Remote Learning Collaboration for District and School Teams

Due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19, school districts and teachers have had to make major adjustments to the way they communicate during remote learning. Educators are using this time to implement remote learning collaboration tactics that best fit their faculty needs to ensure the efficiency of communication.

In a recent conversation, we sat down with Erika Rodriguez, a middle school science teacher at Klein ISD, to see how her school was adjusting to prioritize remote learning collaboration.

Implementing Remote Learning Collaboration Tactics

Without the right tools and steps in place, remote learning collaboration can become very strenuous for teachers and administrators. 

Erika mentioned that while some of her colleagues are having a great rapport with their students, she and other colleagues are not having the same results. By working together to make remote learning collaboration a priority, Erika and her colleagues are able to share different ways their students are responding to online learning activities.

Erika’s school and district have implemented daily and weekly activities to make certain all faculty members have what they need to make the remote learning experience positive for their students and themselves. 

Using Online Professional Development Webinars to Promote Remote Learning Collaboration

Erkia’s district, Klein ISD, has set up online professional development webinars to continue to educate their staff on educational technology. These webinars are available 3 days of the week for staff to learn directly from educational technology professionals themselves.

Zoom Meetings

Each Monday, Erika and Klein’s middle school staff have a Zoom meeting to collaborate on what is happening in their school. This helps to keep everyone in the middle school updated with what each department is doing to successfully adjust to remote learning collaboration.

Using Department as a Professional Learning Community

On a weekly basis, Erika’s science department meets to stay up to date with each other and stay on track with activities and curriculum. Their department staff also keeps connected through texting, emails, and calls whenever possible.

How To Support Colleagues and Staff with Remote Learning Collaboration

The onset of remote learning collaboration can cause educators to feel like they are doing this all on their own. Face to face collaboration encourages colleagues to work together, support one another, and feel like a team, whereas remote learning collaboration can be an isolating experience. Erika suggested some helpful tips to continue to support your colleagues and staff during this transition.

• Use Remind texts
  Remind texts are helpful in keeping all staff up to date and keeping them on track.
• Give shoutouts for support
  Frequent shoutouts for outstanding performances are a great way to boost morale and keep the positive encouragement among staff. This motivates staff to continue to be innovative and creative to find new ways to make remote learning and remote learning collaboration fun and unique.
• Check in on each other
  A text as simple as, “How are you today?” can go a long way in times like these. Making sure that your colleagues feel supported can make remote learning that much better for them as well as students.

Listen to our full conversation with Erika Rodriguez!

On this episode of Tackling Tech Podcast, powered by Dyknow, Brett McGrath talks with Erika Rodriguez, a middle school science teacher in Houston. Erika shares how her life has changed since the quarantine started and how her district is supporting their teachers and ensuring students are continuing their education.