However, in rows, a student testing positive could potentially send eight other students home as well. So we asked if we could use pods of four that would be placed six feet apart. This would reduce the number of quarantined students by at least half. And the response to our request (drum roll please......) was YES! Here is a picture of my pod arrangement. Students have to stay masked during class (they would anyway) and stay in their pod. 
This is how I have all of my pods arranged now. Students can rotate desks they within the pod each day, but they must stay with their pod. I wipe the desks, chairs and bar off after each class period with a clean microfiber towel and a disinfecting spray that my school provides.
Ok back to my classroom routines. So I do not think I have ever reused a previous year's activity the first two days of school. This year was not any different. However, I think Shelly Temple put it best during our conversation yesterday, I did feel like a first year teacher again in some respects. There are a lot of unknowns. I know my students felt like they were drinking from a fire hose as I was trying to give them all of the information they will need to be successful in my class, in person or distance learning, in TWO days.
The best first day activity award goes to desmos! Getting to Know Each Other worked really well with my students. They learned how to use desmos, I gained invaluable information about them, and once completed, they took a screenshot of any screen and practiced uploading to canvas. I gave feedback for each student and we discussed how to find the feedback and how to make corrections and submit their corrections during Friday's class period.
Best breakthrough idea....air pods (swiped from my daughter) while teaching. I received an email from one of our counselors on Tuesday that I had three kids that wanted to take my College Algebra class virtually. Ok, I am flipping my class anyway so why not. So, I had this idea. Why not use google meet during our in person class time to bring my virtual students into the class with us! So, I log in to google meet 5 minutes before our in person class begins and put one air pod in my ear while the other remains in the charging case. Remember, Thursday and Friday were class procedure days, so this gave me flexibility to try it out. I walked around the room and my virtual students could hear me, they asked questions and participated when questions were asked. Now what will next week look like? My plan: bring my virtual kids in daily and allow them to join a group. They will be able to discuss the class activities and interact with their pod and with me. I will try to give an update next week on how this goes. I am very excited about it. Shelli Temple made a great point yesterday-my students that are in person should now feel confident, comfortable and at ease that if we have to go to distance learning, I have a plan in place and it is already working.
Student introductions are streaming in right now. I used Flip Grid and asked my students to introduce themselves and tell me something that makes them smile. I created this activity because my students have to wear masks and I cannot see their face. I really have to work at learning names and it is so much more difficult without seeing their faces. Now I can rewatch the video they created to help me learn who they are! LOVE it! Unintentional benefit, as they share what makes them smile, I am smiling with them. I LOVE that!
I am thankful for friends that allow me to think aloud during our conversations and support and even add to my crazy ideas. I love my network and am thankful that it is expanding!!
No comments:
Post a Comment