Powtoons First Day Assignment

Since Powtoons was offering a free trial, I made my first video today. I had to watch a short tutorial to figure out how to add additional text boxes and order the appearance of the objects/text on my page, but once you understand the concept, it is easy to create your own cartoon videos. I would use this to gather some insight into my remote students and to ensure that all can access the email feature on Google Classroom to contact me for help. Here is my "Mission Impossible" introductory Powtoons:

Create an Animated Google Classroom Header

Making an animated Google Classroom header is a a fairly simple task. You will need a Bitmoji, Google Slides set to 1000 x 250 pixels as the page size, and the Google Slides add-on called Creator Studio. Here is a header that I created for a technology workshop and a tutorial from one I made for my son who is a track coach and science teacher. Enjoy!

Here is a short tutorial to help you get started adding personality to your Google Classroom. A single slide from the presentation can also be used as a header on Google Forms if you save the slide as a png image. Enjoy!

Teaching Remotely: 5 Teacher Basics

Summer Vacation is nearly over for most teachers. They have taken a few weeks to rest, clean closets, and repaint the shutters. But as August rolls around, especially during this pandemic, school prep is sure to be underway soon. (And it just doesn't seem right for me to be retired and on a permanent vacation!) So, I am sharing a few tips for setting up a successful remote learning classroom.

1. Determine Expectations: Usually, I would tell a new teacher to close her eyes and imagine the classroom of her dreams. Look at the walls, the teacher space, and what the students are expected to do. Fast-forward to 2020. Most teachers have never experienced a successful, fully remote classroom, so the scaffolding here is missing. You can't build on a missing foundation. So, let's just envision what you already know. First, you want learning to occur, so you need full engagement. Students need to arrive promptly, interact respectfully, and work passionately. Lessons need to draw students to the classroom, adapt to individual learning needs, and encourage correction and revision. Within all of this, your children need to know when and how to submit work, where to look for help, and confidence in your availability. To make this happen virtually, you will need seamless communication with students and care-givers. All you need to do now is adapt these to a digital format which requires the right tools.
2. Choose Resources Carefully: If you used paper and pencil for any management tasks, those need to be replaced. I encourage teachers to choose a few tools rather than a truckload. It is so much easier for students to revisit familiar apps and dive deeper into their functions as the year progresses. Too many too fast can be disastrous. Here are app favorites that are easy for teachers to learn and intuitive to most students. But, don't choose all of them. Explore and pick just one from each category to start. Learn it and build on its features.

Task	Tools/Options	Why?
Communication	Bloomz* ClassTag Class Dojo Remind Google Classroom*	Send progress reports,  weekly announcements, brag boards, text messaging, discussion groups, conference scheduling..
Learning Management	Google Classroom*  Edmodo SeeSaw Schoology Moodle Hapara	Work and resources should be organized in one consistent location with due dates, expectations, and feedback options in place. Nothing works without this one!
Digital Toolbox for Lesson Adaptation	Bookwidgets* Classflow Edpuzzle* Pear Deck* or Nearpod Google Apps (Slides*, Forms*, Sheets, Drawings) Formative Screencastify*	Create interactive assignments with scaffolding and automatic feedback. Spending time here will pay off long term. Worksheets don’t teach. Remote learning requires lesson adaptation to be successful. Start here. If you just want to add interactive boxes to a worksheet try Kami.
Adaptive Digital Content	Brainpop* PBS Learning Media Khan Academy Newsela and DogoNews Flocabulary Spelling City/Writing City NoRedInk CommonLit Edulastic Freckle Quill* Studies Weekly* Prodigy Scootpad MobyMax ReadTheory Raz Kids Xtramath	These tools are packed with ready-made activities and resources that can add variety to your classroom without significant teacher preparation. Some lessons adapt based on individual student success and can be used for differentiation and remediation as well. Reporting features vary and some require paid subscriptions.Check with your district to see what is available to you.
Collaboration/Discussion	Flipgrid* Padlet Google Meets Zoom Blogger or Kidblog Google Groups*	Facilitate verbal interaction with synchronous and asynchronous discussions or share projects for student evaluation.  Assign video responses, build discussion threads, and encourage student interaction.
Quiz Games for Remote Learning	Gimkit* Kahoot! Quizlet Live Quizizz	Import questions, collect data, review material, assign live or as homework… Check out these fun games.

*My favorites!

3. Start Strong: Plan to work 20 hours a day for the first 2 weeks. Clear your schedule, get child care, and sit at your computer all day long. It will pay off! You want the students to  know that you are there and watching everything. If you have Hapara or Chrome Monitoring, then open it on a second computer. The goal is to catch every student within minutes of logging onto their computer. Send a short message saying, "Welcome to our workspace, Sarah!" Make sure that they know you are actively available and watching them. When something is turned in, comment immediately and send back work for editing frequently during the first weeks. Show that you have high expectations and will not accept less just because you are working at a distance. I tried to grade and respond within 15 minutes. Then, if someone doesn't show up, contact parents. At the end of the day, I sent a note saying, "I was so glad to see Jimmy working today. He is off to a great start!" or "I missed Jimmy today. Is there anything that I can do to help you?" The next day, these students were actively engaged. It just took monitoring and frequent communication during the first weeks.

4. Build Community: I started a live drawing for Texas Roadhouse Gift Certificates, posted student projects into a shared post on Google Classroom, and wore silly glasses for a Google Meet. Try posting a weekly question through Flipgrid, Wonders, or Padlet that allows students to get to know their peers and you. You can also check out the new virtual classrooms that will help to add personality to your class and respond with bitmojis and audio comments often. You can get to know each other, but you will need to be creative!

Aren't these more fun than the stock Google Headers and worksheets?

5. Be Prepared for Failure:  Your students need to see you mess up and try again. Let them know that you are human, too. No matter how many times you practice, your first remote classroom will be full of pitfalls. Logins won't work, bandwidth will lag, assignments will be deleted accidentally, and you will forget to post some of the needed materials. Remember your first year of teaching!. The learning curve for digital instruction is just as steep. Keep pedaling up the hill. You will make it.

Remote, Blended Plan, or Homeschool... How Do I Decide?

The 5-question registration survey about instructional preferences for next year made me feel like I was choosing a hidden showcase on The Price is Right. What is really behind each curtain? How can I choose when the details are so unclear? Anyone else as confused?

After teaching for 35 years at multiple grade levels, earning a Masters Degree in Technology Integration for grades K-12,  teaching under the district's Remote Learning Plan this spring, homeschooling my sons for a year, and helping my 9th grader with online learning this summer I have a unique perspective on what is happening, the possibilities that exist, and the pros and cons of each choice. So here is my take:

First of all, most families have not experienced true remote learning, so please don't make decisions for this Fall based on what you saw during the emergency of the Spring. The identical packets of worksheets, lack of grading parameters, minimal interaction with teachers, and optional completion of assignments were merely stopgaps intended to stem the inevitable academic slide of our students. Learning wasn't the goal and schools really didn't have much choice. The state required that grading could not harm students and every teacher was forced to bow to the digital skills and knowledge of the colleague with the least expertise at every grade level. In an emergency, you can't expect a non-swimmer to forge the English Channel! Teachers did not have time to hone new digital skills or collaborate on best practices either. As a district, we didn't drown, but treading water is not the same as swimming. 

So let's look at each of the options for next year. Which one will be best for you?

Door #1: Remote Only Instruction should include all of the following to be acceptable.

1. Digital Instruction: All students need a teacher. As a teacher, I like face-to-face interaction that allows me to see the telltale signs of frustration, address misconceptions instantly, and remediate individually. Remote learning can and should provide personal interaction in some fashion through virtual meetings or other means. A worksheet is not instruction! Even with minimal freedom to hold virtual meetings this Spring, some teachers found ways to interact daily with their students. We messaged through Hapara when students logged onto their Chromebooks, commented on student projects, scored assignments using Google Classroom, requested revisions, sent Bitmojis for encouragement, had virtual contests, and even tutored a few students on difficult math concepts using our document cameras. It is possible for quality instruction to occur remotely if teachers are equipped with training and digital tools. Students need real interaction, though, not just video recordings of generic instruction. Even proponents of flipped video instruction herald the necessity of class time for application, reteaching, and personal interaction with a teacher. Research shows that quality teachers are the number one predictor of student success! So, live instruction with a qualified teacher should be expected.
2. Upgraded Communication:  Communication is more difficult during remote instruction, so upgrading communication with students and parents will be imperative for success. It doesn't really matter what app or program a teacher chooses, but every classroom or school needs a streamlined way to share with parents and bond with students who are learning remotely. I think classes need a photostream, text messaging capabilities, small group chatrooms, video discussion portals like Flipgrid, and the ability to audio comment on work. When a student doesn't "show up" they have to know that the teacher will contact them immediately and the feedback on classwork needs to be consistent and prompt. Remote instruction means we must find more creative ways to interact.
3.  Best Practices: So often I see teachers "digitizing" instruction by copying textbooks and worksheets. That is not true digital instruction. Technology, used properly, can transform classrooms with immediate meaningful feedback, targeted remediation of skills, virtual travel, interactivity, and individualization. Teachers should be doing more than assigning worksheets on Google Classroom if they are instructing students remotely, right?  If parents choose this option, you should not be expected to teach your child at home. The word "instruction" implies that there is an instructor. I hope that is the plan.

Door #2: Blended Learning should include the digital components of Remote-Only Instruction with the opportunity for face-to-face interaction part-time. So these are my top considerations:

1. Safe Practices: This seems to be the million-dollar question these days: How will you keep students safe? Until the district answers logistical questions, this causes me some anxiety.  Will other students wear PPE? What about those with medical mask exemptions? Will teachers be at risk since they are meeting with multiple groups? What happens if a child or teacher gets sick? What kind of cleaning will be done? No one wants to put their children at risk, so district preparedness will be of utmost importance for any attendance.
2. True Instruction: This pandemic hasn't changed the fact that teachers and schools provide stability to many students. Teachers alter instruction to meet the needs of the specific students in their classrooms and support students emotionally and academically. I want that for my child!  This blended option would allow for more social distancing, with smaller classes and personal relationship-building since class sizes will be reduced.  I envision teachers engaging with small groups, having fruitful discussions, and offering high educational productivity during these hours. However, teachers cannot fully engage with virtual and in-person groups simultaneously. What will virtual students be doing at home? Will teachers be expected to teach a class during the day and a virtual class in the evening? (A nearly impossible feat!) Once again, teachers need the time and training to expand their teaching toolboxes for this option to work. 
3. Stressful Routines: I know that students are adaptable, but the idea of keeping children sitting at their desks as long as possible, wearing masks, and social distancing is going to be stressful for teachers and students. I hope there are plans for this, too.

Door #3: Homeschooling is different than most people think. My oldest son, Adam, attended traditional Kindergarten before we moved to Cairo, Illinois for one year.  I homeschooled him and his twin brothers who were 5. So, I am not an expert, but I have a little bit of insight. Is this an option for you?

1.  Lifestyle Change: Homeschooling is a lifestyle change that requires dedication and determination. Some days, you just don't want to do it! To be effective, you need to be able to clearly set goals, reorganize your priorities, work effectively with your children, and do some research on curricula, especially if you are wanting your children to return to traditional education at any point in the future. For me, relaxed mornings and daily life skill practice were rewarding. The children helped to plan meals, grocery shop, clean, and cook.  We started the day by reading a chapter in the Bible and went to the library every Wednesday. Video games and screen time were not considerations for us 29 years ago, so reading and family time dominated our days. Although this sounds idyllic, some days this introvert mom craved solitude and adult conversation. Before you choose this option, think about how you feel on those first days of school in August. If you are thrilled for the "me" time, homeschooling probably isn't for you. 
2. Accountability: I have seen students who returned from homeschooling well-prepared and others who have fallen severely behind in many skills, especially written expression. Knowing that your child's academic growth rests on your shoulders alone can be intimidating, and as we all know some students are more cooperative than others. If you are choosing this path, please join a group of parents who are homeschooling, purchase a curriculum that will help to ensure that you are not skipping skills, and follow-through. After one year of homeschooling, my son, Adam, entered second grade and was reading well above grade level, but even to this day, his penmanship (which would have been a focus in grade 1) is the poorest of my sons. Is that a coincidence or a lack of practice in that crucial year? I will never know. 
3. Standardized Tests and services: Although most teachers are not fans of standardized testing, they are a reality to consider. If your child tests poorly or has an IEP think carefully. Passing the GED exam may have to replace an actual high school diploma if they don't earn transferrable credit, and someday your child may need to take the ACT test if they want to go to college. Some districts test home school students who return to public schools to determine correct grade placement, too, so a year off could put a student behind his peers. 

And that is why I can't decide which showcase to choose.  Like all of you, what I really want is for this virus to disappear and to go back to the naive, pre-2020 world where I felt safe sending my child to school.  Instead, I am going to pray for our school board members and teacher-leaders, while I shop for cute back-to-school masks...just in case.