Continuing the Connection in Kindergarten

My kindergarten team and I set up a 2-week distance learning schedule for our students when we first heard "the news". We tried to keep our regular in-class schedule in regards to reading, writing, and math as much as possible.  We set up a kindergarten Google Classroom for our school to share information and resources to parents, but after just one week, it was cluttered and it didn't fit our vision like we thought it would.  So, we made a kindergarten website (Kindergarten @ Moreno) that much better suit the needs of our students for our extended absence.  On it we update weekly resources, special announcements, and assignments. This website much better fit our desires and needs to communicate assignments with parents and students.

ClassDojo is the main source of communication I use with parents. I post links to our daily scheduled Zoom meetings weekly in our Class Stories.  I also post recorded read alouds with questions for students.  I help troubleshoot technology issues, which were numerous at the start.

Here are some other ways I have stayed in contact with my students and parents since this closure started:

1.  I host daily Zoom meetings, which started the week after Spring Break.  M/W evenings are social, run like a morning meeting/community circle with a live read aloud.  T/Th mornings are writing and math lessons.  Fridays are for sight word testing.  I have had every single student join at 4 meetings. I record live readings and post in our Class Stories on our writing and math days.
2. I gave parents my personal cell phone number and gave office hours during the week.
3.  I send home personalized postcards each week. These are free Postcards are so cute and the kids always show them to me on our Zoom meetings!
4.  On the postcards, I sent my home address and told the students that they can write to me.  So far, I've received two letters, and package of homemade face masks, and a drop-off delivery of lemons.
5.  I hand-delivered school supplies and treats to my students' doorstep a couple of times.
6. I have held one-on-one Zoom meetings for specific students who have been unable to make our regularly scheduled meetings.
7.  Flat Mrs. Grebel made her way through the mail!

The responses I have received from parents have been very positive and appreciative.  The students love the Zoom meetings.  On average, I have about half of my class at every meeting.  I do realize that many other teachers will think I do too much or even too little.  But, I have found a consistent groove that works for my students and me.  I can also appreciate many teachers who may not feel comfortable giving out their personal cell phone number or address, but I did with this group of parents.  Not once have I felt taken advantage of or disrespected; on the contrary, I feel even more appreciated and held in high regard.  The point here is you have to have your boundaries with which you feel comfortable, whether it be with your live time online and/or your personal information.  This territory was unknown to me just 6 weeks ago, but I have tried my best to do right by my students, their families, and my own family.

Happy (Distance) Teaching!

Erin Grebel

Forever in the Middle: Tracking Participation Online

A few weeks ago, we were asked to keep a communication log. The main focus of my communication with parents has been to let them know how to access materials if their child is not participating in class online. This past week, I also sent emails to parents of students who have completed all their work for the past two weeks. It was definitely worth a nice note because what parent doesn't like to hear good things about their child?

Usually when I send email notices out to parents, about 20% of students who have been contacted start showing more activity online. I needed to put together a database that would help me keep track of which students I have been in contact with and which students I need to continue to reach out to. From the beginning of the month to this week, twenty more students total have been completing work of my five classes without needing prompting from me based on the information I gathered using a spreadsheet. The database I put together to help me keep track of any type of communication I have with students and makes it easy to see improvements in participation.

The information on my database includes:
1. Google classroom comments. I allow them to comment and post to GC now since we are teaching online. These have been helpful to respond quickly to specific questions about assignments.
2. Check in forms. I have students complete a daily check in form. Any time they respond, I mark off that they completed it on my electronic database.
3. Email. Any time I email a parent or student during the week, I check that box. Because emails are not always responded to, I also include a column for "response to email."
4. Zoom call. I have a weekly check in with students per class and also a twice a week book club over Zoom. If students are present there, I check the box.
5. Assignment turned in. I assign 2-4 assignments (not including the daily check in form) a week per class. If a student turns in just one of them, I check the box.

I do admit that at first, this seemed like it would be overwhelming, but with the creation of a template, all I have to do at the beginning of the week is make a copy and insert the dates. Then I can use it during the week.

See below for a video demonstration of the form. It has really made staying on top of who I need to check in with much easier.

Keep the magic alive,

Kandyce Valverde

Social-Emotional Learning

Shine on Care Bears

Change is one of the hardest lessons. Our daily lives become the norm to us; we wake up every day and follow a routine that we have become accustomed to. It is what we know and feel comfortable with and sometimes do not wish to change it all. Then on March 13, 2020, a huge change in Education occured, the closing of school buildings was announced.  Teachers, needed to make lesson plans and gather materials for students to work from home. It was a thought that had crossed my mind, but was still hoping it did not happen. This change would be very impactful for many as we stepped into uncharted waters, an unknown territory that could cause us anxiety and fear of  not serving our students to the best of our capacity.

People with strong social-emotional skills are better equipped to manage daily challenges and build positive relationships.

Most students were comfortable and happy to be home in the midst of fear of the pandemic. Students were calm and comforted to be close to loved ones in this time of fear. As one of my students said, “I like waking up late and staying in my pajamas while I do my school work. I am happy to have breakfast at home and playing with my sisters.” Teachers, on the other hand, were now feeling like most students feel the first month of school, full of worry and concern as we tried to understand new learning. We were now living in different times, searching for answers to calm our nerves as we set out on this journey to meet new expectations. After a few weeks of Remote Learning, Teachers are, hopefully, beginning to feel the calm after the storm because we've embraced the help and searched professional development.In the midst of all the craziness, we realize our colleagues and district personnel have been a huge support to keep us afloat. We now see that Distance Learning will look different for Teachers, depending on the circumstances of each child's household. This was not going to be an equitable time of learning because every child has a story, that we may be or may not be aware of. The situation a child is living in, will either enhance or put a stop to our practice.

As some children were feeling safe and happy at home, the realization of school continuing from home began to set in. Now, for some students, this has been a breeze and the learning has continued as if nothing changed. However, for other students, the fear of not having the daily support and human interaction to know how to read/comprehend a story, write an essay, or fully understand a mathematical concept may be causing them anxiety once again. To top it off, students might not have an electronic device at home or he/she may have one, but it has to be shared with all the other school-age children. The internet connection may not be strong enough to support the online work. Parents are still working and cannot be present to help fix all the problems. Students are trying to keep up with schoolwork, but the situation might be more frustrating at this point, when considering other issues at home. 

While students are still trying to process all that is happening in the world around us in the present time, no matter the situation, a common thing is this: many students are missing their Teachers, friends, sports, extra-curricular activities, and even the loud and crazy lunchroom. A news article from Education Week by Arianna Prothero, stated, “Tens of millions of students are dealing with massive upheaval to their education and daily live with their schools shuttered indefinitely to thwart the spread of the coronavirus.  Add to that fears over the pandemic that would sicken them or loved ones, students now more than ever need strong coping skills to adjust to this new reality…”

“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”  -Theodore Roosevelt

I say all of this to remind you to have GRACE on yourself and your students as education has changed for the time being. Now more than ever, we have to take care of ourselves, our families, and our students. An opinion article, “It’s Time to Accept that the Point of School has Changed” on CNN stated, “There is no one-size-fits-all for remote learning, any more than there is for in-person learning. Some parents and kids hate Zoom calls; others rely on them. Special needs kids, kids with individualized educational programs (IEPs) or who are on the autism spectrum, or are English language learners---we have to accommodate them all. Emotional support can cut through some of those barriers and differences and inequities.” YES, I agree, we need to provide more emotional support to make our students comfortable with this change and come back to us stronger than before. Social/Emotional skills have been and still continue to be very important to build strong minds.
Marc Brackett, a professor at Yale University and the director of its Center of Emotional Intelligence stated, “Social-emotional learning is critical to managing anxiety at this time. Because if you don’t know how to deal with the lack of control of your future, or the feelings of uncertainty that you’re having, your brain is going to stay in fight mode. And if our brain is in fight or flight mode, then it’s not in the learning mode.” We need to get our students in learning mode and be ready for the challenges to come. 

What can we do for our students?

•       Morning Check-Ins- “How are you feeling and why are you feeling this way?”
•        Send Daily Positive Messages (motivational quotes, fun facts, or silly jokes) on Class Dojo/Remind/Google Classroom/Email
•        Send a Letter- show students you are missing them and want to encourage them to continue doing their best even when they’re away
• .      Journal Writing- What would you do for others… getting them to focus on strategies to be compassionate in times of fear, will, hopefully, in turn have that compassion and grace towards themselves
•        Telephone Conversations/Zoom Meetings- to share what makes them happy while at home, see peers, play games, and continue learning with their Teacher
•        Read Alouds- to focus on the characters and their actions to reflect positive and responsible decision making
•        REACH OUT to School/District Staff! We are all in this together- our support staff has continued Virtual Spirit Weeks (this week’s being “It’s Good to Bee Me!”) and sending out Social/Emotional resources for parents/students; check out the Google folder our TOA, Lauren Gomez, has created for additional resources (which is a work in progress at the moment) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AjfpxK375ZrCJWBehwu-jP8ykINVNYOT?usp=sharing

Aside from the stated above, I have also added a quick activity, on their daily lesson, to get the focus off the work and any negativity that may be happening within their surroundings.

Social Emotional Learning Kids Stuck at Home You’re not alone!  What are you looking forward to doing once the world has healed?

Monday Go outside and count how many things are yellow. Add the SUNSHINE to your life.

Tuesday Write a thank you message in chalk on your sidewalk to your mail carrier

Wednesday Scribble all the things that are bothering you (mad, sad, lonely, worried) or all the things that are making you happy during quarantine.

Thursday Talk to an adult or close friend about your favorite place.

Friday Pull some weeds in your front/back yard to make your surroundings more beautiful.

You know your students best, find some one-on-one time through a phone call or a Zoom meeting, add some fun to your lessons/meetings to remind them that they matter and are deeply missed. Make them happy and find your happy too, because we love to teach, it is our dream to help every child succeed and we can still do it. Be present and show love because relationships are essential in the learning path. As you go through these last days of the 2019-2020 school year, think of this quote by Jeffrey R. Holland, "If you can't teach them, love them. Love will teach them... and if you love them today, maybe you can teach them tomorrow." I hope you are all taking care of yourselves too, YOU are amazing and you are doing your best in this situation. Stay connected to colleagues and students because we are all in this together, and as we all know Teamwork makes the Dream Work. 

Live, Love, Teach!

Hilda Sanchez

Providing Feedback to Students from a Distance

Providing meaningful, timely feedback is critical to student success and can significantly enhance student learning. When teaching a new skill, feedback is needed for students to understand what they are doing well and what they need to improve on. In a perfect world (a.k.a not the world of distance learning), I attempt to provide feedback within 24 hours. When the assignment is fresh in their heads, the input means more. The feedback can be used  to make their product better before they turn the assignment into me. I’ve noticed if I wait to give feedback, the student is already on to another assignment, and in many cases, they don’t even read the comments I leave.

You can communicate feedback in a variety of ways. In the classroom, I like to hold writing conferences with students individually. During this time, each student would read a portion of their essay (or product) to me aloud, and we would discuss what works and what doesn’t work. One of the (many) drawbacks to distance learning is that I am not able to conference with students individually. So instead, I’ve needed to look into new ways to provide quality feedback to my students.

In doing research, I found many feedback tools that I am excited to try out, but for the sake of quickness and ease, I decided to start by providing written feedback through Google Classroom. When grading an assignment in Google Classroom, there is a comment bank section. The comment back section “follows” you in any of the classes you create in Google Classroom, and you can build it as you go. For example, at the beginning of the year, you may want to start with simple feedback (punctuation and organization), and as the year progresses you can add comments that you’ll be grading them on or that you just taught (academic language or reminding them to add commentary). The feedback can be used to help students notice what they are doing well and what they need to improve.

Using the comment bank during distance learning has helped me communicate feedback with my students throughout the week in a quick and meaningful way.

Here is how you start a comment bank:

1. Open any class in Google Classroom in which you are a teacher.
2. Go to any assignment (cannot be a question, material, etc.) you have assigned where at least one student turned their work in through Google Classroom.
3. Click on the comment bank icon on the right-hand side. The first time you open this icon a tutorial will pop up to walk you through the rest of the steps.
4. Click on Add to bank.
5. Lastly, type in the feedback you want to give to students and add them to the bank

Using the comment bank has helped me so much over the past couple of weeks. I hope it helps you too!

Jenni Merry

"Mystery" Guest Zoom

If you are like me, chances are you are Zooming away weekly, daily, or somewhere in between.  You may have been bombarded with tons of blog posts about how to reach your kids digitally since this has become the "new normal" in education.  And I want to tell you....YOU ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB!!

So I want to offer you just a short & sweet suggestion that has worked for me during my Zoom meetings.  I was thinking of a way to entice my students to return to our programmed Zoom meetings and also a way to build community.  Finally, one day, I thought "What if I invite a "mystery" guest to our sessions as a speaker that the kids have not seen since we left school?"  I quickly thought about who to invite.

My first guest was our instructional coach who gave my students a tour of her backyard which included recently purchase baby chicks.  The kids loved it!  My second guest was our Outreach Consultant.  I was able to create a break out room and sent her to the room first followed by half of the students who showed up for our meeting.  She had a pre-planned activity for them.  After about 15 minutes, we swapped the two groups so the entire class had an opportunity to speak with our Outreach Consultant in a smaller group setting.  This also allowed me time to speak with my group regarding current assignments and praise for the work they have been achieving.

After seeing how successful this turned out, it made me think of who else can I invite as our "mystery" guest and I came up with these suggestions:

1.  Invite the librarian to read a book about maintaining a positive growth mindset during these difficult times or perhaps a good story about overcoming isolation.

2.  Invite your proctors to play a simple interactive game with them.

3.  Invite the health aide to present a video on how to protect themselves from unwanted germs.

4.  Invite a math coach to play a simple, low-prep math game with everyday items.

5.  Invite a teacher who has had your class in past years just to say hello or you can even invite a teacher from next year's grade level to tell them how excited they are to start meeting them.

There are so many options you can do with this simple and fun engagement routine.  It is quite obvious that our students have the need to stay "connected" in some fashion with their school community members.

Whatever you choose to use from this blog post (or perhaps not), just remember that your students are VERY fortunate to have you as their teacher because YOU CARE and are doing the best job any teacher can under these current circumstances.  Please take care of yourself and thank you for your time!

Happy living and teaching!
Gustavo Macuil

There is No Social Distancing in Kindergarten

There. I said it.

Back six weeks ago, we had an emergency/voluntary meeting after school to learn that parent conferences would be held by phone only and that students would still attend school during conference week.  The next day was Friday the 13th.  What an ominous day that was.

That Friday started off pretty normal in class.  For some reason, I decided to send home their homework binders and reading folders home all ready for the next week (they normally go out on Mondays).  Maybe I had a feeling...

I dismissed my students at 11:30am, went to the office with one straggler to call home, when that announcement came over the loud speaker: "Staff, please check your email for a very important and timely message."  I knew it.  At that moment I knew I wouldn't see my students again for at least a few weeks.  We never got to officially say good-bye.

If I had known that was our last day together for a long while, our day would have looked much different.  We would have sang and danced more.   We would have played more games.  I would have read more stories "just for fun".  But most of all, I would have let them know that I love them and that I will miss them and that everything was going to be okay.

It was all so shocking that I couldn't even think about what I needed to do, so I stayed in the staff lounge to help some 3rd grade teachers vigorously copy iReady packets to send home that day.  I helped them stuff envelopes.  Then I went back to my classroom and just looked around, in a daze.  My room was the typical end-of-the-week mess.  Fridays I usually spend the afternoon deep cleaning and organizing to get ready for the next week, but I just couldn't.  I went home with a knot in my stomach. I had no idea what was in store for my students, my own children, or me and my husband as teachers.

I am grieving the loss of the best part of the school year; where my students are more independent and confident and the learning is in high gear.  And now, as two different reopen dates have passed, and ultimately closing for the rest of the school year is our fate, I can't help but think of the future and next school year.  I know that doesn't help the "now", but it's on my mind. After all, there is no social distancing in kindergarten.

(Try to Be) Happy Teaching!

Erin Grebel

Distance Learning During a Pandemic

Well 2020 didn't quite start off they we could ever have imagined, but here we are! Distance Learning has been both a blessing and a curse.  A blessing in that we've been given the time for self-care, the ability to take care of things at home, and spend time with our families.  As well as the fact that we still have jobs and are getting paid whereas many others are not.  A curse in that, Distance Learning is HARD.  It is not what we as teachers signed up for, but I think we're rockin' it for the most part.  This has been a HUGE adjustment for parents, teachers, and kids alike. It is a daily struggle to get ALL kids and parents participating.  It also lacks the joy of teaching, seeing the kids make connections, and the daily face to face interaction.

On the bright side, I still get to see their smiling faces on zoom and that helps me feel a little better about not being able to see them live in the classroom each day!  I thought I would just blog a little bit about what my Distance Learning classroom looks like!

Google Classroom

In my Google classroom, I post their assignments weekly.  I have them grouped by each week of distance learning.  Each assignment has it's due date posted next to it.  All assignments are posted on Sunday night, and then I make an announcement in Google classroom attaching their 5 day schedule for the week, which explains what exactly they should be completing each day.



This is just a snapshot of the 5 day schedule.  This shows the kids exactly what they need to complete each day and the links are embedded. This gets posted Sunday night in Google classroom as well as in my parent app (ClassTag).  Then we Zoom on Monday to discuss, go over, and make sure they understand the assignments, answer questions, etc

I also post exercise and mindfulness video links for them to do if they would like.  I always ask them to leave a comment and tell us which one they tried out, if they chose to do any.  They LOVE Go Noodle in the classroom so many of them are enjoying that they can do it at home!
I have also posted a few step-by-step drawing video links and had them share/post their creations.  I think it's important for them to have something fun to do and talk about besides schoolwork. 😊




Zoom
I zoom with the kids two to three times per week.
Always on Monday to make sure they understand their assignments and what's due for the week- we go over the daily schedule.  Then again on Wednesday to follow up, answer questions, make sure kids are on track completing assignments.   Then sometimes again on Friday to again address students who haven't completed work and to remind them things are due, to answer questions, provide help, do something fun, etc.  I had assigned the kids a book report project back in February that would have been due Monday 3/30.  I gave them an extra couple weeks to complete it and we shared them over zoom this past week. It was cute they were so excited to share them!

Zoom tips and tricks:
-Arrange your settings so that all participants are muted upon entry
-Toggle on the waiting room switch.  This makes it so that you have to "admit" each student.  This way you are away if anyone suspicious is trying to join.
-Also in the settings toggle on the switch that notifies you with a doorbell sound every time a participant enters or leaves.  This helps you keep track of who's coming and going.
-Type a question in the comment at the start of the meeting this way they have something to read and and answer while they're waiting.
-Also if you noticed that the "chat" feature disappeared- it didn't! When you log into zoom you need to go to your "setting" and just scroll down to where you see the chat feature setting and click the toggle switch to on.

Kids Learning at Home
I have a large part of my parents and kids messaging, calling, or emailing on a daily basis.  And although at times it's exhausting, it is so rewarding to see so many of my families working hard to support their children and make sure they're still learning.  I have had many of them express their gratitude to me for my help and support and it truly makes all of this worthwhile.  Likewise, I appreciate all their effort and support with their children at home!  I asked my parents to send me any pictures of their kiddos doing Distance Learning at home, and here are a few I received 😍💖                                                                 

Distantly Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net

Sharing is Caring

I'm sure we've all heard the old adage that goes something like this: People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. For me, this saying rings true now more than ever. As responsible citizens, of course, we have to follow physical distancing guidelines, but I certainly don't need to distance my students socially. On the contrary, I need to invite them daily to conversations, such as those on Google Classroom or to virtual gatherings such as those on Zoom. What we do know is that our students like to share and be heard and FlipGrid gives them an outlet to be creative.

I'm convinced that every single one of our students wants to invite us into their daily lives. Therefore, I've been hosting daily 2:00 Zoom meetings. Holding the meeting at the same time each day builds in that much-needed structure that we are all missing right now. This is an opportunity for me to hold pseudo Restorative Circles. (By the way, letting students know the talking point beforehand allows them to have plenty of think time.) So often, during these meetings, I have students who want to show me their cousins, new puppies, kittens, baby siblings, etcetera. Even though these "bird walks," so to speak, are not part of the curriculum, they are essential to building and maintaining a relationship with our students.

It makes it easier to have those hard conversations with students and parents about not completing assignments, about partially-completed assignments, etcetera when they know that you care about them as people. Clearly, we need to maintain a professional boundary between ourselves and our students. It is not advisable to be "friends" with them, but we can and should always be friendly and approachable.

Zooming like never before!

Lola Jollie

Working Hand-In-Hand with Families during Distance Learning To Monitor Progress

Click clack. Prinnng Prinng. Whoosh. These sounds constantly emerge from my phone each day. Between the class dojo messages, emails, google classroom notifications, phone calls and more my phone is rarely ever silent- unless it is dead from exhaustion! Amongst the sea of alerts on my phone I’ve come to realize that the one question responsible for these constant alerts is “What am I missing”? Or “What assignments does my child need to complete/has completed”?. A valid question-that can be solved with a push of a button. Using google sheets to track students assignments is a great way to hold students accountable as well as keep parents informed about their child’s progress during distance learning.

Maneuvering from Teacher Lens to Parent Lens

As you know with the effects of social distancing and distance learning- everybody’s daily schedule has been thrown for a loop. While some students are logging on at 8am others are starting at 1pm. Not to mention parents schedules are just as different. So how do you assist them with their weeks progress while trying to make some time for yourself so you aren’t glued to your devices without feeling guilty. Using this google sheet template you allow parents to have a bit more control of their situation- and trust me any bit of control we can have over this situation is a reassuring feeling. You allow parents to stay on top of their child’s progress with a quick click of a button during a coffee break, their lunch break or doing a time when they are able without having to wait for a response! I have learned that by doing this students start to become more aware of their assignments it allows you to visually see which students are doing well and which students may need your support.

Here are some ideas on how to maintain students privacy when sharing document if you don’t want names to be seen by all and want to share it with families

1. First names only
2. Only screenshot the one students work and send as an attachment on Class Dojo portfolio or email
3. Use student ID numbers
4. Use student numbers that were in the classroom
5. Use a nickname that they personally selected and/or icon for younger ones
6. Use email addresses or Parent Names 

The list goes on but just make sure you know which student is what column and parents know as well.

GET YOUR TEMPLATE HERE 

                                                                    Lively Teaching, 
                                                                     
                                                                    Jessica Magana

Embrace 'Distance Learning' On Your Terms

This is the fourth week for Distance Learning and I want to encourage you to embrace it on your terms. 

No one expected this to happen and very few of us have any experience with Distance Learning.  There was no training for Distance Learning prior to us having to do it.  What we were all doing was getting ready to go on Spring Break after one more week of teaching.  And then were going to sprint to CAASPP with some engaging activities after the high stakes test that we all like to do as the year draws to a close.

Embrace Distance Learning On Your Terms

Here is a recap of my journey (remember, I teach 7th grade math, 8th grade math, and IM I):

My first week of Distance Learning was just trying to figure out how I was going to stay connected with my students - as teachers that is one of the main reasons we stay in this profession - and what was I going to do with the students.  I decided to go with what I had been doing in my classroom since the beginning of the year - Khan Academy and Edulastic for that first week.  Students were accustomed to the routine and it would get the students through that first week.  For some reason, I also decided to try Edpuzzle - it was a website mentioned in passing at my site and I had never used it before but it had videos on math topics that I could easily find.

Embrace Distance Learning On Your Terms

As Spring Break came and went it was obvious that this Distance Learning was going to be longer than expected.  Teachers were being asked to connect with students and engage them in learning.  All kinds of websites were offering free opportunities for teachers - in fact, to numerous to list them all here - and in fact it all could be very overwhelming.  It was at this point I decided that I would embrace Distant Learning on my terms.  Some of us have little ones at home, some of us have other responsibilities that must be taken care of, some of us have challenges that are to tough to put into words, some of us are at a loss of where to go, some of us are emotionally drained from the news, etc. - each of us has our own life story and for that reason alone -

Embrace Distance Learning On Your Terms

No one could say I would be doing it wrong, no one could say I was not doing enough, no one could say I was doing to much, no one could say that this is what must be done.


So with that mindset, I allowed myself to make mistakes, learn from them, and set personal goals that I hope will continue into next year.  I wanted to connect with my students visually - so I set up Zoom meetings every day at 12:00 pm for my students lasting 15 minutes.  Mondays and Fridays are open to all students with the other days specific for one content area.  While attendance has been minimal (today there was only one student who attended) and other days up to 15 students, it has been learning about this resource that has made it worth it.  Besides the basics that were taught by our District TOAs on their webinars, the two things I have taught myself so far, that I hope will improve my teaching next year, are being able to use my computer's white board to solve problems in real time and recording myself doing daily lessons with a virtual background (click here for a sample - I do not re-record myself when it is not perfect - students get my first take - how hard can it be to say, "quadrilateral" or see the last 20 seconds as I struggle with getting into the right spot).  While these two major learnings for me may be nothing for others who use Zoom regularly, it reinforces my belief during these times to . . .

Embrace Distance Learning On Your Terms

Where am I going . . .

Well, Edpuzzle has been my go to for delivering personal lessons.  I started out knowing nothing and just copying someone else's video that was already uploaded on Edpuzzle and using their questions that were embedded in the video.  To now, where I record a lesson every day for each of my three classes, upload it to Edpuzzle, embed my own questions into it, (see this link for an example) and have the students leave their personal feedback about the lesson.  I use Zoom to record my lessons by creating my own personal meeting.  As I have gotten much more comfortable talking to my students this way, I started to wonder if I could make my sub plans next year better by making my own videos and uploading them to Edpuzzle?  I started to wonder how 'cool' it would be to create a video library for my students of important skills that they need to know so that they could access it on their own terms (for absent students, for students who need to hear the lesson more than just one time in the classroom, for students who need to rewind, rewind, and rewind, before getting it)?  I started to wonder how much more impactful it would be for the projects I do in each unit to have a video made by me so that it is more personal?

But at the end of the day, before I could think about the possibilities for tomorrow and beyond, I had to . . .

Embrace Distance Learning On My (Your) Terms

Teaching and still loving it,

       Kevin Stott                         

De Anza Middle School