Distance Learning #13
May 29, 2020
Ending the Year Virtually
As we move into this next week we know that you are working to bring closure to this unique year that began in a classroom and is ending online. Your relationships with your students and the community you create are important and grounding. We hope you can take a few of your class sessions to reflect and close the year as you would have in your building. Thank you for all you do and blessings on your week!
Grade/Content Meetings
Tuesday 6/2/20
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Social Studies https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85444123546 Susana
- 2:20 pm - 3:05 pm TK/K - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4155961047?pwd=c0J6RHlsd1NTQzczWis2ZHRSVTkwUT09 Gustavo
- 2:20 pm - 3:05 pm 1st Grade Jonathan - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86793954219
- 2:50 pm - 3:35 pm 4th Grade https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88108354819 Susana
- 3:10 pm - 3:55 pm 5th Grade https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6505754773 Tara
- 3:10 pm - 3:55 pm Middle School Math/Science Jonathan - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81446265279
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Wednesday 6/3/20
- 12 pm - 12: 45 pm ELA https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87930213513 Susana
- 2:20 pm - 3:05 pm 2nd Grade https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3662340759 Carol
- 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm Learning Resource https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81598583423 Susana
- 3:10 pm - 3:55 pm Language/PE/ART https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4155961047?pwd=c0J6RHlsd1NTQzczWis2ZHRSVTkwUT09 Gustavo
- 3:10 pm - 3:55 pm 3rd Grade https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3662340759 Carol
Thursday 6/4/20
- 2:30 pm - 3:15 pm Librarians https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86745515131 Susana
Learning Strategy 5: Self Explanation
Self-Explanation is the practice of thinking out loud. You talk to yourself as you work on a problem, in order to force a conscious awareness of the process your mind is going through. You ask questions, work on specific answers, try different solution paths, comment on mistakes, identify changes in approach, and so forth. As the name implies, you are explaining to yourself what you are doing and thinking.
Like Self-Monitoring, Self-Explanation is a technique of asking questions in an effort to further your understanding about what your brain is doing. Perhaps one way to describe both techniques is that your mind is watching (monitoring) your brain. Whereas Self-Monitoring keeps an eye on how well you are learning something, Self-Explanation keeps an eye on the process of working out a solution to a problem.
Self-Explanation Questions
Questions like these are useful to track your problem-solving process:
- What information do I need to know in order to solve this problem?
- Where can I find this needed information?
- Has this already been solved or answered?
- Do I have all the parts or information I need?.
- What should I do next?
- What would be another example of this?
- Does that sound right?
While you work through a problem, you can not only ask questions to guide your thinking, but you can also make statements that tell yourself what you're thinking. Here are some examples:
- I need to be clearer on that.
- I don't understand that.
- Now I get it.
- Wait, I think I'm doing this wrong.
- I bet I can use these examples to help me understand the general principle.
- That didn't work. Why not?
- I did that right. Oh, that's the problem
- Oh, hey, this might work.
Summer Reading Challenges and Ideas
SEL in the Era of COVID-19
Along the way, new neural pathways in the brain can be created. The more we repeat a certain behavior, the stronger the corresponding pathway in the brain becomes.
1. It’s all about emotions.
This is the place to begin for parents, kids, teachers, administrators, and all school staff. Being able to manage emotions right now in a period of uncertainty is critical to keep learning and working moving smoothly.
The first step in this process is to be able to identify your emotions. Teachers can model different emotions in online sessions by first modeling how they feel and then asking kids to do the same. This can become a routine. How is everyone feeling today? The critical piece is to ask why. When we give emotions context, we help connect them to the events and issues that are driving them, which aids learning and stores the information for later use.
2. Make a plan to manage emotions.
It’s not enough just to acknowledge we all have emotions right now; planning what to do when they are felt is even more important than ever.
For teachers this can be done during their distance learning sessions, emails to students and parents. It starts with modeling.
“This morning I was feeling a little anxious when I woke up so I went outside and did 10 jumping jacks on my porch. This helped me to feel a little less anxious so I could make a plan for the day.”
This kind of modeling from parents and teachers will help kids to learn they are in control of their response to the emotions. During distance learning sessions, teachers can ask kids to offer ideas and suggestions for strategies to manage different emotions and then ask kids to practice and share how it went the next time they “meet.”
3. Build empathy for others. We are all in this together.
This is a good time to build a team. We can’t be together or play together but we can understand and share our common emotions, strategies, and ideas of how to manage this difficult time. Learning from each other right now is key to making distance learning less remote and less isolating.
4. It all takes time.
We aren’t expecting mastery of academic subjects right now, so patience in this area is needed, too. Just make a plan to make emotions a focus every day. You’ll be surprised at how enthusiastic your students and kids are to discuss them.
Our new “normal” doesn’t mean we have to give up on SEL until we are back to school. In fact, it’s the best time to try a new approach.
For more, see:
Blended Learning Instruction Class (FREE-1 Hour)
Creating Instructional Videos
Increasing Video Engagement
Teaching for Mastery
Authentic Technology Integration in the Classroom June 24-25
I have taken this class and am taking it again. The presenter is strong, engaging, and you walk away with many tools and resources. This. class is worth your time!
Seven Ways to Prepare for The Opening of the 20-21 School Year FREE Webinar on June 3rd at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific time)
In this interactive video conference, we will consider what teachers and school administrators can do right now to prepare for the opening of the 20-21 school year. Topics we will consider include:
-Creating the Fearless School - Psycological Safety for Students, Teachers, and Families
- Pre-assessment - recognizing the learning needs of every student
-Schedules - adjusting schedules now to meet the needs of students who have lost three months or more of learning
-Engaging students with the arts and physical education
-Collaborative teams - lesson planning, common assessments, and collaborative scoring
-Constructive data analysis
-Instructional Leadership in the Shadow of Crisis
Please don't miss this excellent opportunity to interact with this renowned educator and author!
Catapult
The Importance of Social Emotional Learning During the Coronavirus Pandemic
June 25, 2020 — 3:00pm EST
In this virtual session, participants will:
- Explore the five overarching social-emotional competencies
- Examine the need for social and emotional learning during this unprecedented time
- Identify the benefits of using explicit instruction to teach students the social-emotional competencies they need to cope with trauma
- Develop ways to integrate social and emotional learning into a remote environment
Remote Learning Programs for Students & Teachers
Virtual Summer Programs View Now
Student Counseling & Family Support View Now
Coaching & Professional Learning View Now
Book Study
More information coming next week!