Educational Services Weekly Update
4/17/20
Relevant Research & Resources
Personal Connections
- 1) More personal connections - Students crave the connection with their teacher and with their peers. We see how happy we are when we all join a Zoom together! It's fun to see faces other than the ones you've been living with. It's also fun to interact in a live session. Teachers who are ready to branch out may consider some of the following ideas we've heard being done around EUSD:
- a class meeting
- a morning check-in that goes over the agenda/ tasks for the day
- a weekly class circle for sharing
- a genius hour where students share something new they've learned or done
- a learning celebration where students show something they are proud of
- give control of each day's meeting over to a student to decide what they want to share
- Small group instruction is a great way to start. Smaller groups are easier to manage, easier to check in with individuals, and can be shorter. These can start at as check-ins and evolve into instructional lessons.
- We have also heard of many teachers and principals offering "office hours" on Zoom, where students or parents/staff can sign up for short sessions or can drop in anytime.
- 2) More direct teaching - Many of our parents are also working full-time from home and are struggling with their own schedules. They hope that their child can participate in distance learning with a lot more independence. As our teachers continue to work through their LMS and their distance learning plans, students should become more independent, especially in the upper grades.
As you continue to support teachers, and answer parent emails, please keep these ideas in mind. There are many ways we can develop personal connections and provide direct teaching.
Zoom can be great, if teachers follow the safety guidelines. FlipGrid is a powerful tool that address both concerns above. Glen does a FlipGrid mini lesson at least three times a week in the Treehouse! While we are not encouraging multiple hours of live teaching with whole classes a day, we do know how important these connections are for students, families, and staff. Please reach out if you need support in future conversations with grade level teams.
CELEBRATIONS & GRATITUDE!
KUDOS
* Glen - Thank you for being available in the Treehouse twice a day, every day, for staff to get support, ask questions, and share celebrations! The conversations in the Treehouse are fun and engaging - would you expect anything less from Glen?
* Heather, Rachel T, Glen, and IT - Thank you all for your diligence as you have responded to hundreds of help desk tickets in the last few weeks. We appreciate all of the support you have provided to students, staff, and parents.
* Principals - Thank you for your work to support families and staff through this transition! This is not easy for anyone and we know your inboxes have been overflowing lately. We appreciate you keeping your community informed and feeling connected. And thank you for sharing our Cloud Classroom Infographics with you families (see my email from earlier today/Friday). Glen created this resource and we wanted this in parents hands this week.
Updates & Calendar items of interest
Please see below
Key dates for you:
- 4/21 - ILC at 8:00 AM
Glen’s Treehouse - Glen is available in his Zoom Treehouse for any questions, wonderings, or celebrations during the following times. Stop by as needed. The password (do not post or share!) is: 101
Monday- Friday 11:30-12:30
Monday - Friday 2:30-3:30
- Every Tuesday - Craig McJunkin from iReady will be available for any EUSD staff member. His meeting link is at the bottom of my 4/10 teacher update.
Distance Learning Key Links/ Resources
- Cloud Classroom Resources (Google folders of all training videos and supports)
Cloud Classroom Connections - This PowerSchool page has all of the Cloud Classroom Resources shared with you in a different format. Find what works best for you and bookmark that site for your reference!
The EUSD Distance Learning Q&A document- This is an on-going document of questions and answers.
Learning @ Home - parent resource website
- Student Connectivity Master List
- List of Staff who have completed the Zoom/ Google Hangout/Meet Required Training
- Amy's Teacher Update from 4/10/20
- Ed Services' parent update 4/17
- Student "Attendance" spreadsheet by site
- Amy's Teacher update 4/17/20
Educational Services
Email: amy.illingworth@eusd.net
Website: www.eusd.net
Phone: 760-944-4300
Twitter: @AmyLIllingworth