Abbas ManjeeA warm hello from all of us at Kiddom — we hope everyone is staying safe during this time of worry and uncertainty around COVID-19. Please take a moment to read this personal address and a helpful list of online learning resources from our Chief Academic Officer, Abbas Manjee.
At Kiddom, we’ve been closely monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 (a.k.a. the Coronavirus), which has caused many schools to consider temporarily closing their doors and attempt virtual learning.
While it’s far from clear whether virtual learning will minimize the impact school closings will have on student learning, we are committed to help teachers and learners succeed. The free version of Kiddom offers most (emphasis on most) of the basic functionalities you need to set up a remote learning environment (this assumes your students have access to technology at home, or can gain online access through a local community center such as a library or another gathering place).
If you suspect your school or district will close (or has already closed) for preventative health-related reasons, we welcome you to leverage Kiddom’s free teacher product and tap our On-Demand Teacher Training Resource (use code “coronavirus”) to bypass the paywall for free until Friday, May 15, 2020.*
Here are some ways to use Kiddom to support online learning instruction:
Search and assign videos, lessons, assessments, and more from our OER library of 70,000+ standards-aligned resources. Learn more here.
Design and build curriculum, unit plans, student-facing lessons, and comprehensive assessments with attachments using Builder and Planner. Learn more here.
Grade and deliver feedback on student submissions in real-time. Learn more here.
Analyze and act on beautiful, actionable data-rich reports on standards and skills. Learn more here.
Additional considerations around online distance learning
As you plan to transition to a virtual learning environment, consider what it will take to ensure an equitable learning experience for your students. Be sure to have a program in place for students to gain access to devices and WiFi. You might have to set up an adhoc partnership with a local library or other community organization to achieve this. It will take some work, but it is within the realm of what is possible.
To be clear, distance learning isn’t something you can buy off-the-shelf. It is an actual practice that requires a change in pedagogical style and delivery, thoughtful change management, and the right sets of collaborative technologies for your community.
More than anything, we recommend holding a critical view of education technology providers taking advantage of this crisis to market broad, unbased claims about being “the ideal solution” for virtual or distance learning. This isn’t something classrooms without practice can expect to scale in a single announcement, so we strongly advise you to be on the lookout for opportunistic profiteers.
We hope this note provides you with helpful resources during this difficult time. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to support your classroom. You can always get in touch with us using Kiddom’s in-app chat.
Be well!
More Distance Learning Resources for Instruction:
- COVID-19 Response: Preparing to Take School Online | Consortium of School Networking (CoSN)
- A Guide to Getting Started with Distance Learning | Better Lesson
- Everyone On: resources for at-home internet service at low cost or free for kids engaged in distance learning
- Comcast Free & Reduced internet for students during school closure
Charter Spectrum free internet for 60 days during school closures
- Scholastic Learn at Home:
Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing - KCET At-Home Learning: for Southern California students
- Using Education Technology to Keep Accountability | Kiddom
- Using Kiddom for Targeted Test Prep | Kiddom
- Supporting Student Learning During the COVID-19 Outbreak | The Learning Innovation Catalyst
- Preparing to Take School Online? Here Are 10 Tips to Make It Work | EdSurge
- A La Carte, Enriched Virtual, and Flipped Classrooms | Kiddom
Other Resources for Teachers, Administrators, and Families:
- Here’s what we know about children, infection rates, and COVID-19 | Chalkbeat
- Information is Beautiful: The Coronavirus Data Pack
- Explaining the Coronavirus to Kids | NPR
- 100 Art Projects for Kids ~ Inspired by Famous Artists | Teach Beside Me
- Ed Tech, Coronavirus And Disaster Capitalism | Forbes
- Speaking Up Against Racism Around the New Coronavirus | Tolerance.org
- Responding to the Coronavirus: Resources for Education Systems | Chiefs for Change
*If needed, we can extend this offer until your school reopens. Just send us your request here with supporting documentation.
Kiddom seamlessly connects the most critical aspects of teaching and learning on one platform.
For the first time, educators can share and manage digital curriculum, differentiate instruction, and assess student work in one place. Learners can take assessments online, see student performance data with the click of a button, and teachers have the insight and tools they need to create individual learning paths.
Ready to bring digital curriculum to your school or district?
Connect with us in a 15-minute meeting to learn more about available pre-packaged curriculum, and how the Kiddom education platform can support your learning community.
