Highlights from the VMA Interview

Maryann:  I was thinking we’d be prepared because our team was so good and we already had a pilot online course.

Sabrina: Because we are such a diverse group of people we have so many pieces that would really work. We were able to bring those experiences together.

Nick:  I knew something was going on. I wasn’t sure what. But Sabrina told me we had to do something now.  I thought, “Can’t we do this a little later?” I thought it would only be a week or two. I started to wonder if we should create a full-on plan. We weren’t prepared for the connectivity issues. Suddenly one billion people in China would be online at the same time. We had to test it.

Sabrina: We needed a plan. We needed agreements. We had to protect the students so they would have a quality education. We had to protect the teachers so they were safe wherever they were. But also we needed to deliver exceptional lessons to all of our students. We were constantly in communication wherever we were in the world. We had to be flexible. Things came up. We had to have a backup to the backup. We used a platform called DingTalk for our communication. It’s a platform just like messaging; it’s a social networking work platform.

Nick:  During the first week, we kicked off with our Cambridge Program and they were in a test mode for the first week.  Anything we had to do, we tested it on them first.  We had one week of every day training and trained them how to use the video conferencing mode, the live stream mode, how to use Power School and gather the documentation.  We then rolled it out to all the other teachers.  At the end of the first week, we knew what the problems would be that teachers would face and we provided 1:1 time. It’s not that every teacher is great with technology;  it’s about familiarizing themselves with the technology available.  It was a trial and error thing for them to know what to use.

Rifat: The key to our success is that Nick provided 1:1 training for all of us so that we would all be comfortable training our teachers. We held training sessions over and over so that all teachers were comfortable.  That was definitely a key factor in our success.  We had to make all teachers aware of the expectations and the expectations we had for students.  Everyone was emailed these expectations after solid discussions and  numerous meetings and on-line communication.  Once we laid the foundations, everyone was on board and the anxiety simmered down. Everyone was aware of the rules and the consequences for not following the rules.  I had teachers in my department who had never taught on line.  They were very anxious, but after getting used to it, we saw the power in teaching on-line and how to integrate it.  This integration will help as we move forward in both on-line and in-class teaching. It will uplift education to another level. The surveys that went out helped identify the problems. The problems, and we did have problems, were quickly identified and sorted out in no time.  Communication, flexibility, adaptability and obviously training and the constant reassurance was the key.  Nick and teachers who had experience were more than willing to give their help and support to those teachers with no experiences. I know it was a team effort and that was the key to our success at the end of the day.

Wang He: We get data every day. How do we ensure that students are safe? We had to communicate with students. We made it very clear and we held to expectations. We started from very small parts. We started from 80 minute expectations [of instruction per class per week]. Then we could move to 160. We started small. We had to communicate with parents. They didn’t know what is going on. They only see their kids sitting in front of the computer and checking their phones all day long. We send lots of emails. We have “shout outs” for faculty, and we let people know what is going on. At first, I was panicked, but we had a tech office. We had a teacher and learning center. We had wonderful colleagues. We started to plan as if it was a one-month thing.

First, we asked every department chair to report every day. Then we moved to once a week. Students were giving us very positive feedback. We made small changes along the way. Not dramatic changes. Hold expectations. Start with small things. Then make it bigger.

Maryann:  Department chairs just completed reports for the month of March and it included our planned benchmark assessments.  We continue to keep in place our bimonthly reports where teachers notify the dept chairs of any students who are at risk.  They then notify me and I notify the Dean of Student Services. We have to be aware that this is a totally different learning platform for students.  We track students who have not attended or turned in homework. We were ready for the AP exams. We are individually tracking to make sure everyone is on track.  We kept to the same schedule so that students were staying on track and meeting the standards.  The accountability piece still needed to be in place.

Sabrina: Class runs as normal. I have 160 minutes a week with my AP class and 80 minutes with my regular English class. Students have all kinds of activities. I have found ways to do group projects and collaborative activities. I had to learn how to monitor ten different chats at once. We traded essays for student reviewing from another class and students scored them on a rubric. Sometimes we record a lesson on a specific skill and drop it into the group chat. It’s up to the students to watch that. With everything we are doing now to work on online we’re building a curriculum that we can use later.

From the student side (my child is in a student at VMA) and is at their computer is in pajamas. They get in their groups. They talk with their classsmates and then report back to the full group. It’s like a real class.

Rifat: There is definitively more prep time involved in on-line teaching to make sure you cover everything that needs to be covered in a shorter amount of time.  Feedback from students is very important regarding whether or not you are meeting their needs.  Constant checking with students about what they want to learn helps a lot and being consistent with homework is important as well.  Monitor not just through homework, but monitoring them emotionally as well is important. Check in with them if they don’t show up for class and make sure they are okay.  Be inclusive.

Maryann: Look for the hidden talents in your staff and give the opportunity to share those talents and take on a leadership role.

Sabrina: Remember they are human and their mental health is important.  Be flexible and understanding because they are in a time of uncertainty. 

Nick: Start small and grow it big later.  Everything with on-line learning is new.  Test it and revise as needed.

Rifat:  Training and support.  Have a flexible and adaptable mindset.  Be open and understanding.

Wang He:  Work as a team.  Support one another and communicate clearly about expectations.  Come up with a plan and communicate it.  Survey teachers, gather data and make needed changes.