Remote learning QuickStart guide

This guide covers two ways of teaching at a distance:

• Remote learning: you teach live with Zoom or another video tool, use KeyChat for real-time discussion and AssessPrep for online assessments.
• Flipped classroom: students work through pre-recorded materials at their own pace, and you support them in one-to-one or small group meetings.

Remote learning

Schedule a live online lesson

Start a lesson with one click from your calendar or the class Stream, using the built-in Zoom integration or any video tool.

1. Create a new online lesson from the class Stream.

   

2. Check the unit. The current unit is selected for you, and you can change it.

3. Set the start and end time.

4. Use Lesson Details to tell students what to prepare.

5. Select Zoom to generate the meeting link automatically.

   

For setup, see ManageBac+ integration with Zoom.

Present during a lesson

Presentation Mode lets you present and share learning materials from the class Stream during an online lesson.

• Edit the lesson in line, for example its duration, title or link.
• Add files, photos, website links and videos to the Stream while you present.
• Select a resource to present, and drag and drop to reorder the Stream.
• Select the arrow to hide the side panels and give the content more space.
• Students can post private questions, comment and react with emojis.
• Check for understanding on screen to see a live summary of student responses.
• Upload recordings that students can watch live in picture-in-picture or later.

For full steps, see Online lessons and Presentation Mode.

Tips for planning online lessons

1. Make the learning goals explicit in the unit summary.
2. Give each live lesson a clear focus and share it beforehand. For young students this might be show and tell, story time or counting. For older students, discussion questions or maths problems.
3. Organise resources into lessons so materials have a clear structure.
4. Differentiate by creating different lessons for different groups of students.

Tips for delivering online lessons

1. Set online learning norms, including ways to "share the air" so every student has a voice.
2. Take charge of the mute button.
3. Let students respond in different ways: visual check-ins, KeyChat and direct messages.
4. Build in time for feedback, spoken, in chat or with emojis.
5. Use small groups to differentiate content.
6. Allow practice time with new tools, including backgrounds students can use to express feelings or hide their home.
7. Use mini-lessons with breaks and time away from the screen.

Run a live discussion with KeyChat

• Hide and show the side panels, including the chat.
• Mute and delete posts.
• Share images and documents in the chat.

Tips for using KeyChat

1. Agree online discussion rules with the class before you start. Students are more likely to follow rules they helped create.
2. Quieter students often find online discussion less daunting than speaking in class.
3. Respond to comments promptly and use emojis to celebrate contributions.

Create a Zoom meeting for a calendar event

1. Go to Calendar and select Add Event.

2. Select Create Zoom Meeting. If the event is set for certain students, only those students can join.

3. To use another meeting room, paste its URL in the location field. A Start or Join button then shows on the event.

   

Set online assessments with AssessPrep

Create interactive assessments in AssessPrep to track student progress. Choose from more than 15 question types, including multiple choice, long answer, auto-marked interactives, hotspot, match, sort, classify, graphing and table or chart. You can also reuse and adapt questions from item banks.

Tips for digital assessments

1. Design assessments during curriculum planning.
2. Add visual examples. These help English language learners and students who struggle with text-based questions.
3. Let students show evidence of learning in different ways.
4. Give students chances to evaluate their own work.
5. Use peer evaluation for communication, collaboration and reflection.

Strategies for successful remote learning

1. Adjust the school schedule to suit students' age, course content, exams and screen time.
2. Use virtual breakout rooms for small group work, and check in with each room.
3. Hold office hours to talk with students one to one.
4. Give teachers time to collaborate, share what they have learned and update the curriculum.
5. Adjust the curriculum to the key expectations you will cover remotely.

Flipped classroom

Students learn from pre-recorded materials at their own pace (asynchronous). You support them in one-to-one or small group meetings (synchronous).

Organise resources in Stream and Resources

• Use the Planner to set learning goals, content, skills and strategies for the unit.
• Create tasks and assignments for students.
• Use Lessons to group resources by day, week or however suits you. Drag items from the Stream into a lesson.
• Drag and drop to change the order of resources in the Stream.
• Remove items from the Stream to hide them from students.

Tips for organising self-paced resources

1. Set clear learning expectations linked to standards or objectives, with step-by-step instructions. Less is more.
2. Create several streams for different groups to support differentiation.
3. Keep lessons short and engaging from the start.
4. Include activities where students apply what they learn.
5. Organise resources so the structure is clear.

Grade and give feedback

Check understanding with tasks and assessments, and give feedback with the built-in annotation tools.

• Choose from several grading methods and base grades on specific criteria.
• Annotate submitted work directly to leave written feedback.

Tips for feedback

1. Feedback should tell students where they are now, where they are going and how to get there.
2. Focus on learning targets, not grades, with regular, detailed feedback, including on work in progress. Annotation lets you point to the evidence.
3. Submitted work goes to the student's portfolio automatically. Ask students to use it to reflect on strengths and weaknesses.
4. Use students' responses to feedback to guide your teaching.

Keep families informed

Parents follow their child's learning in Parent My Workspace.

• Parents with several children can view each child's records.
• Attendance shows as charts, including attendance in online lessons.
• Key school contacts are listed with their position and email address.
• Assignment status for each course and service learning summaries are shown.

Tips for communicating with families

1. Give families one place to find key information for the school, classes and subjects.
2. Prioritise and simplify messages.
3. Coordinate messages across the school so families get one clear message.
4. Use direct messages for questions about one student when you cannot meet in person.
5. Ask students and families how learning is going and adjust where you can.

Strategies for a successful flipped classroom

1. Start from student learning goals, not activities, as you would in class.
2. Use self-paced time to deliver content, and live time for students to collaborate, share and ask questions.
3. Work with other teachers to create and gather shared materials.
4. Balance your own resources with resources from other educators and experts.
5. Give consistent, timely feedback in live sessions.
6. Live sessions can be individual, small group or whole class.
7. Be visible. Make a video or use your voice to build connection.

Other Faria products for remote schooling

Admissions (OpenApply)

• Run admissions online, including re-enrolment, applicant reviews and online payments by card.
• Keep interview notes and test results in one place, and use IDAT, a remotely proctored admissions test for international students.
• Schedule virtual open events and tours online.

Teaching and learning (ManageBac+)

• Keep projects, assignments, resources, portfolios, messages and online lessons in one platform.
• Send resources, schedules, worksheets and links to parents and students, and schedule remote parent-teacher conferences.
• Take attendance in online classes, with summaries for admins to spot students falling behind.
• Use online lessons and chat for real-time questions, and schedule individual or group support sessions.

Assessment and reporting

• Give feedback through Dropbox submissions, gradebook comments and annotations.
• Run low to medium stakes exams online.
• Enter marks and comments, review scores and deliver report cards to parents online.

School life, communication and wellbeing (SchoolsBuddy and ManageBac+)

• Offer remote extracurricular activities and take cashless payments from parents for trips, kit and tuition.

• Send relevant messages and resources to selected groups or the whole school with SchoolsBuddy.

• Teachers log incidents, and counsellors and advisors track them across classes. Offer one-to-one wellbeing sessions.

Online courses (Pamoja)

• Pamoja offers IB Diploma online courses taught by experienced IB teachers.
• Students can follow Pamoja's own academic calendar.
• Online courses can help with timetable clashes, staff shortages and reducing the number of students in a classroom.