By Diona Williams
PBL Coordinator at Purpose Built Schools Atlanta
When COVID-19 arrived in Atlanta last spring, our buildings closed abruptly and virtual school was–unexpectedly and quickly–in session.
We made the most of an unprecedented situation. We acted quickly to gather resources with little notice. Educators logged countless hours in front of a webcam to teach and answer questions from students.
But this fall, as we return to another semester of virtual learning, we are prepared with plans and resources to help teachers engage students in new ways remotely.
We’ve improved the way by which we deliver virtual instruction by streamlining our platforms and training our educators to optimize their virtual classroom experiences.
Streamline Platforms
All teachers now use Otus, an all-in-one learning platform. Teachers can post videos, lessons, discussion boards, and correspond with parents.
We will also use the platform to collect data and determine the effectiveness of our instruction. Teachers are able to import various kinds of academic student data into the Otus platform.
Students can upload completed assignments through the platform. Teachers can track students’ progress and monitor who has completed assignments.
More Training
We have provided more training for educators to make virtual learning more attainable and successful, including Google Classroom and the platform Nearpod, which helps teachers make their lessons interactive. They’ve learned how to create engaging lessons with video footage, virtual field trips and interactive content while getting student feedback in real time.