Concurrent and NTI Classrooms: Tips and Resources

 Like nearly all districts in the world right now, our instructional classroom model has to remain, to put it mildly, flexible.  We began the school year with non-traditional instruction (NTI) with students at home. We then gave students the option of "@Home" or "@School." In some schools, the numbers of these two categories allowed a teacher to teach only virtual students while another teacher taught only the students in person.  However, the reality is that the proportionality of student numbers often made such binary choices impossible, combined with the fact that a temporary quarantining of an entire classroom or athletic team made such numbers at best a moving target.  More often than not, our staff have had to adapt to a new concurrent model of blended learning, teaching a roster of both @Home and @School students synchronously and asynchronously.  And as of this posting, our state governor has mandated NTI to begin for all secondary Kentucky schools next week and will last until at least the end of the year (and elementary schools until at least December 7).

As educators, we are all leaning on each other to thrive and progress forward in such challenging times.

School leaders have been generous to share their thoughts, advice and expertise about teaching during a pandemic in nearly real time.  The humble purpose of this entry is to throw my own hat into that ring, and to share some of our district resources as well.

Firstly, here are my top 5 tips to consider when planning for edtech in concurrent and NTI classrooms:

1. Reflect on your "learning hub" (Google Classroom, Bitmoji Classroom, learning management system [Edmodo, Schoology, Empower, etc.], website page) through the lens of your student and your parents.  Get feedback from a non-educator spouse, relative, friend.  Is it:

• easy to find?
• consistently used?
• simple to navigate?

2. When using a digital tool, evaluate it through an appropriate lens.  For example:

• Consider your mission, vision, core values.  How does the digital tool integrate with what you believe is important for student learning? For example, we have recently drafted SCPS CBE Core Design Principles, and our district page with highlighted/recommended edtech now makes concrete linkage to how these tools connect to such principles.
• Where does its usage fall in the SAMR framework?
• Think of the tool via functions of engagement, a phrase I learned from the very useful and recently published The Digital Learning Playbook (Fisher, Frey, and Hattie, pages 104-111).  For example, does the tool involve finding, using, creating or sharing information? Will it enable opportunities for self-directed inquiry or for robust peer-to-peer discussions?

3. Avoid digital tool fatigue not only for yourself, but especially your students and parents.

• Always remember your academic objective. If a student must spend more time learning how to navigate and use the tool rather than learning and applying content, reconsider your choice.
• Start simple and slow.  Better to use three tools deeply all year long than three dozen superficially in a month.
• Vet every tool beforehand as much as possible from a student's perspective before implementing it in a lesson plan.  A third grader may use it differently (or have different challenges) than a sophomore in high school.   From the hardware perspective, will it work on the student's device? Is the site unblocked on the district's network?

4.  Always make a backup plan.   At some point, things will inevitably not work for some, if not all, of your students.  How will they ask for help?  What should they do instead if there is an issue or delay?

5.  Concurrent doesn't always have to be digital work.  Analog work is not only okay, but recommended occasionally for a change of pace.  If you can plan a weekly system for students and parents to pick up physical math manipulatives, photocopied work kits, etc. at your school location, do so and communicate accordingly.

Secondly, with the generous help of our Staff Developer Tracy Huelsman, our Instructional Coaches, our technicians, and our teacher leaders, we have created a Shelby County Public Schools "Concurrent Classroom and @Home Dashboard Doc."  This is not only a curation of various outside resources but a collection of internal ones as well, including videos/screencasts made by our staff that highlight their innovation and solutions to make concurrent classrooms effective.   (Note that while most of the hyperlinked resources are open and helpful to all, some doc access may be limited to our SCPS domain or specifically apply to SCPS needs.)

Here is a video I made to briefly highlight the Dashboard Doc (7:05):

Last but not least, here are some other resources I've created.

This is a screencast video about the opportunity for students to take Virtual Field Trips that I made during last spring's NTI (38:16):

Here are some blog entries from the past year that may help:

"Nearpod, SAMR, and Transitional Pedagogy" (9/3/19; may be helpful to put NTI and Concurrent Classrooms in the context of transformational teaching and deeper learning edtech integration)

"NTI Resources, Virtual Field Trips, and a Deep Breath" (3/26/20)

"New Vodcast Series for Educator Reflection During NTI" (5/4/20)

"Google Tips and Tricks: Greatest Hits Collection" (9/8/20)

"Mote and ClassroomQ for Feedback, Discourse, and Classroom Management" (10/12/20)

Keep your heads up, show each other grace, and pace yourself as you persevere through this transformative, innovative work!