Staying connected with remote learning through Microsoft Teams

and Office 365

Description
This course provides educators practical ways to organize their remote learning experience in order to foster strong connections
between students and teachers and keep students engaged.

Learning Targets
 Learn what is remote learning
 Understand the difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning
 Evaluate the types of assessment available in remote learning
 Plan for structuring the school day
 Explore ways to incorporate social and emotional components into a remote learning experience

This session applies to

Classroom teachers
School leaders

Resources
 Presentation Deck
 All other resources are embedded int the facilitator guidance below
 Please note: the script below is provided as a guide. Please personalize to fit your presentation style and audience.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

Before you teach
 Use the Edge browser when using a web browser
 Make sure all tabs are closed on web browser
 Practice the demos beforehand
 Check audio and video
 Make sure to turn on the Presentation Translator add-in for PowerPoint

Time Activity Slide or Screenshot

Allotted

15 minutes prior to the beginning of the call: This slide should be displayed as
participants are joining the call. It saves time if people can check their audio
settings before they join, instead of troubleshooting after the call has begun.
Play culturally appropriate music from a device so participants can hear it. Check
the chat and make sure to give assistance as needed.

Please note: the script is provided as a guide. Please personalize to fit your
presentation style.

5 minutes Introduction
Say: Staying connected with remote learning through Microsoft Teams and
Office 365

Do: Introduce yourself – on camera if possible.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 Say: The first thing I’d like to do is make sure everyone can participate in our call
today. Open the Chat in Teams by clicking on the conversation bubble icon in
your Teams menu. It should appear when you move your mouse. Once you have
the Chat open, post a response to our question. We’ll all be able to see each
other’s posts and reply in the Chat. If you want to reply to a specific person, you
can type the @ symbol ahead of their name to at-mention them. Give it a try!

"How do you learn best? How would that look in a remote learning
environment?"

Do: Briefly go over the learning objectives.

Say: We’ll spend about an hour together, and you can always use the Chat or
unmute your microphone to ask a question. Is this what everyone expected to
hear today? Do you have any other questions that you were hoping to have
answered? Go ahead and post to the Chat for this call: what do you most need to
get out of this session?

Do: Give participants time to respond in the chat. Respond to the

suggestions/comments throughout the training when appropriate.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 10 minutes Understanding Remote Learning
Say: What is Remote Learning? I’ll give you a moment to read the text on the
page, and then I’ll read it aloud.

Do: Wait a moment. Then read the text aloud, using digital ink to circle impactful
words or phrases.

Say: Remote Learning is different than face to face instruction, as you might
imagine. Has anyone in the call today taken a remote learning course?

Do: Ask participants to respond in the Chat window with a thumps up or thumbs
down response.

Say: In online delivery, the facilitator is asked to bridge the physical distance that
separates the participants. This is done through establishing community –
something we’ll talk about more in a moment. Community is important because
the social dynamics are the same in a virtual environment, but the implications
are different. For example, in a physical space, we know to return to our seats not
only because the instructor has asked us to return or time is up, we also go back
because everyone else in the room does. In a virtual environment, we don’t have
those social cues in the same way. The facilitator has to replace physical cues
with virtual cues. Also, in a virtual course, the content can feel static and distant.
It is up to the course designer to include interactive, engaging apps that draw in
the learner in new ways.

Say: The number one goal for remote learning is to continue learning for
our students. The focus for that learning, however, shifts and changes
within a remote learning environment. The key is to understand that we
cannot approach remote learning exactly the same way we approach our
face-to-face classes. In short, we will need to simplify. Simplify our

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 content; simplify our processes; simplify our expectations.

The crucial question to ask yourself when you are evaluating what to
include in your remote learning lessons is: "What is the enduring
understanding students need to have at the end of this lesson/unit?"
Another way to examine the issue of simplification is to ask: "If I only had
ten minutes with my students, what is the most crucial information for me
to give them and for them to retain?" The answers to these questions are
the elements of your unit that you will focus on for your remote learning
lessons.

Say: When a school is thinking about transitioning to a remote learning

environment for a period of time, the administration needs to consider
numerous factors to determine (1) what type of learning environment they will
structure (synchronous or asynchronous); (2) what classes they will offer; and (3)
what additional support they will provide students. Educators should consider
the following:

 Bandwidth at home. Bandwidth issues can impact teachers and students

alike. Families may not have Wi-Fi at all, or they may have a system with a
slow bandwidth. With a school closure, the entire family or multiple siblings
will likely be home. If multiple family members need to access the internet
for work and school, their bandwidth may be slower than anticipated. They
may, therefore, need to work at different times, making synchronous
learning impractical. Recording Teams calls or pre-recording lessons can
help with students who have bandwidth issues.
 Technology at home. Technology in each home will differ. Some students
will have a desktop computer, others will have a laptop or tablet, while
others will only have a phone to use (and some may not have anything).

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 With a variety of devices in use, the tools you use with your students need
to be available across platforms to ensure everyone can participate.
Additionally, students may need to share devices with siblings or parents. If
students are sharing a device with another family member, synchronous
learning will be impractical. Recording Teams calls or pre-recording lessons
can help with students who are sharing devices with siblings or parents.
 Other demands on students. In some situations, older siblings may be
charged with the care of their younger siblings while the parents or
guardians work. Additionally, for some students, school is a safe haven with
a welcome structure. Finding a balance between providing students with
content, materials, and work that will allow them to continue their learning
and giving students time to complete tasks when they are facing other
demands will be crucial for educators.
 Students' emotional needs. A situation that prompts a temporary school
closing will be shocking to students. Students will need time to process and
grieve. They will have questions about what will happen when they are
home. They will be confused about how it will all work. They will be worried
about their families and their friends. If the school closure goes longer than
originally anticipated, more questions and concerns will arise. As time
passes, students' emotional needs will change. Finding ways to ease
students concerns and help them from the beginning to the end of the
school closure will be crucial. A stressed student cannot learn. Ensuring
counselors can connect with students who are most vulnerable will be
important. Additionally, teachers should create a plan for how they will
gauge student stress, encourage student emotional expression in healthy
ways, and keep students centered and uplifted during a stressful time.
 Electives. Many schools will wonder whether they need to include electives
like art, music, and physical education in their remote learning plan. Studies
show that in times of tragedy or trauma, ritual and normalcy help ease the
stress of the event. Additionally, while some students thrive and shine in
the academic setting, others excel in the art room or on the basketball

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 court. Finding ways to incorporate creative outlets and physical play will
not only provide ritual and normalcy for students but will also encourage
them to step away from devices to play and create. If you can find a way to
incorporate these elements into your students' days, it will be well worth it
for their mental and physical health.

Do: Ask participants if they have examples of considerations when

working with students remotely that has not been mentioned.

10 minutes Synchronous vs Asynchronous

Say: Understanding the difference between synchronous and asynchronous
learning is important. The key difference is how students connect with each other
and their teacher.

Synchronous learning is when teachers and students are engaged in learning at

the same time in the same virtual learning environment. With synchronous
learning, educators set a specific time for students to meet and conduct class.
They meet every day as they would if the school campus was open. Students join
the video call every day, and for every class, to engage with their classmates as
well as their teacher. Class would be conducted similarly to how it is conducted
when students meet face-to-face. When class is not in session, students would
complete and submit homework to their teacher via online tools. Teachers can
provide feedback on assignments and reach out to students who need extra
support.

Asynchronous learning is when students complete work related to their course on

their own schedule because students and teachers do not meet on a daily basis.
Educators provide materials, video lessons, and assignments that students can
review and complete within a designated time period (for example, one week).
Throughout the week, students may participate in discussion threads, collaborate

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 on a Word document or PowerPoint presentation for an assignment, or watch a
video and respond to a prompt. Teachers can organize one or two online
meetings a week where they will teach concepts and connect with the class as a
whole. Teachers can also set up virtual office hours where students can seek
extra help or ask questions about the week's assignments.

Do: Ask participants to post answers to the following questions in the Chat
window: What are your thoughts regarding synchronous vs. asynchronous
learning? What do you think would be better for your teachers and learners?
Provide time for deeper discussion on this topic. Encourage people to come off
of mute to contribute.

Say: Whether you decide to hold a live lesson or record your lessons, you can, of
course, teach longer than ten minutes if necessary. However, if you do so, you
need to break your teaching into smaller segments to ensure students' attention.
The length of those segmented lessons will depend on the age of your students.
Best practices recommend to use your students' age as a guide. Research
suggests that in a face-to-face environment, an eight year old can focus for
about eight minutes of uninterrupted instruction. In a remote setting, it would be
best if you segment those eight minutes into two four minute lessons. To create
these segmented lessons in a live lesson, you can (1) pause at designated times
in your instruction and ask students to share their thoughts, ask questions, or
answer a question in the chat window; (2) direct students to a quick Forms poll
to gauge their understanding; or (3) ask students to use a simple emoji (thumbs
up or thumbs down) in the chat window to demonstrate their comfort with the
content. Run a Kahoot quiz to check for understanding through friendly
competition.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 Say: With recorded lessons, you can (1) record the lessons in the four minute
segments so students can watch them separately and take a break at the end of
one before watching the next one; or (2) record one video, upload it to Stream,
and use Forms to insert questions into the video that will allow students to pause
and reflect on what they are learning before they move on and watch more.

Say: You cannot expect high school students to stay focused and attentive
beyond 15 minutes without a break. If you plan to teach longer than 15 minutes
in a live Teams call, make sure that you are including pauses for reflection,
questions, and insights. If you are recording lessons for your students, videos
should be a maximum of six minutes. In short, the more you can chunk your
lessons and give your students brain breaks throughout the lesson (whether it is
a live lesson or a recorded lesson), the better. A great way to offer brain breaks is
to ask small groups of students to work together on a problem or discuss what
they learned and share out any questions they still have. You can use the Chat
function in Teams to create small groups where students can chat with each
other "away" from the larger call and return at a designated time.

Say: In addition to being mindful about the length of your lessons, be sure
to implement a variety of teaching strategies into your lessons. Asking
students to do the same thing every day will lead to disengagement.
Although teachers may feel more confident with one teaching strategy
(face-to-face lecture) over another (collaborative work), it is important for
teachers to branch out and vary their instruction. Do your best to be a role
model for your students by modeling good etiquette and practices when
conducting remote lessons. Push beyond your comfort zone and offering
your students varied learning activities and experiences. Provide time and
space to nurture student creativity and self-expression. Use Flipgrid to
conduct debates, propose a solution to an essential question, or just to

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 check in with each other.

Do: In the Chat window, ask participants to post any other ideas they have
around engagement strategies in a remote learning setting

10 minutes Assessment
Say: Assessment is another area of instruction you will need to modify when
creating your remote learning experience. Because your content coverage is
simplified, your assessment will also be simplified. Furthermore, unless your
school has a system for locking down devices when a student takes an online
test or quiz, traditional objective assessments may not be feasible during your
remote learning time. Distinguishing between formative and summative
assessment will help teachers examine where and how they need to change
assessments during their remote learning time.

Formative assessments occur throughout a unit, and they help both students
and teachers understand which concepts students need more practice with to
reach mastery. The goal of formative assessment is to gauge student progress
throughout a unit. Because it is an effort to monitor understanding during a unit,
formative assessment does not have to be graded for accuracy. Students can
complete practice problems, complete a Forms quiz, summarize their
understanding of a video lesson in OneNote, complete a graphic organizer using
Whiteboard, or answer questions related to a concept in Word. When students
understand that these assessments are not graded for accuracy, but are given to
evaluate their understanding and determine what the teacher needs to focus on
in the next lesson, they are free to try and "fail" until they reach a true
understanding on the material. Students rely on feedback from teachers based
on the results of their formative assessment performance. Formative assessments
encourage growth mindset and develop practice skills that students will be able
to continue once your school re-opens and face-to-face instruction is available.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 Summative assessments are typically given at the end of the unit to measure
students' mastery over content. While formative assessment is not graded for
accuracy and relies on teacher feedback, summative assessment is graded and
final. Traditionally, summative assessments are done with objective tests and
essays. In a remote learning environment, educators will likely feel more
comfortable utilizing more reflective types of questioning where students can
demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways. Essays will still be an
option for summative assessments. Another possible assessment is asking
students to use Sway, PowerPoint, or Video Editor to teach a concept.
Additionally, students could use Flipgrid or the Screen Recorder feature in
PowerPoint to record themselves teaching a concept, explaining a process, or
walking through the steps of how to solve a math problem.

Do: In the Chat window, or unmuting their microphone, ask participants to

share examples of tools they have used for assessment that would also
work in a remote learning setting.

10 minutes Adapting the Schedule

Say: In a remote learning environment, one of the most shocking parts for
students and teachers will be transitioning from a highly structured day to a day
with little structure. For educators and administrators, it may be tempting to try
to replicate the school day in a virtual setting. However, the reality is that such a
schedule in a remote learning environment is highly impractical. Students may
have numerous reasons why they will be unable to sit in front of a device from 8
a.m. to 3 p.m. Even if they have the resources and time to do so, think for about
it for a minute. Would it really be healthy for us to replicate our school day, teach
as we currently teach, and ask our students to sit in front of a device for seven
hours? No matter what the age of the students, such a plan is unhealthy and
fraught with negative consequences.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 Instead, consider a school day structure that allows for students to connect with
teachers at designated times throughout the day, but also honors the challenges
of remote learning and the circumstances of the event that prompted school
closures. Modified schedules for different age levels can meet the goals of
remote learning without taxing students and parents too greatly.

One Microsoft Showcase School created this schedule for its students.

Say: In another example, teachers can select the time of their Teams call
within the designated three-hour window for their block. Students do not
meet the entire three hours. Teachers will also record their lessons to
ensure anyone who is absent can watch the call later. While students have
a conference call or two within a day, the remainder of the day will entail
independent study. Teachers will assign around two to three hours' worth
of independent study that can be completed during the week before their
next call.

Say: Students and parents are not the only ones who will need to find a new
structure to their day. Our days are will also need restructuring. If your school
were to follow a similar schedule to the one above, here is an example of how
you can structure your day:

Schools can structure their remote learning experience in a myriad of ways.

However, it is key that administrators consider the needs of students, teachers,
and parents when they create those structures. Once that structure is in place,
help yourself and your students find a rhythm to their day by recommending a

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 schedule they can follow.

Do: Take some time for participants to look over the teacher's sample schedule.
As for comments using the Wows and Wonders protocol.

5 minutes Connecting to students

Say: Connection and community are crucial at all times within a school, but even
more so in the midst of transitions and changes as dramatic as moving from a
face-to-face classroom to a remote learning environment. As mentioned
previously, structure, ritual, and a semblance of normalcy will help tremendously
in calming students' nerves. Connection is a human need. Seeing their friends
and you, even if it is on a screen, will warm hearts and keep the connection
between classmates strong.

Ways to foster connection with your students include:

1. Teams calls. You and your students can meet synchronously to discuss
content, share experiences from the day, and discuss how everyone is
adapting to the transition to remote learning.
2. Virtual office hours. If you plan to record lessons for students to watch
when they have time, you can schedule virtual office hours where students
can join a call to check in, ask questions, share insights/ideas, etc.

Do: Demo how to set up virtual office hours: Create Virtual Office Hours

3. Flipgrid. Flipgrid allows you and your students to record and share short
videos. It is a wonderful way to encourage and continue connection
asynchronously. Students can post their video whenever they have time.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 Peers can view the videos, respond to the videos, and post their own. A
daily topic can help with tracking attendance in an asynchronous setting, or
you could create weekly topics to measure understanding.

Do: Demo how to use Flipgrid to connect with students: How to Use Flipgrid

4. Conversations in Teams. Throughout the day and week, students can chat
with their classmates and you in the Posts tab in Teams.

As mentioned earlier, in addition to class meetings, it will be important to find

ways for students to connect with counselors and others who can support them.
Additionally, if your school has regular events that have special significance for
your students, or simply provide ritual and routine for them, explore ways to
incorporate those into your remote learning experience. You may not be able to
do them as regularly as you usually do, but it is important to find a time to
incorporate them periodically. The longer your remote learning experience goes
on, the greater need you will have to find ways to include those events into your
school week.

Say: Similar to the recommendation to simplify your content to focus on the

most important concepts, it is imperative that you and your colleagues simplify
the process for yourselves and your students. You and your students will be
overwhelmed with the myriad of changes that come with transitioning from face-
to-face to remote learning. Tensions will be high, everyone will be stressed, and
students' cognitive load will be at capacity. Your focus needs to be on the most
effective way to teach your content and connect to your students. You may have
no idea where to start, feel overwhelmed by all of the options, or find yourself
unsure of how to even choose. You may think you need to piecemeal together a
variety of tools to develop a system that will offer everything you need to meet
your remote learning plans. Lots of different tools, however, will overwhelm in

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 many ways—learning all of the new tools, remembering multiple logins, going to
multiple places, questioning privacy policies, and so on. It can all be too much.
Instead, find one new tool that can provide you and your students a flexible and
dynamic learning environment, and incorporate additional tools slowly over time
as needed.

Say: Office 365 and Microsoft Teams is the perfect tool for providing continuity
and flexibility. Microsoft Teams can be the digital hub for your remote learning
environment because it allows you to connect with your students in Teams calls,
create and collect assignments, share resources, and facilitate collaboration. As
you and your students become more comfortable with Teams, you can integrate
supporting apps like Kahoot, Pear Deck, Polly, or Flipgrid. Creating a remote
learning environment that centers around a dynamic and flexible tool will ease
the tension and help lessen the cognitive load.

We have used just a fraction of features within Teams during this session. Don't
feel you have to use everything all at once. Ease into both the process of remote
learning and the tools available to you.

Once your team chooses the tools for your remote learning experience, faculty
need to commit to using the tools in similar ways. Creating uniform procedures
for communication, assignments, and work flow will provide students a
predictable structure that allows them to focus on their learning rather than the
tools.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 5 minutes Keeping the relationship with your students front and center of the work
Say: Remember to be yourself. Your connections with your students are vital.
Although your interactions will be different in a virtual environment, your
students need to see you behaving in the same way you always do. If you sing in
class, sing in your videos or on your calls with your students. If you start every
day with a current event, funny meme, or a dad joke, continue those routines.
Your students need to see you interacting with them the way you always have
(even more than they need the content that you will teach them).

Do: In the Chat window, ask participants post one routine they currently practice
in class that would transfer over to a remote learning setting.

Say: In addition to your own classroom routines, make sure that you honor the
rituals and routines that your school community observes. Does your school
begin it’s day with morning announcements, pledge to the flag, a prayer, or
some other morning greeting? If so, find a way to honor that with your first calls
of the day. Do you have a weekly assembly or chapel? How could you recreate
that experience in a remote learning environment? Find ways to remind them
that while they are not physically at their school, they are still connected to the
larger school community in many ways.

Say: Let go of perfection. Our natural tendency when change occurs is to try to
make what we are currently doing exactly like what we are accustomed to doing.
We will feel like our virtual classroom must run as smoothly as our physical
classroom always did. We may feel a lack of control when things do not work as
expected, and we may even feel like we failed at the end of a call with our
students or when they submit an assignment to you and you see the majority of
the students did not grasp the concept well. Remember back to when you first
started teaching, you may have felt the same way. These feelings are natural, and

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 you need to give yourself the room to make mistakes. With every call and every
lesson, you will find your new rhythm and ways in which you can maximize the
time you have with your students and the lessons you provide them.
Furthermore, it is okay to be vulnerable with your students and tell them you are
nervous and unsure of how everything will work. As you navigate these
uncharted waters, you can work with your students on finding ways to improve
your remote learning environment, demonstrating for them a growth mindset
and strengthening your sense of community even more.

Say: While your content is important, you also have the opportunity to reinforce
social and emotional learning with your students. Students can practice self-
awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and
responsible decision-making. When you meet with students, you can encourage
them to share how they are feeling and how they think others are feeling. The
more they discuss their feelings and empathize with others, the more socially
and self-aware they will become. Working independently from home, students
will have opportunities to self-manage and make responsible decisions. Finally,
learning how to communicate with one another online and collaborating on
projects virtually will build students' relationship skills.

Students practicing social and emotional skills will be one of many opportunities
that arise out of your remote learning plan. As you ease into your new rhythm
and use Office 365 and Microsoft Teams more and more with your students, you
will discover how the tools you are using enhance the learning environment. By
recording your lessons, students who struggle will be able to re-watch your
lessons so they can better understand the concepts. The closed caption feature
in Teams calls benefits students with processing disorders. Housing everything
related to the course in Microsoft Teams and its corresponding OneNote Class
Notebook will teach students organizational skills. Introverted students may now
begin to contribute to class because they can type their thoughts in the chat

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved

 window. The possibilities are endless; we just have to be open to them.

5 minutes Closing
Say: It is undeniable that the task before you is massive. If, however, you
approach it with a willingness to learn and grow, you will see the glimmer of
possibilities and the bright side of this challenging time. Will it be perfect? No,
but it will be amazing because not only will you be teaching your students about
your content, you will also be modeling growth mindset, resilience, and hope.
You've got this!

Do: Ask for any final thoughts, emoji of how participants are feeling, or
any questions still needing to be addressed.

If you have a redeem code to offer or a survey you would like participants to
take, plead add those links to the final slide.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved