In the ’20-’21 school year, I taught 11 kindergarten and 1st-grade students in a full-year virtual setting amid the COVID-19 pandemic. I designed a teacher-guided remote learning experience that met educational benchmarks and empowered young minds to navigate emergent-reader texts and enhance reading fluency for comprehension.
A New Way of Learning
With limited research for teachers in this unprecedented situation, bridging the gap between in-person and remote learning became a challenge. Only two out of the 11 students had continuous adult support, emphasizing the need for engaging, self-sufficient digital learning.
Finding Success
Clearly established success metrics for student engagement and reading accuracy were crucial benchmarks in navigating this uncharted territory.
- 100% students engaged = positive praise of the whole class
- 60%-99% students engaged = positive praise of those on task, assign role(s) to student(s) disengaged
- 0%-59% students engaged = review of meeting expectations, reflection, and verbal commitment to meet expectations
- 100% words correct = positive praise, progression to the next page
- 80%-99% words correct = review of missed words, progression to the next page
- 50%-79% words correct = review of missed words, reread page
- 0%-49% words correct = return to previous page, review words and pattern, reread page together, re-test reading level in the next 1:1
Instructions with Pictures
Verbal instructions were supported by labeled images to accommodate students’ visual and auditory learning preferences. Teaching students to use Chromebooks, Zoom, Google Slides, and Toddle required explicit instruction and support in the digital environment.
Quick, Stimulating Activities
Quick, stimulating activities were seamlessly integrated into lessons, ensuring high engagement and a dynamic virtual classroom environment. These elements not only captured attention but also enhanced the overall participatory learning experience.
Hands-on Practice & Feedback
Physical materials, like decodable books and worksheets, were dispatched bi-weekly. Tailored daily folders facilitated independent student engagement, enabling activity completion, progress sharing, and personalized feedback during live sessions.
Learning Together
A Day in the Life of Kylie
In the virtual classroom, Kylie eagerly joined the whole-group lesson, exploring words ending with -an and mastering sight words. With her Tuesday folder in hand, she dove into the 1st-grade reading lesson. Together, we reviewed sight words, underlining and circling them, and then embarked on a guided reading journey.
When stumbling on a word, Mrs. Rodden offered prompting and support, ensuring each page was read with precision. The interactive correction process not only strengthened Kylie’s reading skills but also instilled a sense of confidence. As the lesson culminated, Kylie embraced the opportunity to add a personal touch by crafting her own sentence, a collaborative moment that seamlessly blended hands-on practice with digital interaction.
The Impact
On Students
These targeted reading lessons significantly boosted test scores, with kindergarteners and 1st graders achieving a remarkable 10% increase on the MAP reading test in the winter semester compared to the fall. This success highlights the effectiveness of the tailored virtual learning approach in reinforcing foundational reading skills and fostering academic growth.
On Myself as a UX Designer
The parallels between virtual classrooms and user-friendly interfaces underscored my ability to seamlessly transfer pedagogical expertise into UX design, enriching my skills in creating engaging educational content and intuitive digital interfaces.