Distance Learning. Let me start off by repeating that school is not closed...the building is. Students can learn anywhere. So many people across the world are at home with their children thinking they have to become professional educators in order for their children to make progress. I see their posts on social media. They are consistently expressing how stressed they feel now that they have the role as "mommy" and "teacher". Parents, let me remind you that you were your child's very first teacher! You've got this! If your child is anything like my nine year old 3rd grader, you've probably already noticed that he functions better if he has a set routine each day. We've been out of school for three weeks now. On the days that I've tried to slack off and not provide my child with a schedule, his attitude seemed more negative than on the days where he had different tasks to complete. I normally teach middle school aged kids, but today, I'm sharing with you things I've done educationally at home as a parent. Each night, I write out a schedule of tasks that I expect my son to do the next day. I allow him to wake up on his own, eat breakfast, and have TV time. When he's ready, he begins the "educational" part of his day. This has been about 9:00 AM each weekday. As I'm planning his activities, I keep in mind that he does love doing activities on the computer, but I don't want him to have too much screen time each day. A good balance I feel is best to keep both of us sane.
When I am thinking of different things I want him to accomplish, I keep a list nearby of standards and content he needs to learn or review from school, but also skills I want him to gain that will help him later on as he progresses through higher grade levels. I know he needs to have spelling words each week and practice his multiplication facts. He needs to read every day and have a creative outlet. I also want him to gain computer skills like typing and using PowerPoint. Cursive writing, learning a new language, and working a 3D printer are all things he can work on now too. I have included a sample schedule we've used during this "Stay at Home" learning experience. I try to change up the activities each day while maintaining a routine to help normalize our current situation. Sample Schedule: Task #1) Watch a BrainPop video about fractions. After watching the video, write three questions that you would make a student answer if you were the teacher. Then, complete the BrainPop HARD QUIZ below the video. Task #2) Go to the website for TypeTastic. Work on your typing skills for 20 minutes. Task #3) Pick out a book of your choice. Read for 15 minutes. After your time is up, create a new book cover for just the pages you read. Your design should serve as a summary of what you read. Task #4) Watch a Home Safari Youtube video about the Cincinnati Zoo. Using Play-doh, create a sculpture about the animal that was highlighted in the video. Next, make a 4-slide PowerPoint presentation about the animal. Task #5) Do you know your states and capitals? Click HERE to test your skills. Complete this task at least 3 times. How fast did you complete it? What percentage did you achieve?
1 Comment
Amy G
4/4/2020 09:13:01 am
I love this! Structure & balance = sanity!
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