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     

Integrating Annotating & Screenrecording Simultaneously in Distance Learning

If Only. These words seem to pass my mind more and more each day as we continue down the path of distance learning. If only I had grabbed my document camera and ten other things from my classroom.  If only that student didn't miss that Zoom lesson when I explained that question in depth.  If only I could adequately explain these steps clearly to the student when they can't see what I am referring to on their page at that moment.  If only I could get the right angle or keep the camera straight while trying to record something for my kids. If only I could write neater and meet the time limit when I screen record my computer. If only there were a way to deal with all of these problems that continue to arise. Well, lucky for you- there is! The solution is on the tips of our fingers-literally! With the pairing of screen recording, digital documents (photos, pdfs, internet), and your unique teaching style on your apple device- you have just created your smartboard on the go. I loved screen recording my laptop screen, but hated how my writing was so awful you couldn't tell what I was doing. Now you can annotate and create mini-lessons/ explanations to support your students straight from your phone. Trust me its easier than it seems!

Reclaiming Your Teacher Voice in Remote learning

One lesson that distance learning has taught me is how much I genuinely miss getting in front of the class each day and teaching. I loved being able to put my unique spin on how I would teach kids or what I want them to understand. In a sense, I feel like I have lost a bit of that- sure everything I assign shows who I am but usually its other videos or links that are teaching the concept-not me. I can't tell you how many times I have searched for videos and can't find one that has EVERYTHING I wanted to say, or I can't find one at all that I think would help my students with a specific problem. These are the moments that I wish that I could be teaching them- without any time constraints or fear that my writing wouldn't look nice. Learn how to change that by watching the video to start. 

Annotate? Screenrecord? or BOTH! 

As you can see you have the option of doing one of the other or both. If you would just like to annotate- simply just take a picture or share your document afterwards. A few ways to incorporate these skills during distance learning is:

• Using a students written response as a mentor text
• In detail explain the steps of a math problem
• Deeply explain the rubric that you have attached on your assignments
• Provide feedback on an exit ticket 
• Add a post to Class Dojo to better explains to parents and students how to navigate new information (I do this all the time-this is difficult if you do a screen recording on your laptop - works like a charm and helps parents who don't want to read a long post)
• Add feedback for a student on Class Dojo Portfolios
• Create your own mini lesson for whatever subject  you would like
• Record an already published video you want students to watch - and pause to clarify what students just watched in the video you may have linked
• Create a series of mini video recordings to form an iMovie and/or slideshow
• Teach students how to do this for more complicated problems that exceeds the Flipgrid time slot

This list exceeds far more than what I have written. So try it out- you won't be sorry! 

Lively Teaching

Jessica Magana

Balancing Life

I started this month thinking I would continue to blog about engagement. There are so many engaging resources out there that can help us to engage students during this different time. But the more I talked to my teacher friends, the more I realized we all need to learn more about balancing life. We are spending a lot of time at home, but many of us have our devices with us and are working from morning to evening. How are you balancing this new adventure? Do you feel overwhelmed? Many of us are trying to balance our own children, husbands, friends, families, and work-life. It's tough!

Prioritizing 

There are so many different ways we can prioritize our life and make sure we are balancing out the needs we have, our students have, and the needs of our family and friends. I know it will be hard at first but there will be some adjusting time. There will be a time where you will need to get comfortable with putting down your phone, your laptop, the tablet and walk away. It's okay to take time for family, they need you too! 

1. One thing at a time, with full presence.
• Focus on one thing at a time. Focus all of your attention. It might be beneficial to make a list, prioritize what you need to accomplish first and so on. It's okay to not get to everything on your list in one day. Give yourself a break, this is ALL new to everyone. 
2. Family and close friends at the top.
• During quarantine, a lot of us are mothers, husbands, wives, and pet owners. We have a lot of important people that need us on a daily basis. Family and friends are ALWAYS at the top. Make sure you set aside time to focus on your children, husband, wife, or friends. Not only for them, but because they make us truly happy. 
3. Focus on importance, not urgency.
• As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” Do yourself a favor and think about the difference between importance and urgency, think about your obligations, and do what is important first!
4. Keep your efforts aligned with your purpose.
• Your heart already knows. Listen to it. You know what makes you happy, you know what your students and families need, and most important you know what you need to do to accomplish your purpose. Follow your heart. 
5. Play to your strengths and delegate when it makes sense.
• Don't forget that we are in this TOGETHER. Don't be afraid to reach out to a colleague, ask for some help, or advice. We are all new to this and can learn from one another. It's okay not to know everything. We can all learn something from someone!
6. Socialize and share with peers.
• Did anyone say Zoom? This has been a time where everyone is interacting with each other through technology. But Zoom doesn't just have to be for those staff meetings, meetings with students, or professional developments. Take time to interact "face to face" with your friends and family. Make it fun! Happiness is truly the key to success. 
7. Give what you can, seek what you desire.
• As teachers, we always seem to want to give our students ALL that we have, and that is an amazing thing. But sometimes, especially at difficult times like this, we need to give what we can and give ourselves some credit. We can't give everyone our ALL or what would be left for us?
8. Leave the past behind as you plan ahead.
• This is definitely a learning time. Each week changes, new things pop up. We are trying lots of things, it's okay if everything doesn't work. Keep what worked and keep on pushing. Don't worry about the past, learn from it and move on!
9. Commit to self-respect, regardless of the issue at hand.
• NO negative talk. Ask yourself, "If I had a friend speak to me the way I speak to myself, how long would I allow that person to be my friend?" I can't say it enough, we are all in this together. This is NEW. It's okay to learn together, one day at a time. 
10. Leave room to breathe.
• Always find time for yourself. Find time to do something that makes you happy. A bike ride, a long walk, working out, or even just sitting in bed watching Netflix. Find time to be by yourself and appreciate who you are and what you do for so many people on a daily basis. Breathe!

I hope during this time you find time to really learn about yourself. How much you love your family and friends, how much you love your job, your students, and your colleagues. This is the time to really spend time thinking about how lucky we are to be in a position where we get to shut down for a while and spend time with the people we truly love! I know throughout this past month I have realized I really miss socializing at work, seeing my students' smiling faces, laughing at our weirdness, but I know this time will pass and that I need to step back and find all the positives throughout this situation. I know we can do this! We are in this TOGETHER!