Considering the nature of the situation in which we find ourselves at the present time, it would be wise to prepare a couple days of emergency sub plans in your Schoology course.
One way to do this is to create a folder that will forever sit at the bottom of your course page that is Unpublished (you can unpublish the folder by clicking the green button next to All Sections or Everyone when you create the folder. This should be the only button you would need to push later on when you need to put the sub plans into action). It would also be wise to name this folder with the topics it covers, so you can easily refer students to the folder. Better yet, change the color to a unique color so it can easily be found.
Within this folder, you should consider adding a sequential set of resources that students can easily follow in order to continue learning on a day you must be absent. Consider numbering the activities. You might also consider using the folder’s Student Completion capability to guide students into completing the entire set of activities.
Remember, also, that it is best to maintain the same routines you have already established with students in the event that you need to be out. And these routines likely involve a videoconference component. You might consider replicating this with a YouTube video that is relevant to the topic, or that you create beforehand using a tool like Loom or Screencastify.
Once you have established a couple folders of emergency sub plans, the only thing you should have to do if you’re going to be out is go to Schoology, click the edit button in line with the folder and select Publish all.
Keep in mind, however, that if you are unable to go to your Schoology page due to the reason for your absence, someone (such as a coteacher) who has Administrative privileges in your course will need to Publish your folder. Buildings should begin to consider plans for how to enact the emergency plans for teachers who are unable to go to Schoology to Publish their sub plans.
Here are some additional thoughts from Mrs. Marla Wiacek of Stout Middle School:
One idea might be to have staff create 3 days worth of lessons that are kept in a folder in their home resources for the course.
In the event of an absence, the teacher would just need to import the lesson for the day from the resources into the course. This would require a tutorial to assist staff but might be a work around if the teacher doesn’t have their course materials planned beyond the current day.
The suggestion could also be made that teachers of the same grade level work together (possibly each person contributes one set of plans) and then they are shared. That way, one person doesn’t have to do all the work when someone down the hall is also preparing for the exact same thing.