Notice of Virtual Meetings for Students

Notice of Virtual Meetings for Synchronous Learning

Guidelines for Student Communications During School Closures

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has developed a definition of distance learning grounded in guidance from Senate Bill 98. In order to provide your child/ren with meaningful learning experiences, during distance learning, your teacher(s) may ask students to participate in an interactive online meeting (video conference) using Zoom, Google Classroom and Hangouts Meet. Students will use these tools with their current SFUSD/Google ID and password. The meeting may resemble actions that may have already occurred in the teacher’s physical classroom--whiteboard lessons, resource sharing, discussion, etc.. In the virtual classroom, during instructional time, actions may include:

• Viewing a student’s webcam to see them in their home during instruction
• Hearing the student through their microphone 
• Reviewing student’s questions and answers
• Engaging students in peer discussion
• Asking students to share work

In addition, school staff such as counselors, social workers, special education staff, or other support staff may reach out to your child/ren via a google classroom or to check in with them individually, or in small groups. The purpose of the check ins are to identify individual development and needs in order to personalize learning and support for each and every student. In the check ins, during instructional time, actions may include all of the above in addition to: 

• Discussing student progress and needs via the telephone
• Engaging in small group conversations to check in with a group of students around similar content
• Engaging in one to one audio or video conversations to check in and provide instructional, counseling, student health and wellness or social-emotional supports

The benefit of these meetings for teachers and other school staff include:

• Creates teaching presence
• Helps build a rapport with students
• Allows a way to address different learning styles
• Encourages and motivates students to participate in group work
• Builds camaraderie among students
• Creates opportunities for students to present to one another
• Increases student satisfaction with the course and the instructor
• Helps eliminate student isolation
• Helps to assess if students need additional academic or social/emotional supports
• Helps gauge the health and wellness of students and families to provide outreach and supports.

Teachers may opt to record portions of their own instruction to be shared later with students who were unable to attend the live session.  These recorded instructional sessions shall not include any personally identifiable student information, (such as student image or name), unless there is written parental consent that has authorized this use.  Under California Education Code 51512, it is a misdemeanor to make an electronic recording within a classroom without the prior consent of the teacher and the principal. 

In their first use of the interactive platform, your child’s teacher or other school staff will start with instruction for participants on how to mute their audio and turn off the camera.

Recommendations:

• Prepare a quiet area for students to engage in the meeting (i.e. kitchen table)
• Ensure student is dressed appropriately during the meeting
• Ensure student understands that classroom behavior expectations apply in virtual learning sessions and they must treat the teacher and their peers with consideration and respect
• Please remind your student that they should not discuss personal information about themselves or their peers in the interactive classroom environment, to preserve the privacy of all participants
• Review district’s Norms for Online Learning
• Prepare you and your students for online ethical behavior by reviewing Digital Citizenship resources on the SFUSD Continuity of Learning site. 

Please contact your teacher or principal if you have questions or concerns related to your child’s use of interactive platforms as described above.  

If you need help getting online go to: sfusd.edu/internet

*This site can be accessed from phones and mobile devices.