Remote learning, sometimes referred to as distance learning, is not a new concept, but it is a one that has gotten a lot of attention recently with the closing of schools across the country due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The idea of learning from home definitely stirs up a wide array of emotions among parents and students, ranging from extreme joy, most likely because schools are closed, to extreme dread, having to keep kids entertained all day and the thought of not being prepared for final exams or losing out on education.

What is Remote Learning?

Remote learning occurs when the educator and students are separated by distance and/or time. There are many types of learning that fall under the category of remote learning.

Some of the most common ones include the use of recorded lessons, think Khan Academy and our site, Caddell Prep. However, even individual teachers are choosing to create their own recorded lessons. Some teachers are choosing to record a lesson at night and then post it to their student-teacher platform, such as Blackboard, PupilPath, or Google Classroom, and assign it as mandatory learning before students complete an assignment or answer multiple choice questions.

Most online education would also be considered remote learning, such as online colleges. In some cases the students would watch a recorded lesson or sometimes live instruction from a professor. Each week the students would typically have an assignment to complete that would be graded automatically, by their peers, or by a faculty member. Technology has allowed distance learning to exist sand give students flexibility in choosing who they would study with, regardless of their education. For example, a student from New York is able to obtain an MBA from the University of North Carolina without ever traveling to the campus at Chapel Hill.

Remote Learning Tips for Parents

One of the most difficult parts for parents in the switch to remote education is the fact that kids are going to be home all day! Every family is different, but some families have decided to create a schedule for their kids so there is some sort of routine. You can adapt the one below that best fits your family’s needs.

 

TimeActivity
7:30-8:30amBreakfast
8:30-9:00amMorning Walk/Stretch
9:00-10:00amWriting Workshop
10:00-10:30amBreak & Snack
10:30-11:30amMath (CaddellPrep.com)
11:30-12:30pmRecess
12:30-1:15pmLunch
1:15-2:15pmSpecial Activity
2:15-3:15pmReading Workshop (Pick a Good Book)
3:15-3:30pmBreak & Snack
3:30-5:15pmPlaytime 🙂

One of the most difficult parts for parents in the switch to remote education is the fact that kids are going to be home all day! Every family is different, but some families have decided to create a schedule for their kids so there is some sort of routine. You can adapt the one below that best fits your family’s needs.

Remote Learning Websites for Parents & Their Kids

Most people are aware of Khan Academy for online learning. The website has a lot of great content for math, English, science, history and more. We work with students who have used it or are using it as part of their homeschool curriculum, and it works well.

Our website does not cover as much as Khan Academy, but we do cover tests that KA doesn’t, such as SHSAT, TACHS, NYS Math Tests, and NYS Regents Exams.

I personally have learned a lot from online education. I’m a firm believer in it, obviously (my company offers it). When I first started my company, I took a lot of online courses to learn about business. I was able to take them for free on Coursera. Most of the courses can be “audited”, which means you can take the class without paying, but not get any credit for it.

  • Khan Academy: for most subjects
  • Caddell Prep (this site): for math, SAT, and New York-specific tests
  • Coursera: for college-level courses

 

For reading comprehension, I have a few recommendations. First, the New York Public Library offers free ebooks and even audio books for you to borrow. The other two recommendations are both from Amazon. Even if you don’t have an Amazon kindle, you can download the app on your phone, tablet or computer and read ebooks that way. If you plan on reading a lot, sign up for Kindle Unlimited. You can read as many books as you like for $9.99/month. The last option is actually my favorite: Audible. I  have an audible subscription that allows me to get a new book every month and purchase additional books at a discount. My tip is to listen to the audio books on 1.5x or 2x speed. It takes some getting used to, but it is closer to the speed at which we read. For me, the standard speed is too slow and it causes me to daydream.  

Of course, listening to a book is not the same as reading a book. However, you will still gain the same knowledge, and I think listening to audiobooks has actually made me a better reader, similar to how having a parent read a book to a child improves the child’s reading ability.

You can sign up for Audible and get a 30-day free trial, plus your first audiobook for free. Sign Up for Audible Here & Get a 30-Day Free Trial

Support for Remote Learners

It is extremely likely that kids are going to need help with their homework while studying from home. Online learning is great, but it’s not perfect. In some cases, especially with math, students are going to have questions and they’re going to find it hard to teach themselves.

If your school is using our online math homework, then you’re likely in good shape because the questions have video explanations so you can learn from your mistakes.

However, if students do need help, they can get help with from a tutor virtually. We offer live, online tutoring. The tutoring is 1-on-1 just like with regular in-person tutoring, so the student will have the tutor’s full attention. We make use of a digital whiteboard that the student and tutor can write on simultaneously, so learning is done in real time.

Test Prep at Home

For some tests, there is no lack of resources available to prepare for a test online, especially when it comes to the SAT. You will easily find thousands of YouTube videos. I just typed in “SAT Prep” and did a search in YouTube and scrolled for 5 minutes before I gave up. It’s great that so much is available, but alone it’s not very helpful. One of the main problems is that the content isn’t curated. You can spend hours just trying to find good videos with helpful tips. Many hours will be wasted on lessons that weren’t very helpful.

In my opinion, it is a better use of your time to work with an expert, whether it is with a live class, a live tutor, or an on-demand class.

Of course, self-studying from a review book is also a possibility. If you are going to buy a book, I recommend Princeton Review’s SAT Prep Book. You can get it here: Princeton Review’s SAT Prep Book.

We have online courses for many tests. Before starting any test prep, I always recommend that you take a practice test. If you sign up on our website for a free account, you’ll be able to take a daignostic test for SAT, SHSAT, TACHS, Algebra 1 Regents, and Geometry Regents.

If you want to learn more about our online courses click here: Online Courses.

 

Remote Learning Tips for Teachers

Some schools were prepared for this because they already took advantage of online homework and online lessons, and some schools even already had remote learning days when the students would not attend school physically.

How to Get Started with Google Classroom

Most schools already use an online platform to communicate with students and parents, to record grades, and to assign homework. However, if there are any teachers who need a platform, I recommend using Google Classroom. Here’s a good tutorial on getting started with Google Classroom.

How to Teach Remotely with Zoom

Benefits of Zoom for Teachers

Zoom is an incredibly powerful tool. It has gained a lot of traction for online meetings in businesses. However, it is just as useful for teaching online.

  • Digital whiteboard: You are able to turn on and turn off a digital whiteboard that allows you to write your lesson and share it with everyone. The only disadvantage is that the attendees cannot join you on the whiteboard.
  • Chat controls: You can choose to chat with individual attendees without chatting with everyone by sending a private chat message. You can also choose who the participants can chat with (everyone or just the host, you).
  • Mute attendees: You can choose to mute students, so they cannot speak during the session while you are. This is important because otherwise talking students would distract all of the attendees.
  • Record lessons: You have the option to record the meetings that you host, so you can use the recordings in future classes and keep a recording of the lessons given.
  • Screen sharing: You can share your screen with a lot of control. You can choose to share your entire display, which I don’t advise. You can also choose to share a specific program, such as your internet browser or PowerPoint.
  • Annotations: If a student or attendee shares their screen, you are able to see their screen and make notes on the screen that can be viewed by all attendees. This is incredibly useful when someone has a question. The student can simply share the screen and you can work on the screen, so both of you can see their screen and your mark-ups.

Online Math Homework

If you are a math teacher and need resources for Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry or Algebra 2, we’ve got you covered.  We have online assignment made for each of those subjects, Plus, it is totally free for you to use with your students.

The platform will grade the assignments automatically and share the grades with you. 

A big benefit to your remote students is that they will be able to watch video explanations of the the problems immediately after each question. This way they learn while they do their homework. This helps ensure that they get the education they need and saves you time in explaining all of the questions and answers.

Remote Learning in NYC

Some schools were prepared for this because they already took advantage of online homework and online lessons, and some schools even already had remote learning days when the students would not attend school physically.

Remote Learning Devices from NYC DOE

One of the biggest issues surrounding the transition from traditional classrooms to remote learning is the lack of internet connection and devices in the homes of students. The NYC DOE has made devices such as laptops and tablets readily available to students who don’t have them at home. 

For any NYC publich school student who needs a remote learning device, visit https://coronavirus.schools.nyc/RemoteLearningDevices/