Moving your math class online in the wake of COVID-19
Author: Kathleen Almy
PREFACE: We have an upcoming video series of blogs that will be out later this month. It was scheduled to post this week, but with the coronavirus issues that have arisen, we’ve made some changes.
I’m a math practitioner at heart even when I’m coaching and training teachers in my business. One of the reasons I started my company was to help schools, colleges, and states solve math problems. It’s the stated motto of my company for a reason. Since the inception of this business, we’ve had multiple opportunities to address a need that a particular school or even state had that was immediate and pressing. But nothing, and I mean nothing, has impacted or will impact schools and education the way COVID-19 has the potential to do in the weeks and months ahead.
Each day, there are more schools closing temporarily and moving to an eLearning virtual environment to protect administrators, teachers, staff, and students. It sounds so simple: just put classes online. We live in a very internet-focused world, so it seems like this should be a doable task. Unfortunately, it is anything but. I’m very fortunate to work mainly with high schools and colleges who can more easily make this adjustment than an average elementary school or middle school can. That doesn’t make the job easy for my clients, however.
The main challenge for every administrator is the consideration that internet and broadband access is still not the norm in every area and in every home. Some schools are one-to-one device in the school environment and not necessarily at home. And even when home internet is available, the concept of eLearning and mastering an online platform that is rarely used is very difficult for most teachers and students.
Moving your class to an online platform like Zoom is a commonly suggested solution. Zoom is an amazing platform and one I use every day in my business as my team is all over the country. But using Zoom as a classroom tool takes training and instruction for the teacher. And doing so with math (and science) is even more challenging because of the nature of our content.
We’ve worked many hours this week to address needs for schools. Here are some that we’ve come up with. More will be coming as this situation evolves and needs change.
Solutions
1. If you don’t have some kind of tablet/computer like an iPad or Surface, to use to write on, consider purchasing this inexpensive HD document camera: IPEVO V4K Ultra High Definition 8MP USB Document Camera. (We are not advertisers for this item. We just like using it.) It’s on Amazon for less than $100 and you can have it shipped in a day or two. Maria Andersen shared this with me, and it’s changed what I can do when teaching math online, particularly synchronously. I’ve used just about every pen, tablet, and stylus that’s been invented. Some current ones are really good, but most are not cheap. This is an inexpensive way to be able to teach students while writing just as you would on a white or chalkboard. I love it because I can show books or handouts as easily as I can show my screen for something like Desmos. You may be able to get this effect with your phone and a stand. Experiment to see what works for you. Below is a video so you can see it in action.
2. We have created a new Facebook group that any math teacher, high school or college, can join. It’s called Almy Education eLearning in Math. Click on this link to join. You’ll need to provide your email address and school or college name. We want to have a place online where math teachers can congregate and help each other with tools and tips on moving your classes online. We’re all in the same boat. It makes sense to have a way to communicate with each other.
3. Maria Andersen, a leading math practitioner and virtual education expert, is offering a FREE 90-minute live online webinar this SATURDAY, March 14 at 11 am CST. She will spend the first hour going through all the key things you need to know to move your math class online immediately so that you can teach remotely. She will also have 30 minutes to answer questions. With many years of experience teaching online and training others, she has a wealth of expertise to help you with practical solutions. The webinar will be recorded and available after as well for free. Both individuals and institutions can use it.
A note on remote and online teaching
Teaching math remotely is not the same as teaching an online math course. In this webinar, Maria is going to show you how to move your math class online because so many schools must change now to lessen the spread of the virus. Her tips are going to be on the key things you need to know so that you don’t lose weeks of instruction. What she’s offering in this webinar is not the same as building an online course and teaching it.
If you will be teaching online courses going forward, we will be providing full day live online workshops on teaching math online. Maria will again be the instructor, but she will be going deep into the pedagogical, instruction, and logistical issues that arise when you move to online instruction. She is providing two options, April 18 and May 16. More information and pricing will be available in the coming weeks.
Our goal now is to give you a free resource to help you manage this situation. If this webinar is not enough and you need more help from Maria, please use her problem solving session option or reach out to us for a live online workshop for your institution.
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