RES Staff Update
March 23-27, 2020
Homeschool Expectation vs. Reality
Message from Kelly
In these unprecedented times, the analogy of "we are building a plane as we are flying it" has been used. School districts and teachers have never been asked to tackle such a monumental task in such a short time. Thank you for your amazing positivity in this situation. You are all so appreciated. I thought you might enjoy this video clip considering the analogy that was shared with me.
Building A Plane While Flying
Key Points for March 23-27
- Check emails multiple times every day. Remember that we are available from 9-2, Monday through Friday.
- Teachers should mainly focus on contacting parents and submitting the google form for students who NEED a paper packet.
- Familiarize yourself with what the district is communicating. Pay special attention to the FAQ document https://www.cfisd.net/download_file/view/29386/8737. Questions and answers are being added to this document daily. Use the district website and this document to answer parent questions. Please do not attempt to answer questions you are unsure about. Record any questions you are not sure about and forward them to your AP or me.
- The google folder (COVID-19 Teacher Resources) is here. Everything that is referenced will be shared in this folder.
- A Screencastify presentation has been added to the COVID-19 Teacher Resources folder for anyone needing help with this. Thank you, Sarah Holz!!
- Since our buildings are technically closed, no one is allowed into the building. The district is being very strict about this. If you have a situation and you need to get something, please contact me, and we will figure something out.
- Consider changing your password. Monday is a great day to do this if you are going up to school.
Zoom Meeting Reminders
If you choose to use Zoom with your students or parents, here are a few reminders that were shared with us from district leadership. Some of you may have seen the Facebook post circulating where a participant forgot she was on camera and carried her laptop to the restroom with her during the meeting. That's all I need to say. :)
I have also included a link for parents on setting up Zoom. The video is also posted below so you can watch and see if it would be helpful before you share this with parents.
Link to video: https://youtu.be/d7xXZxRDFUU
Reminders when hosting a Zoom meeting:
- Please dress professionally. Casual/professional is fine, but not overly casual.
- Be cognizant of your background environment that is able to be seen by your audience.
- If you have other family members at home (which many of us do), find a place where you can communicate without interruptions or the risk of your families hearing something you wouldn't want them to hear. :)
Zoom for Kids: How to Set Up the Zoom App for Students and Parents
Materials Pick Up
Courtney, Kelli, and I will be taking shifts on Monday to let you into the building. We look forward to being able to see some of you in person. Please remember to complete the google form for technology checkout, and please be sure that everything is unplugged. If you have a laptop/Chromebook cart in your room, please check that it is unplugged.
Technology Checkout Form: https://forms.gle/687Zbv6QYfn2bmxM7
I know many of you are making lists of what you are grabbing. I've included a few suggestions below:
- Laptop and Charger
- Food or candy stored in cabinets
- Plants
- Monitoring notebook
- Hover Cam if you anticipate needing it. Please use the link here to record the bar code if you do take it home.
- Student Logins and Passwords
- Books from Literacy Library for your own children if needed (please use checkout system in place)
Professional Development
After we have all had time to adjust to this new way of working, it is possible that we'll provide some online learning opportunities for you to continue your professional development. I have seen how some are working on becoming SeeSaw Ambassadors and some are getting Google Certified. That is awesome!!
After things have settled down a bit, we'll look at other opportunities for our staff. We know you have a lot to focus on now.
Are You Interested in Getting Google Certified?
Here is a link to a free webinar about how to get Google certified. If you are looking for a way to grow professionally, improve your Google skills, and support your students, you might consider doing this.
How to Become a SeeSaw Ambassador
This link will provide you with information on how to become an ambassador.
Here are the perks for doing this (as posted on the website)
Ambassador Program Perks
- Dedicated Ambassador learning community for connecting and sharing with other teachers using Seesaw around the world.
- Access to Seesaw Plus, our premium features for teachers.
- Sneak peeks of upcoming Seesaw features before they’re released to all classrooms.
- Ability to contribute activities to the Seesaw Community Library, inspiring teachers and students around the world.
- Direct connection to the Seesaw team with opportunities to inform the future of the product.
- Exclusive use of the Seesaw Ambassador badge for your website or Twitter profile.
- A meal on us if you visit San Francisco!
Green Screen Training
Manny Curiel, our presenter for the green screen, has shared this link as a resource for teachers and students. The green screen is set up in room 161 in the kindergarten area. I know our students are going to have great fun using this equipment!