Digital Brag Tags

It is hard to believe that we have been out of our classrooms for over a month now! I was able to go back into my classroom to pick up a few things last week and that's when it hit me, like running into a brick wall, that I wouldn't be getting my class back the way it was before. As I tried to quickly grab things from my room that I thought would help me teach from home, I was overwhelmed with sadness. I saw books that students were in the middle of reading on their desks, the tribute wall of paintings we had made to honor #24, the late Kobe Bryant. There was a pile of classwork that I planned on hanging up for Open House on my desk, the whiteboard still had table points listed and I couldn't help but cry. Thinking about that last day with my students I remembered how I tried to prepare them for a few weeks off. I told them it would kind of be like Winter Break. I was so hopeful that things would get back to normal. I don't think I ever dreamed that would be the last day in the classroom with my students.

Thankfully, it is not the end of our story. In the last few weeks, digital learning has been all over the place for me and my students. We have all learned a lot. After going back into my classroom I knew I wanted students to feel like we are still a class even though we aren't in the physical classroom. I want to recognize students for all the hard work they are doing. I want them to know how much I care about them and want them to succeed. I also wanted to figure out a way to keep students motivated. I thought about what works in the classroom and how I could translate that into a virtual classroom. I cam up with digital brag tags. I've used them before in my classroom, the students loved them I just needed to make them relevant to what students are doing now. So I came up with a couple of different brag tags. Today in our classroom Zoom meeting, I asked students to come up with suggestions too.

The plan is that I will give the brag tags out weekly to students on google classroom. The students will download the brag tag and insert it into a Time to Brag Google Slide. When they fill up a slide with Brag Tags that will mean they have earned a reward. I am thinking I might try to mail them something or maybe just have them come get a prize next school year. Either way, students are super excited about it. I have already seen a lot of them going back to last week's work so they can earn a brag tag for 100% completed work. The motivation so far is working! Here is a short video of what I did to get started.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L_K-rKBPszsnHsepDrlgAyeuJrYw1VhO/view

This is the link to the Time to Brag google slide I made. Feel free to use it if you like.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PBd2tB32YVSNVXmRgZp4AKl6ITlYkmCp7t5FOEt2ed0/copy

Learning and Teaching With Grace, Alina

Distance Learning Restorative Circles

Distance Learning Restorative Circles

The best part of teaching first grade is the last trimester.  My students finally “get it."  They laugh at my jokes, they interact together, and they’re learning.  It’s a magical time and my favorite time to be a #firstgradeteacher. 

And suddenly, here comes 2020 and a worldwide pandemic.  Now we are distance teaching, and I MISS MY KIDS.  I miss their laughs, I miss their smiles, and I miss seeing their academic growth.  Yes, I can do distance learning, Dojo them all, and hold Zoom meetings, but it’s just not the same!

So if I’m feeling this way, I can imagine that my students are also going through a myriad of emotions right now.  How can I help my students (and myself) navigate through this challenging time?  It’s time for a Restorative Circle.  The difference is that we will be doing this circle in a Zoom meeting instead of face to face, and our “circle” will become a “grid” of all the students’ faces.

According to the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP),  “a circle is a versatile restorative practice that can be used proactively, to develop relationships and build community or reactively, to respond to wrongdoing, conflicts and problems. Circles give people an opportunity to speak and listen to one another in an atmosphere of safety, decorum, and equality.”  

While a Circle has many benefits, I used my recent Circle for healing, support, and relationship development.  Specifically, I wanted to hear how my students were feeling and let them know they are not alone in their feelings, and that I am here to support them. 

Here's how I held my Long Distance Restorative Circe:  The first thing I did was set up a Zoom meeting and time, and sent out invitations.  I made sure all my students were muted upon entering so that I could go over the rules for our Distance Circle.  The same rules apply as in the classroom:

*only one person speaks at a time, everyone else listens

*we speak sequentially so that each child has a chance to share

*any child can pass if they do not wish to share, but at the end, I always go back to that child to offer them another opportunity to share once everyone else has expressed their feelings/opinions

*we always respect each other and our feelings/opinions

Since we consistently hold these meetings in the classroom, my students were familiar with my expectations.  Still, I felt it necessary to go over the rules again since this was a completely different learning environment. 


Once I had gone over my expectations, I explained that I would unmute one student at a time to answer the question "How are you feeling about distance learning and what are you doing at home?"  I also told them they could ask any questions of me they wanted. I also reminded my students that everyone on our Zoom could hear them, so if they had anything they wanted to share privately, they needed to Dojo me separate.  As I initiated this process, I was amazed to see that my students were nervous about speaking. They spoke quietly and did not have much to say.  My class usually is very open and honest about their feelings, and we have developed a close relationship where every student feels valued and free to speak their mind.  I realized this was a manifestation of their feelings of nervousness and insecurity about this new learning environment.  SO, I decided to run through the Circle TWICE!  The second time, it was evident that they began to feel more comfortable, and they talked and shared more.  In fact, no one passed.  The students were extremely attentive, even with all the background noises in some of the households.  Their feelings were clear, and they were full of stories and questions!

It was evident that they needed this!  Look at this picture and notice those happy faces!!  By the end of our Circle, we were all sharing stories and sharing our pets on Zoom (my puppy included). The kids were smiling, laughing, and happy.  The question I was asked the most was, “When can I go back to school?”  It broke my heart, but at the same time, it gave me hope that they were looking forward to going back to school. You’ll notice I only have 11 students on my Zoom. While this was disappointing, I learned that two of the students who didn’t attend had technical difficulties, and four more had parents who had to work at our designated Zoom time.  As for the last three students, I am having trouble connecting with them, despite all my efforts.  I will continue to try and reach out to them daily and hopefully, they will attend our next Zoom session.


I developed this wonderful relationship with my students this year, and it’s not time to let that go.  The Circle helped us connect and let the kids express their emotions in a safe environment.  It was easy, and it was fun.  I got a little bit of “my favorite time of the year to teach” back.  Not all of it, but it will have to do for now.  


Why not try a Distance Restorative Circle with your class?  If you would like to read more about circles, click here:

https://www.iirp.edu/defining-restorative/5-2-circles


I promise you will feel better if you do, and so will your students!

Teaching at a Distance,
Roni Weink

Diary of a Kindergarten Teacher and Coronavirus

I am still in disbelief that it has been 26 days since I last saw my kinders at school. That week was surreal for me. I started having flu-like symptoms on Saturday, March 7th. I could not sleep throughout the night. I was tossing and turning, slight fever, chills, nausea, dry heaving, headache, and body aches. I had some other symptoms, but that is TMI. I woke up Sunday morning and made my husband take me to urgent care. I was the first one there. The doctor checked my symptoms and vitals. She checked my lungs and cleared me of coronavirus and diagnosed me with the flu. I was sent home to get lots of rest and fluids. I missed the next four days of school. Then, the virus took over the news and the possibility of school closures was looming.

I went back to work on Friday, March 13 of all days. The front office was slightly frantic on getting distant learning packets ready. I was told to prepare them "just in case" of a school closure. But, I knew that if LAUSD closed, we would be next. Thirty-five minutes after my students arrived at school, we got the email from the Superintendent. The school would be closed. I had to quickly organize packets, pull resources, and keep the students busy. They worked on phonics and centers. However, at one point, I had to put on a video for them. This was their last day of kindergarten and no one knew it for sure. I wish I would have taken more time to enjoy them. I didn't get to hug them goodbye, all I said was we're going on vacation sooner and I hoped to see them soon.

Schools are closed and students are learning from home. Laptops were distributed and teachers began teaching in a whole new way. But, I had to take a moment and think about my kinders. Do they know what is going on? How did parents explain the virus? Do they know what social distancing is? Do they understand the importance of social distancing, the virus, and washing their hands??? I began to worry about this. I am still their teacher and wanted them to understand what is going on. So, I found a resource by Tara West on TpT. She had created books for students to understand the Coronavirus. I downloaded and printed them. I recorded myself and put it on my classdojo. I hope my students understand what is going on and why we are not in school. I miss my kinder babies and hope to see them next year. I hope they know that this won't last forever. We will get through this together.

Grateful and Thankful,
Maricella Mesa

Distance Learning Brain Breaks

Let's not forget about Brain Breaks!

Unfortunately, due to this pandemic, we have to do some different and unconventional things like close our classrooms and teach students from our homes. Social distancing is necessary to stop the spread of the virus, but it creates some unique situations for teachers, students, and parents. As teachers, we've been taught that students need to get up and move numerous times a day to be successful learners. As a society, we've been told that a child shouldn't sit in front of a screen for long periods of time. But due to the pandemic, many students need to log in and participate in online learning daily. As all of us are experiencing, we are sitting in chairs for long periods every day. This is especially difficult for kids to do. Their little bodies weren't meant to sit still that long-they NEED to move.  There is an easy solution for students to get the movement they need while participating in online learning.  Brain Breaks!

Activity brain breaks serve an important purpose in and OUT of the classroom. As we know, school is hard work for kids. As teachers, we expect students to cram so much into each day, learning a ton of information that they need to retain and put into practice. It can be exhausting. In our classrooms, Brain Breaks allow kids to take a minute to refocus and release some energy. Distance Learning is no different. Students need active time incorporated into Distance Learning too. Kids need opportunities to have movement throughout their day while they are participating in at-home learning.  

What is a Brain Break?

Brain Breaks are breaks from whatever students are currently working on... but something to remember is the break can be both fun and educational. Also, Brain Breaks can be simple or more complex. Moving around, even if it's just stretching, gives the body a boost by increasing blood flow. In turn, this provides the brain with increased blood flow, which provides kids the edge they need to help retain information and stay focused. By taking a break and moving around, kids receive a necessary tool they need to help them succeed at whatever it is they are working on. Movement is vital when it comes to brain breaks. Moving the body also helps relieve stress, which we all know many kids are experiencing right now. Movement, in turn, will give kids a release that allows them to get back to work and refocus.

How many Brain Breaks do kids need?

According to research, kids need to take a 3-5 minute break every 45 minutes of working. As each teacher adapts and creates their Distance Learning routines, they need to remind and educate parents and students on how to incorporate Brain Breaks into their day. I have been letting my families know that it is essential to have frequent breaks during learning. As a First Grade teacher, I am suggesting students work for 30-40 minutes, with a 10-15 minute break twice a day. So my students are working a total of 60-80 minutes with two 10-15 minute breaks in between. I have also suggested that my students add in 20 minutes to read to self or with someone else. These breaks will vary based on age, grade, and individual students.

What are some at-home Brain Breaks my can students do?

There are several Brain Breaks to suggest to parents and kids to help them thrive during this time. I've given parents the advice to help their child pick something they can transition to and from easily. I make it a point to say that they know what works and doesn't work best for their child. I also recommend staying away from screen time here because they are using screens for many hours a day already. I have also tried to encourage parents and siblings to join in on Brain Breaks. This situation is stressful for parents too! So if they can be goofy and/or active with their child during this time, that can also be helpful. All of these Brain Breaks can be used during our online platforms for Distance Learning. I recently had my first Zoom meeting with my kids, and after answering questions and explaining assignments, we ended our session with a group GoNoodle. They left that meeting with smiles from ear to ear. Incorporating Brain Breaks into our Distance Learning/Teaching will help students feel some normalcy and routine that they are missing from their classrooms.  

Movement Brain Breaks

1. Breaks can be as easy as jumping jacks, push-ups, and stretching to getting outside to toss a Frisbee, kick a soccer ball, a game of tag, or even a walk or bike ride.

  

2. Dance Party- When brains need breaks, nothing beats turning on a song and having a dance party. Have kids choose a song to play and let them move around and dance for the entire song.  

3. Secret Handshakes- For a quick Brain Break, have a family/sibling handshake. Take a quick minute to make up and practice a fun handshake to do anytime your child needs a break.

4. Yoga- Yoga will give kids a break they need in between tasks. Encourage kids to be mindful as they move through favorite yoga poses.  Cosmic Kids Yoga is a favorite Youtube channel with tons of themed yoga videos kids will enjoy!  

5. GoNoodle- This website gives kids a fun and silly way to work out the wiggles! Kids will love jumping, moving, and singing along to their favorite GoNoodle videos. You can stream the videos on Youtube or on your SmartTV.

6. Sami Circuit- Sami Kadar, a long-time fitness expert has recorded circuit videos on Youtube. The circuit combines a high-energy, age-appropriate music mix, sound and lighting effects, and exercises tailored to the participating age group.

Brain Break Games- Kids love playing games. Games give kids the chance to take a moment and simply have fun.  

1. Freeze Dance- This game is like freeze tag and musical chairs rolled into one single fun game. Turn on the music and have kids dance around the room. When the music turns off, kids must freeze in whatever dance moves they were doing.  

2. Would You Rather (Animal Edition)- This is just a fun game of asking the question- Would you rather be a ____ or a _____? Have students act out the animal they chose. This is a fun question to ask students during a Zoom Call or as a question of the day in your Google Classroom.  It can even turn into a writing prompt.

3. Hot Potato- Use a beanbag/ball and have families toss it around the room as the music plays. When the music stops, whoever is holding the "potato" is out.  

4. Simon Says- This game makes a great brain break for families. Kids need to pay attention as they attempt to do what Simon says.  

5. Rock Paper Scissors- This is a fun, quick way for families to engage for a brain break.  

Educational Brain Breaks- These are fun ways for your students to take a break and practice skills they might have already learned.

1. Air Spelling- Challenge kids to "air write" their spelling or High-Frequency words. Parents can have fun guessing the words.

2. Pop- Practice skip counting during a Brain Break. Pick a magic number, then have kids play with families taking turns counting, with the word POP replacing multiples of the magic number. If skip counting by 3's, the sequence would be 1-2-POP-4-5-POP...

3. Syllable Clap- Have kids talk to their parents or siblings, but while chatting, they need to clap (or stomp) the syllables of the words they say. They can also do this brain break activity with spelling words.

4. Categories- Name a category, and each person has to name a word that fits into that category. For example- Beach- then you could say words like such as sand, umbrella, etc..

No matter which of these Brain Breaks teachers, students, or parents use, I'm sure they will help our students be more successful at home throughout this quarantine. And most importantly, kids will learn and have fun!  

Positively Teaching,  

Randi Muehlen

Let's Talk Nearpod

Another free resource is Nearpod. It has interactive lessons for just about every grade level and subject. A lot of their lessons are free and you can save them to administer with your students when ever you see fitting. Because of our current situation Nearpod is completely FREE!😄 You can administer live lessons where your students follow your lead. This allows you to control their computer screen by moving from slide to slide when you do. Or you can choose the student paced delivery where students can complete their Nearpod lesson on their own.

Here is a quick review of the perks of Nearpod: 

1. You can communicate with your students live
2. Administer any assessment or comprehension questions with teacher friendly reports 
3. User friendly, Google Slides or Power Point presentations can be uploaded 
4. All students need is a log-in code or link to join 
5. Nearpod is completely free right now (lessons, live & student paced mode)!

Here is a video of my students and I hosting a collaborative board live! This made my day since we were able to connect and chat during the beginning of our remote learning journey.

If I persuaded you to incorporate Nearpod into your teaching here is a video of how to create a free account, explore their lessons library and lastly how to administer a Nearpod lesson. 

Thank you for reading/watching my blog. I hope you are taking advantage of all of these free resources that allow us to connect with our students on a digital platform. Thank you for your time and I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. 

Learning & Growing,

Nancy Vargas 

nancy.vargas@omsd.net 

Feel free to contact me with any further questions about Nearpod 

Organizing My New "Classroom"

I LOVE Google Classroom and have for years, but I never thought it would be my actual classroom. Over the past couple of years, I have tried to introduce more and more digital learning into my classroom with the use of Google Classroom. I would push assignments, videos, and articles out to students for them to annotate, analyze, color-code, and use for collaborative projects. My students were getting better and better at navigating through Google Classroom and using Google Docs, Slides, and Forms. We even started working on a joint, Google website early in March.

Since my students are so well versed in Google Classroom, I wasn’t too worried about the two-week distance learning plan. I knew my students would know to check in Google Classroom for their assignments, utilize the tools we’ve used in the classroom setting, and turn in their assignments once complete. When I sat down to upload the tasks they needed to work on for the first week, I found myself overwhelmed at the lack of organization on the “Classwork” page. My first thought was that I’d start organizing my virtual classroom better next year. Then, the school closure was extended to May 1st, and I knew I needed to do something to help my students find assignments with ease. 

Setting Up Google Classroom For Distance Learning (please watch the video for detailed instructions):

1. I had to start by going through and organizing all of the old work. I created topics by sub-subjects (writing, reading, listening, research, social studies, etc.). Many teachers already do this, but I had never taken the time to do this. I will start organizing work this way, starting next year.
2. I created topics by dates. I decided to organize the new work by workweek. I also added an emoji of a computer to represent virtual learning (ex: 💻 Week of 4/6-4/10). 
3. I organized and shared a calendar for the week. On this calendar, I embedded links that would take them to the doc, slides, websites, articles, etc.
4. I decided that I wanted to upload all of the work on Sunday nights, so students would not get overwhelmed by getting assignment notifications non-stop. This way, they can see what they need to do for the week and use their time management skills to complete everything promptly. Since I don’t know what their home lives are like right now, I thought that this might help. Maybe they are the new babysitter for their younger siblings. Perhaps they are sharing their device with multiple people. Having the assignments labeled with the day, they should be working on it, and when it is due will help them prioritize their time. Also, it allows them to ask for help ahead of time during our Zoom meetings.

Let me know if you have any organizing tips!

Happy Organizing, 

Jenni Merry

We're All In This Together

Wow, what a crazy time to be living in. Life just seems surreal this moment in time, when is someone going to wake me up and tell me this is all an April Fools joke? It is a very strange feeling, waking up and working from home. Now I know this is a norm for many people in this world, but for me it is not. I love what I do and have moments of comfort knowing we are Home Safe, but then other times I just feel like crying missing my normal days. I had a topic planned for this month, but went down this route instead because my mind is all over the place and couldn't seem to wrap my head around not being able to see my students any time soon and not having been able to give a proper good-bye. 

I know many educators are writing about this lately, but how could we not. Our mind is a blur of memories, confusion as to what is coming our way, and feelings of inadequacy in meeting student needs from home. We are definitely living in uncharted times! We, educators are not sure how to go about our daily schedule from home, but we are doing our best to keep communication with our students. We are going along with state, county, and district recommendations for distance learning.

Then I begin to wonder, what is happening with that child, if not more, that do not have a way of connecting online. What is happening with the child/children that have the work, but need the interventions and hands-on assistance for better understanding. We are all trying to obtain 100% of our families and may not be there still. It is frustrating and sad at the same time because we want to do our best to help our students finish the school year strong.

I would like to give you suggestions that have helped me through this process and hope it helps you in some way:

1.       Communication App- I use Dojo with my students and Remind for my daughters. Both platforms are very similar and are a fast and easy to use. These communication tools will assist in bringing joy and success as you share files, photos/videos, and content from your favorite sites. Your messages will also translate messages, when needed. Our school, El Camino Elementary, also has an account to keep the school community together. We are planning Virtual Spirit Weeks to encourage the positivity and excitement even when learning from home. Administration is also able to post district news and meal schedules to keep parents informed and remind them that we are all in this together.
2.          OMSD Distance Learning on Symbaloo (it must have been a collective effort, but as far as I know the Learning and Teaching Department and our  Tech departments have done an AMAZING job with this) has many wonderful resources, including a suggested learning plan to get going on this next phase of teaching until the end of the school year.
3.           Have Grace! I am talking about you, being KIND and having GRACE for yourself and others. Every Teaching Story during Distance Learning will be different. We have to remember we all have different teaching styles, different resources will be provided and home demands will vary.

      "Looking at the past must only be a means of understanding more clearly what and who you are- so you can more wisely build the future. ~Paulo Freire

Through all of this, there were moments of uncertainty, shock, and sadness. Then a week after school closures, in reading articles and searching for resources to be ready for remote learning I was reminded why we started Spotlight in the first place. Our students are the Spotlight, but we are here to let you know that we are all in this Teaching Journey together. We need one another for support in new learning, to share ideas and collaborate to enhance the learning process. It was a joy to see Teachers all across the nation come together to help one another because it is not about us, it’s about the kids we teach and being able to provide the best education possible, even in the midst of a pandemic.

Keep us posted on what your needs are, in hope that we can provide answers/assistance within our continuous blog posts. Take care of yourselves, stay safe, and healthy!

Live, Love, Teach.

Hilda Sanchez

Zoom, Zoom, NEARPOD?!

I’m pretty sure “ Distance Learning 2020” will be made into shirts, sweaters, hats... you name it! It is such an overwhelming time, my friends. I'm not going to sugar coat it. I had a mini-meltdown on the weekend that we were told that the school would be closed until April. (before the extension until May… which I had another meltdown.) 
    We are all human, and we are allowed to be nervous, frightened, and unsure of the unknown. However, with our passion for teaching and the will to reach all of our scholars, we are discovering many ways to educate, engage, and support our families over the screen of our little laptops.  

There are so many excellent educators out there accomplishing amazing things together. Many gathered together to do a caravan around their school’s community to say hello to their scholars. Some incredibly tech-savvy and artistic educators made postcards and mailed it to their scholar’s residence to show them love and support. Other educators, including myself, are hopping on Zoom to connect with our scholars to check in and give them the normalcy and love they need at this time of uncertainty.  

If you read Kandyce Valverde’s blog post “ Forever in the Middle: Distance Reading,” you will see how powerful Zoom can be! You can pre-record and share with families, and you can connect and host a Zoom “ Author’s Chair” where students can share their writing with their peers. You can even use Nearpod live lessons with all your Zoom participants!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! 

At my school site, my team uses Nearpod almost every day. It is such an amazing resource for us! The lessons can be used in so many ways! Our team uses Nearpod for all subjects! We use Nearpod for our constructive responses after reading our weekly anthology. When students all submit their answers, we can screen share responses anonymously, and we use it similar to “ my favorite no.” We identify the strong points along with what’s missing or what can make the answer even stronger! We use Nearpod for math concepts and showing models along with using it as a review; quick check; assessments. Their favorite game to play is called “ Time to Climb.” The game is set up as a review game where students can identify the answer within 30 seconds or less. The whole class competes to get to the top of the mountain by answering quickly and correctly. It’s always so fun to see the joy when they don’t even realize they are learning and reviewing their academic knowledge.  

Now let’s get to the good part! ZOOM ZOOM NEARPOD! After researching and trying it out with my class, I found that you can still host live Nearpod lessons within your zoom session. Students will be able to join within the link you share in the chatbox without leaving the Zoom. Participants will see the Nearpod lesson slides, and the teacher can dictate the speed, just like when we are in person, along with speaking, guiding, and answering questions with the students through the live lesson. For my class of students, this gives them that “ in-person” touch. They can hear me, see me, and see the lesson slides and participate in the activities all at the same place, at the same time, with their peers.  This is learning and engagement at it's best without physically being there. 

If you had never try using Nearpod, give it a try. If you had never tried Zoom, play with it with your friends or even your family members.  You can sign up for a Nearpod free account, and you can create or use already created lessons to help you with your distance learning plans while incorporating a live zoom session.   

Here is a quick video showing you how to create and insert the Nearpod lesson link within Zoom and how it will look for you and your scholars!  In my opinion, this combination of live zoom and Nearpod is distance learning's cherry on top.  Other than the fact that I am not physically circulating the " room", I am there every step of the way in facilitating, engaging, and giving feedback while the students are at least 40 miles away from me.  

                                          HAPPY ZOOM, ZOOM, NEARPOD! 




Eileen Wunderlich 

Kagan 101: Round Robins

In my previous post, I discussed how incorporating Kagan engagement structures into your classroom can help not only increase the engagement in students, but also give ALL students the opportunity to share their knowledge, and learn from their peers. I always suggest starting out with cooperative learning to begin with the basics. In my opinion, Round Robins as a wonderful place to start dipping your toes. Round Robins are quick, efficient, and there are a few varieties to help meet your needs.

Round Robins

Round Robins are a great and easy way to start Kagan Structures in your classroom. Any time you pose an open-ended question a Round Robin can be used. The reason Round Robins are so great is that they give ALL students a chance to share their thoughts or ideas. We are NOT just calling on ONE student, we are allowing ALL students to respond within a lesson.

The steps to a Round Robin:

1. Teacher poses an open-ended question
2. Students are given think time
3. Teacher selects the student to start (#1-4)
4. Students take turns in number order sharing their idea

The steps to this structure are super easy! But there are some important things to note. The question should be open-ended for students to take time to share the same idea over and over (there's a different structure for that). Think time is important, depending on the question I would say 20-30 seconds of think time is enough to actively think about what they want to share. Always remind students that think time is QUIET, they should be thinking about their response NOT just sitting. You may need to model think time a few times, by thinking aloud for the class. To select the student that starts you can do it with a tool (for example, you can use a die), and just choose randomly. Just make sure your students' desks are numbered 1-4, and that all students understand what number they are. When students are sharing I always have them stand, it really helps the teacher see who is sharing and monitor the groups. 

Variety of Round Robins

Every time a teacher asks an open-ended question there are a lot of different expectations. Based on those expectations there are different Round Robins that a teacher can choose from. The first basic Round Robin is a Single Round Robin, this is where students share one time with their table group. If there are multiple things you want students to discuss or you want students to be able to add on to each others' ideas, you would use a Continuous Round Robin, this is where the students continue to share with their table group until the teacher calls "Stop". If the question can result in a long response you can always use a Timed Round Robin, each student is given the same amount of time to share. This student continues his or her idea until the timer goes off and then it's the next person's turn. This is also a great way to help make all the tables end at the same time, so tables aren't waiting around for others to finish. 

Why Not?

So next time you are asking students questions, ANY questions, have them respond in their table group with each other, so that all students have the opportunity to share their ideas. Just keep in mind PIES should be in place. I hope you find it beneficial and super easy to incorporate into your classroom. 

Forever in the Middle: Student Participation

If you read the LA Times article that showed the depressing numbers of students not participating with online learning, it's easy to get discouraged.  The truth is, many of my students are not logging in or completing work either.  At this point, only 63% of my students in my academic classes have completed anything online. I have emailed parents and sent reminders and that has improved "attendance" online but I am not seeing the same engagement online as I did in my classroom of course.  It's easy to think, "What's the point of doing all this?" when you have so many who aren't participating.

However, think of the students who ARE logging in to work, commenting on posts, and seeking connections with their classmates and you through the digital learning environment. Those are the kids I keep doing all of the work for, try new things with, and get feedback from. Not every student who is now home would prefer to vegetate and watch movies or play video games. Some of them crave learning and want to have something to do. It's a sense of normalcy they can grasp to in this stressful time.

I have been holding Zoom video calls nearly every day with whoever attends. I have a core of about 5 students who are consistently there every day. Others will pop in here and there but those students are the ones I'm doing this for. They asked to have a book club after we finish our class novel so they chose a book and I put together a calendar. We will have a book club. 90% of my students probably will not participate but the 10% who do will have something to look forward to that they had a say in creating and is it really a lot of trouble for me to organize this at their request?

Don't give up because some of your kids aren't logging in. Hopefully they will at some point and if they don't, I know I have done all I can to show them how and I'm sure the same is the case with you. We all know that older siblings are watching younger siblings at home or are in difficult situations where the last thing on their minds is schoolwork but this isn't the case with all of them. We will welcome them back the same way we welcome the kids who we have seen in our online classrooms.

 Continue doing what you can to provide students who can learn from home opportunities to do so and try some new things with them. There are so many extended free trials right now so take a look at them and try out some of the resources on L and T's Distance Learning website.

Who knows? Maybe you'll fall in love with something amazing to use next year. It's a different world in education right now but hope is not lost. We can do this for our kids.

Keep the magic alive,

Kandyce Valverde