{"id":110465,"date":"2020-03-18T16:22:11","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T16:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=436638"},"modified":"2020-03-18T16:22:11","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T16:22:11","slug":"what-we-can-learn-from-the-current-school-closures-about-how-to-support-remote-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2020\/03\/18\/what-we-can-learn-from-the-current-school-closures-about-how-to-support-remote-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"What we can learn from the current school closures about how to support remote learning"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From time to time, we feature guest blogs from educators who are making a difference in the lives of young people and who are eager to share their success with the Microsoft Education community. These \u202f<\/em><\/strong>Changemakers<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, as we call them, offer insights into the effective use of classroom resources, how to prepare today\u2019s youth for the jobs of tomorrow, and ways that technology can personalize instruction and empower students to lead in their learning. Today\u2019s Changemaker blog was written by Meredith Roe, virtual school program manager for <\/em><\/strong>Catholic Education Western Australia<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n

The global COVID-19 outbreak is challenging the continuity of learning for schools and other education institutions.\u202fWhether you\u2019re at a school that has experience with remote learning, or one that\u2019s learning how to implement it in the moment, there are resources available to help. I\u2019ve found Microsoft Office 365<\/a><\/strong> tools can be especially useful for remote learning. <\/p>\n

The learning opportunity<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Events that close schools can leave us with a sense of loss, sadness and worry, and going remote can come with negative connotations or be considered a second-rate option. However, if we try to see the current crisis, hard as it might be, as a chance for reflection and staff and student skill development, then remote learning seems like less of a burden. Let\u2019s be clear, though, there are important conditions that must be met for remote learning to succeed. I\u2019ve listed the ones that I believe are critical here. <\/p>\n

Staff professional development\u202f<\/strong> <\/h3>\n

Developing teacher skills ought to be a top priority for any school or system. We can ensure quality learning continues if we prepare teachers through strategic planning and meaningful professional learning opportunities. <\/p>\n

There lots of options for delivering high-quality professional learning. Here are some examples, all of which should be possible to try even during a closure. <\/p>\n