Where is God Today? God is found today in adaptation and in noticing what’s around us amidst all the changes, challenges, and profound loss. Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the twenty-eighth Superior General of the Society of Jesus, in his Personal Prayer, invites us all “to see everything now with new eyes” so that’s how we do this . . . Through frequent online meetings with teachers in our school’s academic departments, we are moving out of our comfort zones, to find new ways to engage students in learning. God is in the struggle, the newness, the flexibility. One department chair reflected, “How can we examine our current remote learning practices and to be consoled that some practices and learning are even better than what they were?” What a profoundly forward looking and positive challenge. God, indeed. God is present during online interviews with future Alum Service Corps volunteers - seniors in college who are not only learning to learn remotely themselves as they think about graduating, but also are excited to serve as teachers and mentors in our school next year – to give back in gratitude for their Jesuit education. God is present in experiences of administrators and teachers during those interviews, as they reflect on our loving learning community and our commitment to their faith, our students and their families. Finally, and most importantly, God is present in our students who are adapting to new ways of doing things, forming new habits, succeeding in their learning, and teaching us about hope, cadence, and resilience. God, indeed. What Have We, as Teachers, Learned After Week One? Online Expectations As teachers, we set and reinforce clear expectations for when we are going to be online to help address student questions about content, skills, and assignments. It is reasonable to expect that we are interacting with students during class. Perhaps this is during a 10-15 minute video and response or chat. It is not reasonable to expect that we respond to students at all hours of the day and night. As teachers, we need to set expectations verbally and in writing, and students need to be aware of those expectations, with opportunities to ask questions and help shape those expectations. We remember that we are helping students to form and build new remote learning habits. So, when students know that they will be actively participating during the first part of class, they log in and get to work. We help them build these habits. Online Etiquette Now is the best time to talk with our students about what they are experiencing online and to share with them best practices as they relate to online etiquette: presenting themselves online, doing work online, listening, and positively contributing. Some of our teachers are using the article below as a nice starting place for conversations. Teachers who modeling behavior helps students. Every day we take our students where they are and bring them along . . . today is no exception. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238902 Classroom Expectation Reminders We review classroom expectations with students every day. Whether it’s reminding students to re-read the expectations we set at the start of remote learning or directing students to a video about our expectations, we continuously return to remind students each day. We try to remember, students take 6-7 classes. Anything we can do to remind students about our expectations is helpful. Attendance and Class Participation We take attendance during class. This attendance is part of the student’s grade. Students must check in at the start of their classes – not before, not after. Attendance is taken by providing students with a contextual prompt or reflection question that they respond to online. Teachers mark attendance using our online educational platform, and give students points for attending. We remember that we are helping students build habits when we use attendance to help students with executive functioning skills. During class, students are doing something interactive and interacting with the teacher and with one another. Assignments and Work We are scaling back workload and expectations, to be sustainable. We strive to make directions clear and simple – written and/or verbal (audio). And we know that when students experience directions online, it is different than when they experience directions during class in school. We use online time to review directions, model what we are asking, and check for understanding before students get started. We provide students daily opportunities to show what they know and turn that in online through our online educational platform or through email. Larger assignments are okay when they are broken into smaller, more easily digestible chunks. Is what we ask students to do clear and doable during the 75-minute block class? What can students turn in and get feedback on? We are considering this question after week one: Is own behavior and preparation – our own workload – sustainable for a longer period of time? Sustainable for teachers and for students, over the longer-haul? And how are we reflective practitioners, continuously reviewing and revising? We know that we have a solid remote learning model to follow. We also know that we can and will make changes to that model – so that it works for students. Assessment In this new remote learning model, assessment looks different. We are a supportive community. We encourage one another to find new and effective ways of assessing student learning. We share those ideas with one another in our Microsoft Teams online support communities. Gradebook The first few weeks is about getting a feel for what works and building a routine that is predictable and supportive for our students. We do not shy away from trying new things. We do not shy away from failure. At the same time, teacher flexibility and humor – with ourselves and with our students – is becoming the norm. As remote learning continues, we will continue to post attendance, participation, homework, and project grades in online gradebooks. As we settle more and more into this remote learning routine, the student’s online gradebook is one tool where students and parents can go to see progress. It is one tool where students are held accountable for what they do. It is important that grades are posted and the gradebooks are updated. Weekend We made it! We are using the weekend as a time for much needed rest and relaxation. We all need the time and space to step away from our work with remote learning to engage with our families, the outdoors, a hobby, or a favorite past-time. Perhaps we take time for prayer and meditation. While our community steps up to make learning easier and routine during a very uncertain and scary time for our students and families, we know that we also need to care for ourselves and our families and friends. Our community is simply the best. We all cannot wait until the day we are all again together in person, but until then we will keep learning & teaching remotely in a very Jesuit and Ignatian way. Finally, we find consolation in the Personal Prayer of Fr. Pedro Arrupe: Grant me, O Lord, to see everything now with new eyes, to discern and test the spirits that help me read the signs of the times, to relish the things that are yours, and to communicate them to others. Give me the clarity of understanding that you gave Ignatius.
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Just because our kids are at home with us, doesn’t mean they need to sacrifice an educational routine that is fun and challenging. Even when working, as parents, we can set up structures for positive student learning experiences. Over the past two days, I’ve spent two hours thinking about and designing a learning plan for my second-grade son. Qualities of Remote Learning Use Home Supplies We Already Have What does remote learning look like at our house? I began thinking about possible teaching tools that we already have at home, that our son, Gus, could use for his learning. I have to admit, this first started with a quick playroom clean-up which revealed many unused and underused resources including worksheets from last summer’s skills workbook (buried below a mound of toys), school-made word lists (thanks Mrs. Decker) (that I turned into flashcards), pre-fabricated flashcards, various books (science, cursive writing, various topics, maps, etc.), stickers, toys, and lined paper – along with markers, crayons, and pencils. As I collected these things, I laid them out and began to categorize them by general subject/activity. I also included Gus’s iPad. Develop a System with Choices With all my tools laid out on the dining room table, categorized by general subject/activity, I began to think about all the choices in each category. How can each subject/activity be a specific choice for my second-grader? Make a Visual of the System After categorizing, I realized that my son would have 12 possible choices. I made a simple and colorful chart, briefly identifying his choices. This visual is similar to a system that his current second-grade teacher uses with her students – hopefully my son will take comfort in the similarity of the visual. In that visual, I also included values for each choice. For us, each choice/task is worth a certain star value. When Gus earns a given number of stars, he also earns levels of surprises (small and large). When Gus earns 18 stars (for completing tasks he chooses), he receives 1 small surprise (yet to be determined). When he earns 36 stars, he receives 1 large surprise. Variety – by Subject and Activity The learning plan should have different subjects and different activities, some of which are driven by student interest. For example, my son and I created the art project choices together. In my son’s learning plan, he also has choices for learning in different subjects: language arts, math, science, social studies, fine arts, P.E., and religion. As the plan unfolds, it is my responsibility to make sure he approaches all these subjects. Finally, Gus can choose from a variety of types of activities for learning: worksheets (practicing skills), flashcards (three different types, repetition and practicing skills), science experiments, handwriting, cursive writing, reading and comprehension, reading summary work, presentation creation, use of technology, art creation, and physical movement. Again, as he works his plan and earns his stars toward surprises, it is my responsibility to ensure he is engaged in a variety of activities for his learning. Here is a recap of the 12 choices in his plan:
Earning Surprises I have assigned each choice completion in the learning plan a value (star). When Gus earns a given number of stars, there is a surprise – yet to be determined. For him, a small surprise might be a Beyblade or Matchbox car. A larger suprise could be a remote control car. The rewards students earn could be dependent upon their level of achievement and could be tied to their interests. When I introduced the idea of a “small” and “large” surprise, my son’s face lit up immediately. Perhaps this is a motivator for him. How to Get Started & Why Preview A day or two before the learning plan began, I sat down with Gus to review the plan and I asked for his input. Together, we developed a list of his possible art projects, and I clarified questions. Time & Place Gus has a worktable in his playroom, where he will work independently after deciding about choices. Together, we agreed that he would do a total of two choices per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. What’s a reasonable amount of time? Each project should take Gus between 5-10 minutes of independent time, along with help from me – another 20 minutes. The Results I hope this learning plan will help Gus to continue to build healthy learning habits during this school interruption. The new home learning plan encourages that learning can happen, even at home, and he has choices based upon is interests and preferences. Hopefully, during this time, Gus is practicing skills he already knows and learning new skills. Finally, the daily experiences should help Gus feel accountable, creative, successful, and supported. A few years ago we started the new school year focusing on Our Why. We challenged one another during our day of recollection to reflect on this question: “Why do I do what I do?” Two years later, it seems as though we are continuously returning to Our Why. Stopping by one of our fine arts teacher’s freshmen Studio Art I class, I glanced at the whiteboard, only to find the teacher’s why: to encourage and inspire young people to create and recognize God’s beauty in nature and humanity.” What a clear phrase, that centers her, our students, and me. At our faculty meeting four days ago, our principal revisited this notion of Our Why and it later surfaced in an email he recently sent to parents. . . but this time relative to learning changes as a direct result of the corona virus. When we move to remote learning, why? He writes: These challenging times provide opportunities to live out our mission as men and women for and with others. By making sacrifices like moving to remote learning, postponing events, and suspending athletics and activities, we are doing our part as a school community to:
As we move from being a loving and supportive community we have built in school to being a dynamic and supportive remote learning community, I am grateful that we are prepared.
Here are some qualities of our remote learning plan for students:
We have worked tirelessly to create a vibrant learning community during the school year; however, during remote learning, this community feeling will not be present. In its place, we can create a supportive and collaborative remote learning community. We will work with students as we enter into this remote learning model and we will be flexible. We can do this. Last Friday, as our faculty and staff met in our Innovation Center for one final check-in before spring break, most seemed to have a sense that our students would be moving to remote learning. After a final blessing by our Jesuit chaplain, we were each left to our own final preparations or to enjoy one final meal together. . . most a bit sad at this prospect but clearly understanding Our Why and perhaps challenged a bit more toward a new way of proceeding. |
Pete MussoAssistant Principal, Curriculum & Instruction Archives
May 2022
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