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When the coronavirus cleared out classrooms in the spring of 2020, the shift to online learning was anything but smooth for many schools and households. Even the language used to describe the arrangement was in flux: Some improperly called it home school, a term that already had a specific meaning. Some called it distance learning, which was a bit better. Others called it virtual school, which has a rather pejorative ring, when you think about it. (The learning is still real, after all, though the logistics have changed.)
Today, most of us have settled on the term “remote learning” to describe the educational arrangement for students not returning to physical classrooms in the fall of 2020. Many households are now in the process of finalizing what the remote learning experience is going to look like for their child, from the physical setup to the daily schedule to the hardware and software that can help make remote school as effective and meaningful as possible.
While schools have now had time to plan for remote education and many will keep kids “in class” for almost a full day’s worth of learning, much of the responsibility for making pandemic-era school a success will still fall to caregivers at home. And said caregivers may already spread thin just trying to get their own work done.
Having a school from home space setup and optimized with all the materials your kid will need can help pave the way for learning success and reduced stress, but knowing just what your child needs in said space is easier said than done. According to Swasti Sarna, Insights Manager at Pinterest: “Parents are shopping on Pinterest for the best homeschool set up to keep their kids focused and organized. [We’ve seen] ‘homeschool room ideas’ searches [increase] 34 times, ‘homeschool desk ideas work stations’ 26 times.”
Chances are good you’re going to spend a bit more cash this fall getting your kid ready for school (a JLL study found an almost 9% jump in back-to-school spending for kids doing remote learning this year) and you’re going to need to enlist the help of some technology in new ways to round out your kid’s learning, but with that extra effort now, your child need not lose out on their education during COVID-19.
Here are five things students need for successful remote learning during the ongoing global pandemic.
The Right Setup
Here’s the baseline hardware your kids need for remote learning, less the super basics like pens, pencils, paper, and so on – that part is on you.
Apps and Software to Support Learning
Teachers are pretty amazing, but they can’t be expected to do it all when teaching via computer screen from miles and miles away. You can add depth and breadth to your child’s learning using a few superlative digital resources that will support them in specific academic areas.
Hardware to Support Learning
There will be plenty of times when your kid is not being actively engaged by a teacher when you don’t have the freedom to step in. At those times, having a few interactive kits or devices on hand can help.
Exercise and Play Equipment
According to childhood play expert Chris Byrne: “Most kids can only focus for about 5 minutes per year of calendar age before they need a break. That means that a 5-year-old can focus for about 25 minutes, etc. Breaks need to allow kids to get up and move around, to move those gross motor muscles and release stress, and even create endorphins.” While you might not have a track, playground, or soccer field to which the kid can retreat for an exercise break, you can still get them up and moving indoors.
The Right Mindset
“Don’t be overly focused on outcomes,” says Chris Byrne. “This is hard for everyone. And it’s new for everyone. Kids are going to have complex emotions; that’s natural. Kids will be sad. They are not becoming clinically depressed; they’re just sad, which is natural. For parents it’s about listening.
Be gentle on kids and yourself. These are crazy times, like none we’ve ever known before. Remember, the time is crazy; you’re not.”
By communicating clearly with kids, staying patient and loving even when things are hard, and understanding what they are going through, you can help your child develop the kind of mental and emotional fortitude to keep on keeping on with this strange new normal until the real normal returns.
And one more thing: check in on your kid’s online activity from time to time. Elena Mauer, consumer safety editor at SecurityNerd.com, says: “Monitoring children's online behavior should be a daily task. Don't worry about being a helicopter parent – set restrictions and enable parental controls to limit what kids can access. Look at internet history, app usage, and know what programs and apps school is requiring.”
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