What should I be making plans for? How do I communicate them to students and parents? And what’s it like teaching online (and working from home)? These are just a few of the questions you may have as your school or district prepares to shift to online instruction. Here are some tips that can help.

Teaching and leading online may well feel lonely. But you are not alone. Schools around the world are transitioning to remote learning, and many have already made the move. What can we learn from them?

K-12 editor Stephen Noonoo and other EdSurge journalists have hosted a webinar series to help K-12 school leaders cope with the move to online classes, create digital learning plans and communicate them effectively to students and parents.

Read, view or listen to the past webinars in the series below:

It’s all hands on deck. School districts, nonprofits, government agencies, companies and other education outlets are rallying to share timely resources to keep you informed about best practices and the latest developments.

Learning Keeps Going

Coronavirus is posing unprecedented challenges to schools, colleges and universities around the globe. To help you keep the learning going, EdSurge, ISTE (our parent organization) and a coalition of other education groups are curating free tools, strategies, tips and best practices for teaching online.

The EdSurge newsroom is covering the latest news, insights and commentary related to COVID-19 and education here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued “Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools” in an effort to help school leaders plan, prepare and respond to the coronavirus disease. “Information provided should help childcare programs, schools, and their partners understand how to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 within childcare and school communities and facilities.”

Common Sense Media has launched two new webpages—one for families, another for educators—filled with free tips and tools for supporting children while they are confined to their homes during school closures caused by COVID-19. The site for parents provides resources for helping children understand the pandemic; focus on their mental health and well-being; and stay engaged through reading, games and other media. The page for teachers offers advice for conducting virtual learning, understanding digital citizenship and communicating with and supporting families.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a nonprofit that provides resources for social and emotional learning (SEL), offers tips and guidelines for school leaders to support the social and emotional needs of adults and students. The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence also offers resources and information on this topic here.

The Center for Reinventing Public Education, out of the University of Washington, has launched a project to track how states and school districts are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the types of remote learning and support services they are offering to students during widespread, prolonged closures. In the first iteration of its database, the CRPE has analyzed the plans of 46 U.S. school districts, ranging in size and geographic location.

The Future of Privacy Forum has compiled a repository of privacy and data protection resources related to COVID-19 as schools and districts prepare to support students and staff remotely.