COVID-19 has caused major disruption to most aspects of our lives, but we wondered how teachers in particular are operating in these novel circumstances and reached out to ASA Statistical Ambassador Chris Franklin’s AP Statistics Learning Community to find out. Here, a number of community members provide a view into their new world and offer practical advice for navigating it.

Learning Community Respondents
Nicole Forrester, AP Statistics Teacher, East Jackson Comprehensive High School
Dione Maxwell, AP Statistics Teacher, Loganville High School
Kaycie Maddox, Dirhttps://ww2.amstat.org/meetings/sdss/2020/registration.cfmector of High School Mathematics, Northeast Georgia RESA
Jill Tolbert, AP Statistics Teacher, Winder-Barrow High School
Sarah Wallace, AP Statistics Teacher, Oconee County Schools
Ouida Dillon, AP Statistics Teacher, Oconee County High School
Summer Abney, AP Statistics Teacher, Morgan County High School
Christine Franklin, Administrator, University of Georgia (emerita)
Catherine Case, Statistics Lecturer, University of Georgia

How has COVID-19 affected your job the most?

Forrester: Everything has gone digital. We can still have web chats and talk via technology but we are not able to talk face-to-face, so questions can take longer to get answered. Testing security has also been something I have been trying to wrap my head around.

Maddox: My job has mostly been affected by the need to connect with teachers digitally and provide support to them on digital resources. Also, the AP Statistics mock exam, an annual event for our PLC [professional learning community], will likely have to be cancelled. This will necessitate a transition for our members to utilize the mock exam with their students in a way that is not a large gathering of students working under College Board test circumstances.

Tolbert: Missing the face-to-face interaction and the hands-on activities we had grown to love from Stats Medic.

Wallace: I am no longer seeing my students face-to-face, and I do not know when (if ever) I will see them again in a traditional classroom setting.

Dillon: Not being able to be in the classroom with my students or in the hall with my peers each day.

Abney: Transitioning my classes to distance learning.

Franklin: Mentoring K–12 teachers to deliver statistics curriculum as online remote instruction.

Case: UGA [University of Georgia] has always offered online classes in the summers, but I’ve never requested to teach them because, for me, face-to-face interactions with students have always been the most rewarding. COVID-19 got me interested in online teaching practically overnight!

What do you see as the biggest challenges for both students and teachers as schools close throughout the country?

Forrester: Communication. Some homes do not have internet access. Some students are also taking this as an extended break and not completing work by deadlines. They think they can just complete it when they want and still get full credit.

Maxwell: Relationships that were formed with students to help them get through tough times are being challenged; reaching out to them is more difficult now due to time constraints for me. Time challenges for both teachers and students in completing the assignments, knowing how much is too much to assign or how much is too little.

Maddox: The distance teaching and learning is quite the challenge. Too many students still are without internet access, and then some students lack the motivation to come to the digital classroom. Working from home is quite distracting with other family members nearby, as well as other entertainment options. Possibly the biggest challenge is to engage students in conceptual understanding through discourse. It is also necessary for teachers to create almost all new resources for their students. This puts them under an incredible pressure to produce and provide feedback and keep track of every student, even though not physically present. Assessments present a great challenge, too, in that test security and authenticity of student answers cannot be guaranteed.

Tolbert: The unknown. I am now teaching as if we will not return, so if we do, it will be yet another difficult adjustment.

Wallace: The biggest challenge is checking in with the students and making sure they are understanding the material, as well as addressing any misconceptions they may have.

Dillon: The students will not have learned the material expected for the next course. Not only does this impact the student, but it impacts the teachers teaching those courses. The teachers will need to be prepared to teach prior concepts before they can teach the current topics.

Abney: Maintaining relationships and a sense of connection; teachers sorting through the wealth of resources that have become available; students and teachers balancing school/home responsibilities and leisure activities in the same environment

Franklin: Simply figuring out what is realistically possible. Will students take this type of instruction seriously? How do you carry out a secure assessment? How do you ensure all students have equitable instruction; for example, technology needs. How do you change from an active group learning environment that is in-class pedagogy in a few shorts days to remote online?

Case: The thing that keeps me up at night isn’t the loss of instructional time. As much I value statistics education, I’m much more worried about the social role that schools play for many students. It’s been inspiring to see how teachers and the community have pulled together to continue offering meals and other services for students.

How have teachers come together to support each other in this time of crisis?

Maxwell: Many teachers have shared resources such as documents, videos, websites, etc. It has actually been a great time of coming together for teachers.

Maddox: True collaboration can be a great support for teachers. Several groups of teachers who have the same course preparation have divided up the pacing guide to distribute the load of preparing videos and gathering supportive websites.

Tolbert: In amazing ways! Sharing resources, opening up for pay resources at no cost, having happy hours at the end of a long teaching day, walking together when possible (6 feet apart!).

Wallace: My coworkers and I are working more collaboratively in content-specific areas to share the burden of creating videos and online lectures. We are also helping each other out as we learn different types of technology to utilize in these “digital learning days.”

Franklin: Watching my AP Stat Learning Community, they are emailing and talking to each other daily, [as well as] sharing their resources and sharing how they are handling the different logistical issues that are arising. This LC [learning community] for 13 school districts has an established bond that is a core support network in this time of crisis.

Case: Teachers are freely sharing all the instructional resources they’ve created, but that’s not unique to this crisis! It’s also so helpful to have friends and colleagues who can remind us that we’re doing our best and our best will be enough. No one signed up for this, but we all want to do right by our students, even if perfectionism has to go by the wayside.

What tools are you using to deliver online instruction?

Forrester: Google Classroom, Albert, AP Classroom, Annotate for when recording videos and working through problems, Stats Medic.

Maxwell: Khan Academy, Screencast-O-Matic, Schoology, Delta Math.

Maddox: Since I support teachers in their classrooms, I have switched to utilizing Google Hangouts and Zoom to deliver the online instruction.

Tolbert: A document camera and my techie son for video editing.

Wallace: Mostly creating YouTube videos that go along with the content that I would use in my classroom.

Dillon: Using Loom to make videos of my existing PowerPoints; using Weebly along with itslearning as a platform for getting my lessons to students

Abney: Desmos.

Case: At UGA, we’re losing two weeks of classes right around the time we would have been starting projects. In my statistics for teachers class, pre-service and in-service teachers will have the option of using Census at School data for their data analysis projects. This allows them to complete the projects more quickly but it will also acquaint them with an amazing resource to use with their future students.

How are you going to modify preparing for the AP exam?

Forrester: Most of the material is going to have to be digital now. We will also not be able to do real-life practice tests. I can web cam them in and watch them take a practice test online.

Maxwell: I will review using mostly or only FRQs [free-response questions], since there will be no MC [multiple choice] on the exam. I still plan to use the Stats Medic Review Course to help me with that.

Tolbert: No quizzes, only test/summative assessments; focus on working together to learn and hoping the extra time not assessing will be better spent. Giving up on the cumulative testing and letting Stats Medic Review handle that component.

Wallace: I am going to collaborate with the AP Statistics PLC to determine the best way to modify preparation, but I think I will modify something about it!

Dillon: I will wait to hear from College Board to see what topics will be covered and then focus the majority of my review on those. I will adapt my reviews to include multiple choice (even though it’s not part of the exam) and free-response questions mostly from the topics on the new exam format as opposed to the entire curriculum. But I do plan to conduct my own assessment of my students’ knowledge of the entire course so they can actually see how much they know. Therefore, I will still incorporate material from the later topics that will not be covered on the shortened exam into some of our review days.

Abney: For the first time, I plan to use the Stats Medic Review Course.

What is your best tip for parents who are teaching their children at home?

Forrester: Reach out to teachers. A lot of the time, I don’t know the child is struggling until it is too late and then the parent loses their mind on me.

Maxwell: Be patient with the teachers and please ask us questions. We want to help and are just as overwhelmed as you and your child are.

Maddox: 1. Develop a schedule with your children to keep them in the school mode. Many school districts have created schedules similar to their regular bell schedule (though class periods are shorter) so students know when to go to each period and see each teacher. 2. Stay in touch with your children’s teachers to ensure they are understanding and completing assignments.

Tolbert: It’s not the parent’s job to do the teaching but to make sure the student has the tools needed to learn from his/her teacher. If s/he is not getting (or understating) the resources being offered, contact the teacher to see what might be missing in the communication.

Wallace: Encourage your student to do everything their teacher asks of them.

Dillon: Help [your] student with time management. Set up a time and place in your house each day for them to do their school work—without distractions.

Abney: Ask to see what work your child has completed.

Case: Encourage your student to communicate with their teachers! Teachers are trying to figure out what works best, but many are only getting feedback from a small group of students.

If you are an administrator, how does your view of the COVID-19 disruption differ from a teacher’s?

Maddox: I am concerned about the workload on teachers now that they are responsible for an entirely new way to provide teaching and learning. I am also concerned that it will be even more difficult to continue a culture of student agency in developing and using conceptual understanding of mathematical and statistical ideas.

What advice do you have for students and parents, especially graduating students and their parents, about how to best prepare for life after COVID-19?

Forrester: For students who end up going to college, at some point you may have to do an online course. And I can 100 percent guarantee that professors will not [have] anywhere near the level of grace that we, public educators, [have]. They will not contact your parent and they will not care if you have an excuse. Communication is key in making sure that everything runs smoothly on both ends. Professors do not know what you do not tell them, and the same goes the other way. This is a learning curve for all of us, so please be patient and just when you think you are going to bust, do what we do: take a lap and come back. We deal with these same issues on a daily basis. We are all in this together and we will make it work.

Maxwell: Always be prepared to “fend for yourself.” So many students are finally learning how to be more independent in their learning, which can greatly help them in college and/or the work force, so this is a positive that comes from this crisis. As a parent, it is important to teach your child to use the resources they have at their fingertips rather than always relying on someone else to “feed” them through traditional teaching methods.

Tolbert: Don’t expect life to go back to “normal” for several years. Love one another. Work together Support one another. We are all in this together.

Wallace: Don’t stress too much! Life will go on and we will make it through! This is unprecedented, so whatever you do will be fine and we will make it through together!

Dillon: It will be hard for this group of seniors (and their parents) to not be bitter and not feel as though they have been cheated. I am retiring this year after 35 years of teaching high-school math, 10+ years teaching AP Statistics. Not exactly how I thought my career would end. But we all have to remember that before all of this is over, many people have lost/will lose so much more than time in a classroom. Once the shock, disbelief, and sadness have subsided, I will focus on the next chapter of my life and how much excitement it will bring. The same can be said for my students.

Abney: I believe we are all now much more appreciative of the time we do have together in the classroom. Keep using some of the new academic/connection tools you were forced to discover to enhance/improve your quality of learning.

Franklin: As difficult as this time is, find ways to make positives of this crisis. Use this time to reflect about what should be life’s priorities and how you might want to use your talents to positively impact the future for your community and globally. Relearn how to appreciate the simple pleasures, slow down, and always remember we grow as individuals from challenging situations.

Case: Take some time to grieve your own losses. COVID-19 is affecting everyone in different ways, and even if you’re fortunate enough to stay healthy and safe, losing months of your high-school or college experience is a loss. It’s okay to be angry and sad. None of us would have chosen this experience, but like it or not, we’re living in an extraordinary moment in history. We should pay attention and learn what we can. As a statistician, I’m paying attention to the way statistical information is being communicated and how it’s being received by decision-makers and the public.

Teacher Resources for the Digital Classroom

Across the country, teachers and students are adjusting to digital classrooms as social distancing measures are put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. ThisIsStatistics has a page for those in need of resources, lesson plans, and contests. Following are a few of the included resources:

TechForLearners.org
A searchable database for tools to support those involved in education and the workforce, at all levels, as they scale up capabilities for online learning and continue teaching, learning, and working from home during COVID-19 social distancing.

Statistics Teacher
An ASA online publication for statistics teachers, including lesson plans and grade-specific insights.

Statistics in Schools
A resource that brings school subjects to life using real-world Census Bureau statistics to create materials for use year after year at all grade levels.

What’s Going On in This Graph?
A partnership between the ASA and New York Times Learning Center that explores graphs, maps, and charts from the week’s news and invites students to discuss them live.

CAUSE Resources
Teacher resources organized by pedagogical method.

ASA Digital Classroom Community
As an immediate measure to connect educators who find themselves suddenly teaching online, the ASA created a community forum focused on sharing resources for the digital classroom.