At-home learning tips

How to tackle remote learning

Amid concerns of Coronavirus clusters and efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, and based on social distancing recommendations from medical professionals, schools across the country began to close their doors and adopt a remote learning model in March.

School administrators and educators quickly scrambled to find a workaround to meet children’s educational needs. Remote learning has been a part of many school curriculums for some time. Teachers have had to design curriculums and assignments virtually on the fly in an attempt to minimize disruptions that could adversely affect students.

Remote learning requires the cooperation of school staff and also parents and guardians. Patience is necessary, and parents and educators may need to

When schools closed their doors in March, teachers and families were forced to take a crash course in distance learning

completely transform their daily schedules. The following tips can be an asset as students continue to navigate remote learning.

Record class sessions. Teachers can consider recording or “going live” with class instruction so that students can view the video and still have access to their teachers. This helps parents who may be unfamiliar with explaining the curriculum.

Utilize chat features. Remote education software programs likely have a chat or “hangout” feature, which enables classrooms to keep in touch and ask questions in real time.

Keep a schedule. It’s easy to begin to sleep late and fall out of routine when not required to go to a school building. Families should make scheduling a priority, which can help students stay on top of lessons and complete their assignments on time.

Ask questions. Everyone is learning as they go, and further clarification may be needed. Students should email or chat with teachers if they don’t understand an assignment. Teachers may be able to clearly model a math problem or explain a concept via video chat.

Explore educational options.

Many companies are offering free educational services while kids are home from school. Scholastic.com is offering online courses, Nat Geo for Kids, Fun Brain, PBS Kids, and Highlight Kids are other places to turn to for activities.

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Make a vacation of staying at home with entertaining themes to up the fun factor. These ideas will help get the creativity flowing.

Superhero day: Embrace your favorite superhero by dressing up in his or her colors, donning a superhero Tshirt or watching an action-packed superhero movie.

Pajama day: This is a fun theme for rainy days when Mother Nature keeps you indoors. Stay in your pajamas all day and enjoy a cozy, lazy day.

Alma mater day: Parents can pull out their trusted college attire. Bake up some tasty treats in school colors and then find some old photos or look for highlights of your alma mater’s sports teams online.

Throwback day: Take a step back in time by playing games or engaging in activities from your youth. Teach kids about the toys you enjoyed or watch movies from the era in which you grew up.

Crazy hair day: Embrace bed head, plug in the curling iron, double down on hair gel or pomade, or put those wacky coiffures into full effect. Cultural day: Tap into your personal heritage by researching your family tree and then preparing a meal that coordinates with your heritage.

Arts and crafts day: Get crafty by tackling a creative project that the family will enjoy. Or engage in individual projects before comparing the final results collectively.

Theme days keep boredom at bay

Events and planned trips have been canceled or postponed across the globe in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19.

This has caused a disruption to not only commercial events like concerts and sporting events, but personal gatherings as well. Any party with a large number of potential guests has to be reconsidered. This includes graduation parties, weddings and birthdays. People facing the cancellation of such events can follow these guidelines.

Speak to vendors to find out if cancellations can occur with no penalties. Many hotels and other travel services are waiving fees for cancellations, or allowing bookings to be rescheduled.

Try to think of some alternative dates for events like weddings and graduation parties as soon as possible. There is no way to accurately predict the path that COVID-19 will take, nor put a firm date on when regular life can resume, but discussing alternative dates with vendors may put you at the top of the list when gatherings are once again allowed.

Reach out to guests to explain that your plans are fluid. Expect that a good portion of guests, even those who already committed to attend, may not be able to make rescheduled events. Speak with vendors about fluctuating head counts.

Be patient and keep an open mind about events. These are unprecedented times and many people are learning as they go. Rescheduling events when the threat has subsided may cause a bottleneck effect with service providers. Flexibility can help make rescheduling less stressful.

What to do when events are canceled

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