Today's Update
Florence 1 Schools, Thursday, April 30, 2020
Details for 2020 Commencement Exercises Finalized
Innovative Florence 1 Educators are Engaging Students Online
Kelly Clouse, Biology Teacher, Wilson High
For the juniors in my class, I create video lessons with various ways for them to take notes (hand written, powerpoint template, google docs).
After every lesson, my students fill out a reflection document where they can ask any questions, tell me the time they spent on the lesson, and how they completed their notes. I have found the reflection doc to be the most valuable resource for me as their teacher. The students, even my quiet ones, are not afraid to ask questions and appreciate my quick feedback on areas they are finding difficult.
We are currently in our 3rd online unit, and I have received so much positivity from my students on how our lessons are going. They appreciate my hard work as much as I appreciate theirs. We have lost no time, the biology learning continues, and we will be ready for our IB biology exam next spring!
Cynthia Bellinger, LD-Resource, Lester Elementary
For example, today is National Blueberry Pie day so students have a decodable recipe to read with teacher-created questions to answer. If it were AR day, I would have a list of books at various levels for students to read that has blueberry pie in it.
Jeffery Donor, Seventh Grade Social Studies Teacher, Sneed Middle
Google Meet and Google Classroom have been very beneficial. Virtual meetings allow us to see some of our students and check in on them.
We have been using more projects to allow students to explore the different cultures that we are covering while social distancing.
Beth Abernathy, Third Grade Teacher, Lucy T. Davis Elementary
1. Three Google Meetings each week with my homeroom scheduled at 10:30 am on Mon., Wed., and Fri. (academic topics and check-in moments).
2. Creating Screencastify videos of read alouds and lesson material.
3. Adding simple arts and craft projects with only simple materials needed.
4. Smart Suite Learning Games.
5. Virtual Field trips to Ellis Island, Canada, and the new Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA.
6. Google Slideshows.
Lynn Perkins, Music Teacher, Southside Middle
Each morning I video myself giving a message to my students and add that message to the Google Classroom Stream.
I have a Google Meeting with students in small groups 8 times a week.
During the Google Meeting we discuss assignments and how to make up work, how to submit assignments, sing solos, work on sight-reading, and play music games. It has been fun reviewing music vocabulary with Monster Games through the Smart Learning Suite.
Beginning this Friday, I will hold virtual auditions for Blue Notes and next week auditions for Vocal Honors online through Google Meet.
eLearning has been challenging and rewarding in unexpected ways.
Stephanie Walz, First Grade Teacher, Delmae Elementary
We have learned TOGETHER how to do Google classroom, Google Meet (THEY LOVE THIS, and they are so excited to see each other. Every day I post a question on the wall, and they get to respond to the question and to each other.
I also do videos for my students. Many parents have said the videos and interaction have helped with the anxiety they have felt about not being with me everyday.
Melanie Padgett, K-5 Special Education Teacher, Lester Elementary
1.I am sending video lessons through my Google Classroom, email, and REMIND messaging each day. Students and their families are turning in completed weekly assignments through these means.
2. Families and students are turning in their completed eLearning packets (including speech therapy and occupational therapy individual activity lessons) each week at the drop-off and pick- up location by the front door of our school.
3. We are having weekly "social groups" through Google Meetings, to communicate by seeing/greeting each other, modeling movement and music activities, and following directions by imitating and completing an activity.
Melissa Hammond, ELA Teacher, Sneed Middle
A way that I engaged my students is by having my students complete surveys and questionnaires. In our recent unit on consumerism, students read an article about the effects of technology on teens.
I created a survey that examined their technology use. Students were able to see how much they used technology for non-school related tasks. Hopefully, they will use the data to make the necessary adjustments!
Missy Caulkins, Montessori Teacher, McLaurin Elementary
I am following my lesson plans by introducing and reviewing lessons by video. I'm giving assignments (homework) that are challenging, as always, and specific to each child, if need be.
I am reading books, and discussing various things about the books. I am assigning homework with most books; story maps, venn diagrams, sentence starters, beginning-middle-ending, favorite parts-and why, details, different endings, making connections, etc. These assignments have been for the 5-year old students as well as the 4-year old students.
The math lessons are specific to the group in which each child was working in March. I have made my own homework assignment lessons and used my own SmartBoard lessons as assignments too.
Brandy Montgomery, Eighth Grade Social Studies Teacher, Sneed Middle
I have been trying new and inventive ideas to help the students grasp the information that I am trying to convey through video, by creating a digital escape room lesson for the 1920s and using a choose-your-own adventure lesson to help the students get into the darker side of the 1920s.
My hope is that the students will be immersed in the information a little bit more than if I told them what happened and at the end of the activity, and that they will have deduced some of the causes of the Great Depression.
I have also had the students create their own content. I had them create a Kahoot for the information they have been given, and I am going to have the read some information next week and come up with their own test questions.
Lisa Young, Sixth Grade Mathematics Teacher, John W. Moore Intermediate
Our team offers meetings as a group with students each day so they can see us and ask questions. We have a slide show that keeps us on track and allows for a student question session.
One of our team members also includes fun activities like a scavenger hunt. Also, just last week we had Spirit Week ending with a talent show on Friday. We also have one-on-one meetings with students if we see they are struggling or if the student or parent asks for extra help.
Ann Nichols, ID Moderate and OD Teacher, Southside Middle
Last Friday, I held a Fun Friday Hee Haw Happy Hour and asked the kids to bring a joke to share.
I played some "singalong" songs ("Home on the Range", "This Little Light of Mine" and "You Are My Sunshine") on acoustic guitar.
Sharri Duncan, Art Teacher, John W. Moore Intermediate School
How are Florence 1 Teachers Integrating the COVID-19 Crisis into their Lessons
Rachel Hodges, ELA Teacher, Southside Middle
I had them record themselves singing or reciting their newly written lyrics to show off their talent. Many students talked about our new learning situation while others spoke about their worries. Some sang about their hope for our future. I am absolutely amazed with the ideas these students have come up with to share their feelings on this pandemic.