BUGS reimagines a family engagement event for remote learning
Written by Jarod Wunneburger (Mr. W), Director of Math & Spanish
Introduction
Partnerships between teachers and families are essential to help students achieve their goals. In today's virtual learning world, this is even more essential and also more challenging. Every year schools around the country host “back to school” nights to connect families to what to expect and look forward to in their child’s classrooms. The BUGS version, Curriculum Night, is an opportunity to explain our core concepts of sustainability, connect faces with names, and offer tours of our school which sits betweenn Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery. During remote learning, we knew we had to preserve the core functions of Curriculum Night (facilitating relationships and explaining academic expectations) but adapt it to an online environment that would attract and engage families.
In this post, you’ll learn a bit about how we did just that. For our families who might have missed Curriculum Night here’s an opportunity to get caught up! For our education partners and peers, we hope that our learnings can be applied to your own schools as you grow and adapt during these tough times.
What is a Virtual Curriculum Night?
Our virtual Curriculum Night had three parts designed to connect families during remote learning:
Online Teacher “TED” talks
YouTubeLive Welcome Assembly
Live Teacher Q&A Sessions
Each section was designed for a “virtual-first experience” that was adapted to the unique needs of the Remote Learning environment. Further, each section had a series of technological hurdles we needed to overcome. Finally, we had to reset expectations of our families of what this night would look like.
Curriculum Night Parts
An example of one of our Sustainability teachers, Ms. Bethany Freynk, leading an informational pre-recorded “TED” talks.
Online Teacher “TED” Talks
Each teacher recorded a 7-10 minute video explaining their class. They recorded themselves using a Google Meet and presented a slide deck as if families were present. From there we added bumpers to each video and posted on our website for families to view anytime and anywhere. We sent email and text blasts to let our families know to view these videos prior to Curriculum Night.
YouTubeLive Assembly
Building on our work with a virtual graduation and student orientation, we kicked off the event with essential messages from our Executive Director, Principal, school counselor, and after-school director in a pre-recorded YouTube Live event. Most of our staff recorded their segments in a Google Meet and we stitched the videos together using Adobe Premiere Pro. Using school photos also helped create a sense of community during a disjointed time in remote learning. We used a free software called OBS to stream to Youtube. Be sure to check out the video here.
Grade-Level Q&A Sessions
Finally, our families had face time with our teachers. Rather than following their child’s school schedule of their students and jumping between different classroom Google Meets, we had all families and all teachers in the same meet by grade level. Grade-level leaders hosted the event, while Leadership Team members monitored the chat and tracked attendance. Each session had a presentation about grade-level expectations, including grading policies, academic integrity, projects, and more. Following the presentation, each class had two minutes for questions. Team members helped manage the chat and forward questions to presenters. We created a Google Doc “Parking Lot” to help manage the flow of questions.
Next Steps
We had a great turn out and plan on reaching out directly to families who might have missed the event. Videos are available on our website for families to view at any time. We encourage our families to view them whenever they might have questions or need additional information about the curriculum.
For anyone looking to create their own virtual event, know that it’s possible! It takes a bit of creative thinking and technological know-how (we taught ourselves!). Consider the core goals of the project and recognize that the normal logistics of an in-person event such as timing, crowd control, and way-finding won’t apply. Simply reading from a slide deck isn’t enough to stand out from the crowd.
We also know that during these tough times we are not reaching all of our families. Leveraging technology is just the first step - we also know we need to do work for those in our community who have limited access to the internet and devices. We are committed to not losing sight of those families - those are the ones who need to be supported the most.
Be sure to check out our blog often for more tips and going-ons at BUGS. Be sure to not miss any of them by following us on Instagram and signing up for our mailing list!