Parent Tips for Remote Learning

By Susan S. Askew, PE, CSEP and Rebecca Falcon, PMP, CISM, Black Swans Rising, LLC

We’ve survived the first 9 weeks of COVID-19 imposed remote learning, have worked out most technical kinks, and gotten a “battle rhythm” established. Now that the crisis management of this new way of learning has passed, parents and students should take a moment to decide how to best carry on for the rest of the year. We have gathered a few of the best ideas for parents to help their student be successful in this new learning environment.

Choose The Right Attitude. This situation is only temporary (isn’t everything?), but the results will be lasting. Your attitude about the teachers, school systems, and education platforms affect your student’s attitude and success, so keep it positive and focused on problem solving versus grousing. Choose wisely and dress for school if it helps!

Find Online Resources. New resources are being developed every day for students’ remote learning. Help them cull through the internet treasures and use your parent network to unearth tools others find useful. Your searching online is much less likely to distract your student than if they do it. Be a force multiplier for your kids. LinkedIn Learning has great Schoology info! Don’t Wait To Ask For Help. Let the teachers know you have an issue ASAP! Don’t freak out if technology drops the ball – just reconnect quickly and have a backup plan ready. Teachers have “office hours” to help students with additional academic tutoring – use them.

TIME OUT! Just like at school, a 5-10 minute break once an hour is good to help refresh and refocus. Students will be more productive if they get up, move around a bit, and then get back in the game!

Help Establish Virtual Study Groups. Support your student’s efforts to set up remote virtual study groups just like they would do in a “normal” school year. Online groups of 3-6 people are optimal for remote virtual work without chaos.

Reflect on How It’s Going. Take time with your student at the end of the first term to see what adjustments need to be made to make the next term’s learning environment more effective.

Keep at it, keep focused and positive, and we’ll get through this together – 6 feet apart!

For the full article “Parent Tips for Remote Learning” and the companion article “Tips for Remote and Virtual Learners” contact Black Swans Rising at info@blackswansrising.com.

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Susan Askew and Rebecca Falcon live and work in South Huntsville. For more than a decade, they have supported Huntsville area schools by volunteering with Cyber Teams and camps, bringing speakers into the classrooms, speaking at STEM career planning events, and assisting with other STEM activities.  They have taken their passion for helping learners and educators forward and started Black Swans Rising, LLC (BSRi).  BSRi serves educators, educational systems, and industries in the region with STEM, cybersecurity, engineering, and management consulting services and products.  BSRi seeks to help the secondary and post-secondary education communities achieve their goals and excel in STEM activities in traditional and virtual classrooms. For more information on what BSRi can do for your organization, contact Susan and Rebecca at info@blackswansrising.com. “Black Swans Rising – Delivering the Unexpected”