after your teacher-led mini-lesson or introduction to an activity.

  • when teaching live synchronous class lessons, invite comments from remote attendees first as they have less sense of context and connection. Alternate between remote and in-person students when facilitating comments and responses to engage all students. “Be the bridge” between your two audiences.

  • for live synchronous classes, grade-level and content-level educators don’t have to go it alone. Get together with a grade level or department colleague and co-teach a combined Zoom/Google Meet class — use familiar co-teaching strategies such as parallel, alternate, station and team teaching.

BUILDING & CREATING ONLINE INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT

  • speak TO & WITH students, not AT them, by using student-centered language when writing your online learning materials and digital lessons. Use you, we or our instead of “students will…” in writing your guiding questions. Or, “This lesson will help you...” instead of “The objectives of this lesson are to...” Also tap into the power of self-reflection and metacognitive focus in your guiding questions using I and my language when possible such as, “When might I use different techniques to enhance my story?  

  • break down digital learning activities and lessons into smaller chunks and separate materials instead of all-in-one content heavy documents or pages of text.

  • use a “station teaching” approach to plan 3 or 4 station-based activities for a hybrid lesson class period. Plan one of your station activities to be “teacher conference” or “coaching workshop”  time and alternate between an in-person group or pair of students and then with a remote group or pair of students. Provide materials for ALL stations in your digital classroom LMS.

  • avoid over use of color, formatting, or too many decorative visuals that may cause distraction.

  • minimize use of decorative graphics and clip art. Focus on the use of informational, representational, and organization graphics to aid learning. (Article 1, Article 2)

  • provide multiple means of representation of information in your instructional content -- not only written instructions, but also using audio or video and the use of accompanying graphics to highlight the parts or steps for an activity.

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

  • keep online videos 5-9 minutes, break down into segments, and/or provide cues and strategies for note taking, interactions, or “watch for...” or “listen for...” guidance.

  • only use talking-head, picture-in-picture video at the beginning and/or end of created screencasts, not all the way through the recording to minimize distraction.

  • avoid reading out loud the full text displayed on screen in audio narration of video content. Display only the key points or animated visuals on screen along with audio narration that elaborates on the key points or animation.

STRENGTHEN & REINFORCE LEARNING

  • pair content consumption activities such as “read this article” or “watch this video” with informal online discussions, collaborative online doc response, or other activities for students to share with each other what they learned or have questions about.

  • provide digital quizzes, games, or online assessment activities as ungraded learning activities for students to self-check and process their learning and understandings after consuming content such as watching a video, reading a text, or visiting a website.

  • enable multiple means of expression and demonstration of learning by students -- not only using written work, but students also creating audio, video, and/or visual work. 

  • Remember that not everything has to be 100% digital. Handwritten or drawn desk work can be photographed and shared digitally afterwards or shown on camera video. Encourage students to use hand-crafted journals, notebooks, and foldables as notetaking aids and organizers. Provide “3S” time (Show, Share & Summarize) before, during or after activities for students to hold up and share their work on camera with others.

DIGITAL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

  • create and maintain a digital social space for students with consistent posting of class news, announcements, or updates.

  • remember all three types of interactions that must be considered in your digital classroom environment: student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and student-to-content interactions.


Imagine if...

You are going to teach a 40-minute class period with 8 students together with you in-person in your physical classroom PLUS 5 remote students tuning in from home via Zoom, Google Meet, or other “live streaming” method. What would you do? How would you do it?

Consider these instructional design considerations and technical aspects.

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Graphic Mini - A Simple Model for Designing Online Lessons.png

A Simple Model for Designing Online/Hybrid Lessons

What kind of starter WARM UP activity would you use to “set the stage” for today’s learning and/or use solely as a SEL connection or community building exercise? What norms or expectations for behavior and protocols will you use with students? (cameras on/off, use of chat, when and how to ask questions or get help, etc.)

Next, how will you introduce today’s new knowledge or skills to students during a LEARN segment in your lesson? (Or, what activities will allow students to encounter, consume, or interact with new information?) 

  • real-time and “live” teacher-led instruction and/or mini-lessons (e.g. live streamed via Zoom or Google Meets; “live participation” Nearpod or Pear Deck lessons)

  • published instructional videos/screencasts — either teacher-created or curated

  • demonstrations, modeling, or teacher “think aloud” screencasts

  • response to “text” exercises (w/ readings, articles, websites, images, challenge problems or scenarios, case studies, data, mystery scenarios, experiments, or other form of stimulus)

  • stations or cluster activities where students encounter, engage & explore, work on, process, or practice with new knowledge or skills.

Then, decide which activities, tasks, or assignments will students need to work on and complete for the DO segment of your class to apply their learning? 

  • Using Choice Boards or Playlists

  • A QFT exercise for small groups, table teams, or breakout rooms

  • engage in a discussion, collaborate in a Google Doc, hold a co-working session with peers

  • submit completed work for an assignment in your LMS (Canvas, Google Classroom, Schoology, etc.)

  • add to a Flipgrid, post on a Padlet, respond to a Google form

  • write something, analyze something, create something

  • give & receive peer feedback on previous work

Finally, for the WRAP UP segment, how will you aid students in reflecting on (or self-check) their comprehension, learning and assess progress or gauge performance?

  • An easy approach here is to remember, “the end is the beginning.” — If our Warm Up stated that “This lesson will help you...,” then simply repeat that information and list of guiding questions at the end. Give students a moment to pause and self-assess. Provide some means, mechanism, or method for students to self-check using “I CAN...” statements, polls, scale ratings, exit tickets (for their use, not as teacher eval), or digital learning quiz/game  knowledge checks.

  • If our “Warm Up” focused our learner’s attentions on the promise and goals of today’s learning, then we must offer them the opportunity to pause, consider, and reflect. This can enhance our efforts to develop self-regulation skills & competencies in our students. The “Wrap Up” should be the empowering moment we provide students to gauge their own progress, gauge their own levels of comfort & confidence, and identify their next steps for learning.


POSSIBLE FLOW FOR A HYBRID LESSON

1-Graphic - A Simple Model 4 PARTS.png

5-10 MINUTES:  begin with WARM UP segment as a live, synchronous whole class gathering via Zoom, Google Meet, or live stream with all students attentive and participating (in person with you in class & remote viewing via Zoom, Google Meet or live stream). Facilitate interactions between both in person and remote students. For example: if a student with you in your classroom comments on something, ask for a follow up reaction from a remote student or vice versa. You will need to model speaking, listening, and interacting with those with you physically and those tuning in remotely.  

20-25 MINUTES: for your LEARN & DO segments, have students work independently (offline and alone or connected online as quiet time with others) using provided online materials (e.g. posted in Schoology, Canvas, or Google Classroom). Leave your Zoom, Google Meet or live stream running or other conduit for remote students to interact with you and/or in person classmates.

10-15 MINUTES:  regroup with the whole class for your WRAP UP segment in live, synchronous gathering via Zoom, Google Meet, or live stream with all students attentive and participating. Incorporate options that allow both in person and remote students to share, showcase work, get feedback, or interact with each other. 


TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • Where will you have your camera (laptop, phone, or webcam) positioned in your room? Will you have or need additional video feed sources connected to your main computer? For example, a document camera connected to your laptop or secondary phone camera using an app such as EpocCam.

  • Where are the “on camera” locations you will need to stay in, or move back to, that allow both in-person students and remote students to see and follow you clearly and unobstructed? (e.g. place Xs on the floor using masking tape or electrical tape)

  • Will you need an additional microphone or lapel/headset mic connected to your computer so that your audio is clear, audible, and high quality for your remote students tuning in to class?

  • What and how will in-person students be able to see and hear all of their remote classmates and vice versa?

  • How will remote students be able to get your attention, ask questions, or contribute to your classroom conversations? Will you use audio, chat tool, discussion forum, phone text message, etc.?

  • What strategies will you use to “be the bridge” for interaction between your in person students and remote students? e.g. take a comment from the remote audience and refer it to an in-person student for reaction or elaboration, and vice versa.


GUIDING PRINCIPLE: 
Embrace a “Digital First” Mindset

  • Everything lives in your LMS. Create & publish all needed learning resources, assignments, and activities as online digital materials in your LMS (Canvas, Google Classroom, Schoology). You can certainly provide printed supplements for your in-person students, but your remote students will need digital copies of everything. Having everything available digitally to begin with will allow all students (in-person and remote) to also revisit and review at will. It will also allow you to pivot on-the-fly and utilize any material at any point during either in-person activities or online interactions with students. If unique supplies or physical materials will be needed, be certain to consider how will remote students receive these ahead of time (e.g. via postal mail) or might be able to find at home?

  • Maintain your “teacher presence” in your digital learning space. It is vital that teachers be present and participate in their Google Classroom or Schoology courses along with students. Post daily updates or class stream announcements and vary the modality using text, audio, or video. Review and provide feedback within your digital classroom. Share a funny story, ask “Would you rather?” quick polls, ask follow-up probing questions in online discussions. 

  • Provide a digital social space for your classroom. Enable students to interact and have a digital gathering place in your digital classroom. Use your Schoology Updates or Google Classroom Stream to allow students to ask questions, share successes or ask questions of each other. Setup separate weekly Discussion boards or a Flipgrid topic for students to use to check-in with each other. With our guidance and instruction, our students will come to know that these are “classroom” social spaces and not their personal Facebook or Instagrams. Engage students in agreeing upon appropriate behavior and interaction in their digital classroom space for learning.

[Randy Hall, July/August 2020.]

Randy Hall

Learning. Teaching. Designing. Creating.
"Every Day's a Learning Day!" | "Energy is Infectious!" | "Choose It & Use It!"

I currently serve as a Senior Facilitator in the Instructional Technology team at the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center (LHRIC) in Harrison, NY. As a Senior Facilitator, my work is focusing on active learning environments and strategies, online and blended learning approaches using learning management systems, building relationships with other New York State agencies and vendors, and designing and delivering professional learning programs and services for schools and districts in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties.