Unprecedented situations, like the one created by the coronavirus pandemic, call for unprecedented actions! During a time of worldwide stress, I find it impressive how teachers are among the first responders, coming together to make sure students’ needs are met and the current events have the least impact possible on their students. However, the new imposed rules on social distancing lead to remote learning, and that is of huge impact on all of our students’ needs! It creates anxiety because of the unknown, it creates discomfort because of the interruption in routines, it creates inequality because of the limitations of the internet and resource access in some homes.
In an effort to do my part and support the teachers and parents in our learning community, I created this social story- Understanding Remote Learning. It is my hope that it will alleviate some of the anxiety our students experience during these unusual times.
Find this story here.
The story explains what remote learning is and why it is important at this moment in time. Students learn that remote learning is a temporary measure and they will be able to return to their routines once it is safe to be in contact with other people.
The story emphasizes the importance of positive attitude during remote learning for students’ success, by explicitly naming some of the positive and negative aspects of remote learning.
The biggest challenge to teachers now is how to carry out this critical mission of remote teaching with efficiency. Student engagement has never been more crucial, but as hard as it is to achieve in a regular classroom it may become almost impossible to achieve in a remote learning format. Inequality is a great factor that hinder student participation. I tried to address this in my story, and expand students’ horizon beyond their lack of supplies. I am hopeful that teachers, being as creative and resourceful as I know they are, will find a way to get this message to their not-so-fortunate students.
Aside from the lack of resources and limitations imposed by internet access, students learn via this social story that their attitude can make the difference and if they understand that everyone is asked to to do their job at their remote locations (aka at home), the teachers’ mission to keep learning going might be one step closer to success!
For students on the spectrum, routines are extremely important. They will have a difficult time understanding this change and might not comprehend why the need for remote learning. The story addresses this issue in a simple way that is easy to understand.
Clearly stating expectations (complete assignments, turn them via requested method, staying focused, and having a positive attitude) prepares our students for effective participation. Every teacher may have slightly different expectations; every teacher may have slightly different ideas about remote learning; every teacher may have slightly different knowledge about using technology for distant learning. Regardless of the differences or the approaches, we all have our students’ best interests at heart. I am confident that by continuing to maintain high expectations for all our students during these trial times, we will be able to diminish the impact of school closures on our young learners. May this story reach all of your students and set the tone for successful remote learning!
You can find this story in my store on TPT. It is free for all teachers, administrators, and parents to use and share. All I am asking is that you please leave a comment on how you plan on sharing it and disseminating it in your community, so that all of us can benefit from your great ideas. Thank you much!
If you are not an educator or do not have a TPT account, you can download this story here.
More related stories on the same topic
Some of these stories can be found in the following bundles:
