Best Practices for Teaching with Technology During Coronavirus Closures
MSEA’s legal team with tips from MSEA’s series of Coronavirus FAQs for Educators
It’s an unusual and stressful time for everyone and for educators, students, and their parents, distance learning has its own unique challenges. Below are some helpful tips from MSEA’s FAQ on distance learning. Find a longer version of this FAQ and many more valuable documents here.
Allow yourself, students, and parents some grace. Be patient. Everyone is feeling the stress of uncertainty and are doing the best we can. Educators know that this is a new paradigm of teaching and learning for everyone.
Know your employer’s rules for online engagement and follow them at all times. Most boards of education have policies in place to define what is allowable on work computers and networks. Educators should follow them at all times.
Find a longer version of this FAQ and many more valuable documents from MSEA’s Coronavirus FAQs for Educators series compiled and written by MSEA experts.
Being professional in an online learning platform means not eating, drinking, or multitasking; placing yourself in a neutral, professional space; dressing in professional clothing; minimizing all personal interruptions; and always speaking, typing, and posting with the same professionalism you always have.
Do not send your students to websites or social media apps that are not approved by the board of education, as unapproved websites may gather personally identifiable information about students.
If your employer expects your online interactions to be recorded and your collective bargaining agreement does not address it, contact your UniServ director. Recognize that when using an employer-provided network or computer an employee does not have a right to privacy.
As much as is reasonable, focus on instruction. Students may need reassurance from us now, and some acknowledgment of the changes that all of us are experiencing may be very valuable. Reach out for additional guidance as needed.
