As Western Australia moves closer towards reopening borders, schools must remain prepared for remote learning. While building a successful remote learning strategy has its challenges, it can be done in a way that enables your staff, students, and broader school community to better manage teaching and learning continuity.
Having a clear and consistent plan is imperative for any successful remote learning strategy. Delivering and executing a remote learning plan that takes a ‘whole school approach’ can be made easier for all stakeholders when it includes flexible teaching and learning options paired with simple, accessible technology that your entire school community understands. That’s where Showbie can help support you in your remote (or hybrid) learning journey.
Considerations when Developing a Remote Learning Plan
Continuity of Learning
Showbie is designed for the way teachers work, so you can seamlessly transition a lesson from the face-to-face classroom experience to teaching remotely and back again, with ease. Continue using Google or Microsoft for cloud storage and email, then incorporate Showbie for distributing assignments, personalised feedback, and communication with students. Showbie is also compatible with Microsoft Office 365 and Google single sign-on (SSO)— making it quick and easy for teachers or students to access their Showbie account.
Showbie is flexible and can be used in a combination of learning environments. These may include a fully remote environment where all students are at home or a hybrid learning environment where some students are in class whilst others may be at home.
Quality of Learning
Showbie allows educators to utilise various traditional and innovative resources, helping them deliver engaging learning experiences to students. Showbie is designed to work harmoniously with Microsoft, Google, and Apple file types, allowing teachers to select and use the best possible resources for their chosen activity.
It’s easy to access and share curriculum resources with Showbie. Teachers can
upload any file type from their favourite applications, Google Drive, OneDrive or other cloud services, regardless of whether they are Microsoft, Apple or Google based. You can even upload innovative file types, such as ePub or augmented reality files. Students can upload files in their original format, ensuring work is saved and can be accessed later, to be worked on again as needed.
Showbie then adds a layer of innovation by allowing teachers and students to interact with the resources in powerful ways, including voice notes, annotations and more.
Connectivity
Showbie has built-in tools such as secure messaging and video that facilitate connections between students, teachers and families—both individually or in groups.
With various annotation tools, including handwriting, text, emojis, or detailed voice notes, students can demonstrate and reflect on their learning in the way that suits them best. Using the same annotation tools, teachers can provide rich, personalised feedback.
Equity for Students
We recognise that during a shutdown, shared device use will be at a premium in family homes. QR code logins enable students to shift effortlessly between their Showbie accounts on any device, even smartphones and shared devices.
QR codes also make it easy for younger students to access Showbie independently and easily – it works on any device, even smartphones, with a dedicated iPhone app and web access on other platforms.
Showbie supports multi-modal learning by allowing educators and students to interact with digital or paper-based resources. Students can scan and upload handwritten documents, which teachers can overlay with digitised feedback that is timely and responsive.
Teacher Wellbeing
We understand the challenges of implementing remote learning and seek to reduce teacher workload through time-saving features such as voice notes and quick marking. Teachers can quickly swipe from one student-submitted assignment to another, all within the same screen.
Showbie improves marking efficiency and contains tools to help track student progress in real-time. Receive support from local teachers who have experience working with WA schools to support your staff with implementation.
Student Engagement and Wellbeing
Showbie assignments can be focused to facilitate daily check-ins between teacher and student. The class discussion feature allows students to connect and share experiences, while video chat provides a visual connection.
The multi-modal nature of Showbie assignments enables teachers to create engaging activities that students are keen to complete using images, video, audio, drawing and text.
Showbie facilitates connections and daily check-ins between teachers and students and provides school leaders insights into student engagement across classes. Read more about social-emotional learning (SEL), right here.
Collaboration and Reciprocity
Showbie improves transparency with shared class access and group discussion between teachers and leaders, facilitating collaboration and professional learning.
In Showbie, a class can be co-taught by several teachers, and Showbie groups can become a virtual staffroom, where teachers share ideas and support one another.
Showbie also allows schools across the state to share best practices and resources in a safe and secure environment. Teachers can share practical pedagogical approaches through video, voice, and screen recordings and host video chats for all teachers in a Showbie group. Teachers of specific subjects, grades and leadership teams can also have virtual meetings, creating opportunities for collaboration and reducing isolation.
Prioritise student support and success with Showbie, the easy-to-use, hybrid learning platform for learning any way, anywhere.
We’re proud to have a local Australian team to support our schools. Professional learning support is available and delivered by qualified teachers who have previous experience working with Western Australia schools.
To find out more about how Showbie can assist you with your plan for remote learning, contact our Perth-based Director of the Asia Pacific region, Seb Croce, using the button below.
