5 Steps to Prepare Your Go Online (GO) Kit for Snow Days & Other Disruptions

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 15:25:22 -0500
academic-continuity, go-kit, go-online, snow-days

Classes can be postponed (or canceled) due to inclement weather, utility and infrastructure breakdown, widespread illness, or other emergencies. By preparing a Go Online (GO) Kit, you’ll be ready to transition seamlessly when in-person classes aren’t an option. Here are five steps to help you stay on track.

1. Stay connected and up-to-date on issues impacting whether your class might get canceled or postponed.

Sign up for UMBC Emergency Alerts to receive text notifications about closures, delays, or campus-wide emergencies.

Follow Campus Announcements on myUMBC to stay up to date on any university-wide decisions affecting classes.

2. Identify instructional technologies you can use to support content distribution, active learning, and assessment.

Familiarize yourself with instructional technologies that support academic continuity using online teaching strategies and tools,

Blackboard for content distribution, assessments, and discussions.

Web conferencing tools (Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex) for live class sessions.

Panopto and VoiceThread video recording for asynchronous lectures.

Cloud storage (Google Drive, Box, or OneDrive) for large file sharing.

Other instructional technologies

Test your setup in advance -- check your internet connection, explore Blackboard and other instructional technologies, and practice using web conferencing tools so you can troubleshoot issues to minimize disruptions when switching to online instruction.

3. When classes are canceled or postponed, communicate expectations and next steps with students.

Notify students as soon as possible about schedule changes and how instruction will continue.

Use Blackboard Announcements or Messages, or your PeopleSoft roster to send UMBC communication to your class.

Keep TAs and graders informed about any adjustments.

4. Provide clear instructions for coursework and assignments.

Ensure students know how to access learning materials and submit their work:

Will you upload files to Blackboard, send files via email or share documents through Box or Google Drive?

Will students need to work independently or work in groups?

Will students join a synchronous session to complete activities or take tests?

Will students need to download and install Respondus Lockdown Browser for test proctoring?

Set expectations for deadlines, participation, and communication while remote.

Do you want students to email their work to you?

Will students use Blackboard or another type of tool to submit their work?

5. Keep students updated on grading and feedback.

Let students know how they will receive their grades, whether through:

Blackboard gradebook for assignment scores and feedback.

Spreadsheets or alternative tools for tracking progress, but do keep FERPA and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) confidentiality in mind.

Ensure that students have access to feedback even when in-person meetings aren’t possible.

Don’t wait for the next snow day -- start building your GO Kit today! A little preparation now can save time and stress when the unexpected happens.

Connect with Instructional Technology

As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:

Check our extensive FAQ collection

What's new in Ultra? | Known Issues

Open a ticket via RT

Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups

Request a consult with instructional technology staff

PIVOT | Academic Continuity | Keep On Teaching | Student Technology Resources

Thumbnail-image: Snowy university [decorative]