"Distance learning develops children's independence, responsibility, and duty. Some parents noticed that it was difficult for children to start learning in the home environment in the first days. However, now they do not have any questions about whether it is possible to skip or not complete the planned tasks. The children are waiting for a virtual meeting with their friends", says Jovita Ponomariovienė, head of Vitlis Lyceum.
Quarantine across the country forced educational institutions to quickly respond to the situation and adapt alternative learning methods.
"Neither we nor the parents wanted to interrupt the educational process. We were worried whether the school year would be extended or whether it would be difficult for children to study intensively during the summer. So in just a couple of days, we prepared a distance learning plan. Educators used the virtual environment of video conferencing for direct communication with children, and filmed lessons. A set of additional tasks was prepared for each student for two weeks," - says the headmistress of a lyceum that educates first and second graders.
How do teachers assign assignments?
At Whitley Lyceum, primary school children are taught in two ways via distance learning. Teachers film lessons, present lesson material, and explain assignments.
Links to filmed lessons are sent to parents and uploaded to a virtual Google Drive account. In the morning, all students can review the lessons sent for that day and complete the assigned tasks. Every day, the student not only receives a set of lessons, but also learns the tasks that will need to be completed. This makes it clearer for the student to understand that his task is not only to review the lessons, but also, for example, to prepare a world knowledge presentation for friends about the Lithuanian city he visited, to plant a potato, and to observe and record its germination and growth.
Every day, at an agreed time, the class teacher connects to a virtual video conferencing environment for direct communication. Everyone discusses the tasks completed by the children the previous day, explains any questions that have arisen, and discusses what needs to be done for the next day.
You can watch the lesson multiple times.
Children are sent 3-5 recorded lessons per day. Teachers joke that even physical education lessons can be held remotely at home. The teacher's recorded lesson lasts about 10 minutes, and for another 10-15 minutes, students complete the tasks independently.
According to J. Ponomariovienė, parents are recommended to ensure that their children follow the school day routine. “We suggest that at 9 a.m. they sit down at their desks and review the teacher’s lessons and complete the assigned tasks. At 10 a.m. all students are invited to join the virtual environment and study together in the classroom for 1 hour. After the virtual lesson, we suggest that they take a break and continue the learning process by observing the lessons taught by the teacher,” - says the headmistress of the Whitley Lyceum.
She notes that when learning remotely, children can pause the recording, restart it, and if they don't hear something, turn around and listen again. For example, they can repeat English lessons several times until they learn new words, sentences, listen to and understand songs, etc.
IT literacy in families is also relevant
Educators point out that when adapting distance education, it is necessary to take into account the age of children. What may be suitable for a first-grader may not be suitable for a fourth-grader. Younger children know how to use tablets, but do not have the skills to use a computer keyboard or are unable to connect to a virtual environment. It is also necessary to assess the family's IT capabilities and the tools that children have at home.
"We have agreed with teachers that before assigning a project, work, drawing, or illustration, they should first think about whether the children will have the tools to complete the task or whether they will have to go to the store to buy them. It is necessary to constantly communicate with the students' parents. Their opinion, support, help, and advice are important. Teachers should also remember to evaluate students," says the head of the Whitley Lyceum.
It is important to coordinate all the details with the parents.
With distance learning, students do everything they should do in class at home. Parents' help is also needed. Jonas, the father of first-year student Algirdas, who studies at the Vitlis Lyceum, says that there is a sense of freedom in communicating during distance learning. For example, you can stop the lesson and go get a drink of water.
"It's fun for us to participate in the educational process together. My son likes distance learning, he completes some tasks earlier than planned. However, he admits that he misses direct communication with his friends," says Algirdas.
Kristina, the mother of Noja's second child, notes that distance learning is effective if certain criteria are met. For example, remotely, the topic of the lesson is at least briefly explained to children or a video lesson is recorded, and not just tasks are presented, indicating pages of exercises and textbooks.
"There should also be prompt feedback between the student and the teacher when evaluating completed tasks, or when children have questions while completing tasks and parents cannot help," says Kristina.
It is also important for parents to clearly communicate the scope of the tasks, their location, determine the specific frequency and time of remote communication between the teacher and children, provide instructions and assistance from teachers in installing e-platforms, and maximize the teacher's involvement in presenting tasks and explaining answers.
