VIEWS & OPINION Five ways to support students


with distance learning Comment by HAYLIE TAYLOR, former teacher and education consultant at EducationCity


Following the Government’s advice to close schools and limit the spread of Covid-19, we are seeing a greater uptake in edtech than ever before. Schools and teachers are making every effort to bring the classroom to students and, as a result, distance learning is being adopted at a much larger scale. However, we must do more for teachers and students than signpost the best resources available – we need to provide support that not only helps maintain students’ education but also their mental wellbeing and connection to their school community. Here are my top five tips on how to best support students with distance learning in the midst of Covid-19 school closures.


Provide daily routine and structure School plays a central role in providing structure and routine in students’ daily lives – something which is vital to maintaining their mental health. Teachers can use edtech to help fill this gap by assigning activities in a way that mirrors a regular school day. For example, using EducationCity, students can do mental maths


and numeracy skills work in the morning, break for morning snack and then move on to English, before doing more hands-on activities, like our experiment-based Science ThinkIts or potato printing art, after lunch – a nice antidote to afternoon restlessness!


Keep it personal My experience as a teacher has taught me the importance of adaptive resources. While many edtech developers are making resources readily available to schools, make sure the platforms you choose continue personalised provision to support each student’s individual needs.


Stay motivated Positive reinforcement and encouragement from teachers are great motivators for students, so while distance learning, it is important to maintain this connection between teachers and students. Get creative with a ‘snakes and ladders’ style activity guide so there


are clear incentives for students to continue their education. Reward systems will be crucial in keeping students motivated at home!


Keep students on track This cohort of students will miss their SATs, multiplication tables and phonics screening checks, all of which provide insight into how students are progressing. Resources, like EducationCity, can help ensure students are still connecting the dots with their learning through practice activities and assessment tasks that provide teachers with gap analysis and progress indicators. These online assessment tasks can also be valuable in supporting


teachers and schools to plan for the future, so they can hit the ground running once exams are rescheduled.


Reassure parents While schools remain closed, we need to remember to not only continue to support students with their learning but to stay connected with parents. Teachers can use EducationCity to set homework and with the option of shared logins for parents, they can easily see how their child is progressing, play an active part in their education and be reassured they are continuing to meet their key learning objectives.


For more information, or to sign up for a free trial of EducationCity, visit: https://www.educationcity.com/


Making home learning as fun and engaging as


possible Comment by JANE DOWDEN, Education Innovations Manager at the British Science Association


With many UK schools now closed and millions of children learning from home, Covid-19 has transformed everyday life for families up and down the country. It is an uncertain time for parents as they settle into the role of home tutors, however there are ways to reduce the stress for families, by injecting choice, fun and creativity into their home learning. Our priority now should be reassuring parents, and children, that a high-quality


education experience is still achievable at home with low-cost and low-resource activities. Distance learning does, as I’m sure we have all found out over the past weeks, have challenges. But learning at home can also bring unique benefits for children, particularly those who struggle in the traditional classroom setting, as they are given the opportunity to develop their independence. It doesn’t all need to be in front of a screen. Simple hands-on experiments and challenges using resources found at home, can provide focused activities to engage children in learning. Accessible, self-led learning has always been at the heart of our


CREST Awards scheme. It gives students aged 5-19 a range of STEM project ideas that they lead themselves. This project-based learning (PBL) mirrors the curriculum content from the classroom and so is an excellent way for students who are learning at home to continue their development and have fun at the same time. The projects provide flexibility for pupils to pursue their own STEM


interests if they want; they can select from a range of projects and challenges via the Resource library according to their interests and skills level; they can investigate which crisps are crispier or how to design the ultimate pizza box. Beyond developing subject-specific knowledge, these projects are invaluable for students’ creative thinking, communication and problem-solving abilities. CREST projects provide the opportunity for students to feed their curiosity and elevate their understanding of a STEM topic without the pressures of tests and exams. No doubt many parents with young children at home will be


experiencing the struggles of keeping them engaged and focused. Science-based investigations which encourage children to experiment are a great way to add some structure and hands-on activity into their day while ensuring they are developing core curriculum skills. The CREST Star and SuperStar activities have been developed for 5-11 year olds with one hour challenges to get them thinking about different areas such as the environment, energy and forces and motion. Importantly, there is no need for specialist science knowledge or equipment, most of the things you need can be found in the kitchen cupboard or recycling bin. For older students who might be worried about the impact on their


studies and exam results/cancellations, CREST projects can help them maintain their progress. The Discovery, Bronze, Silver and Gold Award levels empower students to extend their classroom learning and tackle a real-life STEM challenge, as they get to select their own methodologies and carry out independent investigations. PBL is also great evidence for students to use in UCAS applications since it demonstrates their enthusiasm and willingness to expand their skills set.


Distance learning is a new experience for lots of people at the


moment, however project-based work offers a flexible, fun and easy framework for students of all ages to continue learning and engaging with STEM subjects at home.


22 www.education-today.co.uk April 2020 E-learning Supplement


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