TEACHING REMOTELY

I have slow and unreliable internet connectivity at home, how can I engage with my students?

Create engaging content

Microsoft PowerPoint is useful in creating lessons with images and diagrams to bring content to life without an internet connection. The CamScanner App allows you to scan study guides and other texts for sharing with students

Leverage existing content

There are a wide variety of educational content available online. Here’s a list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings

Share learning content with students

Use popular, readily available solutions such as email, WhatsApp to share materials with students and parents. Virtual tours of places of interest are becoming popular – check out this list

Communicate and engage with students

Create WhatsApp Groups for parents and students. Use Google Classroom to set assignments, encourage collaboration, and support communication with students when teaching from home

Continue to assess your students’ progress

Create an online assessment for your class. Set and automatically mark quizzes and assessments with Google Forms

My internet connection is fast, how can I use it to improve my students learning experience?

Identify a space within your home for video calling and/or recording

Find an area that is well lit (ideally by natural light), and has a clear background. Ensure your WiFi signal is strong in that location

Use video conferencing services to conduct video calls with your class

Services like WhatsApp, Hangouts Meet from Google, Zoom allow you make video calls with your class. Turning off your camera helps conserve bandwidth

Live stream your lesson

Live streaming saves bandwidth on weaker internet connections. Create a calendar appointment and invite your class to watch. Facebook Live and Instagram Live are popular options

Record demonstrative videos to bring concepts to live

Use your smartphone camera to record simple videos to clarify concepts. Apps like Show Me and Educreations allow you to record whiteboard sessions demonstrating concepts for sharing with your students

Leverage content rich channels

Khanacademy, TED-Ed, CrashCourseKids, are but a few YouTube channels available to help your students explore new concepts at their own pace. Amazon Stories is a great free resource for students to listen to books

Supporting our families

How can I help parents stay on top of their children's learning and well being?

Provide structure

Parents will appreciate this. Provide a schedule or timetable for students to complete work at home, including break periods. Parents can follow published calendars and schedules on the AcadaPlus Parent Mobile app

Schedule periodic live, interactive updates

Schedule weekly calls on WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom or Google Meet to connect with parents as a group to answer their questions and allow for collaboration and sharing of ideas on effective distance learning strategies

Share information early and often

Use the AcadaPlus Mobile app to send real-time notifications to parents – quick updates, newsletters, etc. Use email for less time sensitive communication. WhatsApp groups are also effective for sharing timely information

Schedule one on one time with parents

Schedule weekly calls on WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom or Google Meet to get one on one feedback with parents and students on how things are going

AcadaPlus is available 24/7

Remember that the AcadaPlus school management platform makes it easy to run your school remotely by providing features that can be use from anywhere, anytime of the day

Record student assessment results and observations

The AcadaPlus Gradebook enables you to enter grades for each quiz or assessment and make them available for immediate viewing by parents in the Parent Mobile app

Set up your subjects to leverage the concepts grading feature which will allow you to track student progress on specific topics within a subject e.g., Algebra & Geometry in Math

Leverage our analytical tools for a deeper understanding

Use the Key Statistics Panel in Attendance and Gradebook to get quick insights on top performing students, those who need additional assistance and those on the cusp of greatness. Our Gradebook trend lines indicate academic progress over the evaluation period

Monitor student, teacher & campus performance

The Analytics module allows school owners, administrators and heads of department to view aggregate information on student and teacher performance as well as insights across sites for schools with multiple campuses

Engage your parent community

Our customers enjoy the features offered by the Parent Mobile app. Schools leverage Announcements to send notifications to parents without concern of the message getting lost in email spam. Ability to access the school calendar, students schedule, student grades and historical report cards in real time are parent favorites

Create frequent, interim report cards

In a distance learning environment, parents need to be reassured that their children are growing academically. Typical mid-term and end of term reports may no longer be enough. Use the report card template builder to create bi-weekly report cards that can be shared with parents via email or through the Parent Mobile app

Get a head start on the new term

We don’t know how long this crisis will last; we pray sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you can still set up for the new term on AcadaPlus. Set up the school calendar, set the timetable, assign students to the right classes and subjects, and ensure your curriculum is up to date

You are not alone, school communities around the world are feeling the impact of this crisis and there is a lot we can learn from each other

1.57

billion learners out of school

39.5

million Nigerian students out of school

91.3%

of the world's student population affected by school closures

188

countries affected by school closures

A global response

Companies around the world are stepping up and providing FREE or low cost solutions to help schools through these challenging times

AcadaPlus

Canvas E-Learning Platform

AcadaPlus has setup an instance of the worlds leading eLearning platform - CANVAS, which is available for free to all AcadaPlus customers through the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic

Free ACCESS

Zoom

Web Conferencing Tool

Zoom is temporarily lifting the 40-minute time limit on Free Basic accounts for schools affected by the corona virus

Verification Form

Microsoft

Microsoft Teams - Free for all Educational Institutions

Microsoft Teams is included in Office 365, which is free for educational institutions. If you’re currently not licensed for Teams, Microsoft will provide you with a free six-month subscription

Remote Learning

Google

G Suite for Education customers given access to advanced Hangout Meet features

G Suite or Education customers can use advanced Hangouts Meet features, like larger meetings (up to 250 participants), live streaming, and recording, free through July 1, 2020.

COVID-19 resources

BrainPOP

BrainPOP is offering free, unlimited use of BrainPOP to any school, anywhere, that is closed due to the corona virus

Consider using BrainPOP’s animated movies and creative tools for distance learning and to keep students on track with their studies

Free Access

Slack

Messaging Platform

Slack is a channels-based messaging platform. They are currently offering a slew of resources, including live consultations, on how you can turn Slack into a productive and engaging distance learning hub.

Distance Learning School Guide

COVID-19: How will my school adapt to the crisis?