Congratulations, we did it! We survived our first week of FRL (Flexible Remote Learning). We all learned how to log on to Zoom, navigate our new life of links and a schedule that was had us in and out of those links. We learned how to get into our Google Classroom, and how to find apps on the iPads. It was not flawless, but everyday it was better. In the end, students were back to learning. That is a win! This week will be even better as our schedule becomes more consistent. I will address that below, but first let me start by telling you what we will be learning next week:
Math: We will start our live and independent math lessons this week (check the classroom calendar and/or the attached schedule for these times). These lessons will be taught from our math curriculum, Engage NY. We will be looking at embedded numbers, which means seeing parts inside of whole numbers (ex: inside of 5 we have the parts of 4 and 1, or 3 and 2, etc...). We will also focus on making number bonds from the whole number and it's embedded parts. Understanding number bonds now is very important because they will be part of nearly everything we do in math the rest of the year. On Thursday we will have our first math assessment, which we will do on the iPads. The first time around this will work a little different because I will show the students how to access the test on NearPod and I will review the test with them. Then they have to log out of our Zoom to access NearPod and they will do the assessment during their independent math time with you at home. Please make sure on Thursday that you read the question out loud to them then allow them to write their answers. This is an assessment, so if they miss something do not change their answer. I need to check for their level of understanding, and if you change their answer or help them so that they correct their answer I will think they understand more than they do. However, if they ask clarifying questions before they answer, that is ok. If you have any questions about this, please let me know.
ELA: ELA stands for English Language Arts. This is where we will be doing all things reading, writing, spelling, and grammar related. I will be following our live and independent schedule for this starting this week as well (again, check the classroom calendar and/or the attached schedule for these times). However, I will not be starting our ELA curriculum until next week. This week I will be laying down some foundations and teaching the students how to do some parts of our Daily 5 routines at home. Daily 5/CAFE is a literacy framework that I use in conjunction with our district approved ELA curriculum to teach our children how to read. Daily 5 is a series of 5 choices your child will make everyday during part of our ELA time. CAFE is the methods I will teach them to implement while they are reading during Daily 5. This week during Daily 5 the students will learn how to read to self, which is broken into 3 parts - read the words, read the pictures, and retell the story. We will also learn how to word work at home, which is essentially different ways for them to work on their spelling words (or any words they wish to work on spelling) and work on writing, where they learn how to start writing (coming up with ideas, writing in journals, etc...). We will end the week with them learning Listen to Reading, and what that will look like from home. It sounds like a lot, but the following weeks your students will get to choose which of these they will work on during their independent time and they really are engaged in their learning process so much more when they have those choices.
In order for us to continue with Daily 5 I will have to get out a book bag to you. This will happen on Friday. I do not know if this will be another pick up, or if I will be making deliveries. I will let you know as soon as I arrange this with Principal Reasor.
Daily Schedule: I have made a few changes to the schedule. One of them is a quick break after morning meeting (before ELA live). This is because I realized without the break they will be in front of the screen from 8:40-9:30, which is too long for them. I would rather they take a quick break and be back for a complete lesson. During this time I will NOT have them sign off completely, instead I will just move them into the wait room and then readmit them when the break is over. This will eliminate the need for you to re-log them into our Zoom as well. Here is the link to our new schedule. Schedule Link. The schedule is also reflected in the calendar in our Google Classroom and I will link it in the email as well.
Apps to Add: Please make sure you have the following apps installed on your child's iPad. NearPod, Epic, and Dreambox. If you do not see these on your child's iPad already you will find them in the Self Service app, where you will just click install. Please do not install any apps that you are not instructed to, as this will clutter the iPad quickly and may make it hard for your child to find the apps they need for school. We have not used Dreambox yet, but will be taking a look at it together on Monday. It should already be on the iPad. Here are the log in instructions for Dreambox - Dreambox Login. For Epic the Log in instructions are Epic Log-in.
Backgrounds: The district has asked that we allow backgrounds and I am fine with this. However, per the district and Principal Reasor your child may only use the backgrounds that are provided by Zoom. If your child is using a picture of any kind from somewhere else, they must delete and change to a Zoom provided background. I have not instructed the students to take any pictures for anything, so I am asking that you delete any pictures they might have taken make sure they understand that they may only take pictures when instructed by me, which will serve an educational purpose for a project. Also, I did set some guidelines with the class last week on when they may change their backgrounds. They can change their background before class or during a break. They may NOT change their background during any live time with me, as this becomes a distraction for both them and their classmates. I must say, the students did well with this, and did not play with their backgrounds after this. Still, a reminder from home will help solidify this. Thank you.
Limiting Distractions: I need your help in limiting the amount of distractions the students have in their new learning environments. At school they are not allowed to have toys or other electronics with them. I know this is hard to implement at home when they are surrounded by all their things. However, I really need them to not have anything in their hands, or within their reach when they are with me live. This includes toys and extra school supplies. I will always tell them what they need and when they need it. It will also help if they have a learning space that is free of their things. If there is room at a table as opposed to their bed if possible will help them sit up and have a surface to write on. Also, they do not need to make signs to hold up to the class. I need them focused on their own learning, not on what others are doing. I will be in charge of those who unmute when they are not supposed to, or that are off task. These types of things also distract your student and others from the learning. Please make sure your students use the bathroom before school starts and during the breaks, and before we join back on. This way they will not have to leave for a potty break in the middle of a lesson. If they do ask if they can step out I will ask them what they need to go do. I will let them go use the bathroom or get a drink if necessary, just like in class. However, I am finding that as of now they are finding it really easy to go do something they would normally go do at home because they are home, and I will tell them no to these types of things so that they can establish the routine of being at school and treating it as such. Thank you for your support on this.
Emailing Me: Please make sure if you have a question you email me directly at ashaw@fusd1.org as opposed to putting a message in our Google Classroom stream. I only ask this so that Classroom can remain uncluttered and for accessing our students work and assignments for the week. If we use it for emailing those things will become buried under a line of messages, and I want to avoid making them difficult to find. With that, please make sure you email me at anytime with any questions you may have - I encourage that. :)
Classroom Google Slide Show: I finally figured out how to share the our classroom slide show with you all, and make it so you can edit your own slide, and it only took me about a dozen or so tries. I might be able to do it again. Thank you all for your patience as I figured it out. Here is the link for that as well - OurClassFamilySlideShow. If this link does not work, please access the link in the stream of our Google Classroom. We will be sharing the slides your children create during the closing meeting this week as a way of getting to know each other better and building that classroom community. Please make sure not to accidentally mess with someone else's slide. I cannot wait to see these next week.
Grace. I have never been one of those people who have a word for the year, but I guess this 2020 school year has changed that. My word for this school year is grace. I have seen this so much already in just this first week. Given and received, and it has been appreciated and necessary. You all have been amazing, and I look forward to our year together. Also, here is a picture of our first day together, in FRL, on Zoom - 2020, sure to be a classic.
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