Distance Learning - Learning from Lockdown

Once again we found ourselves teaching from home. As a school we tweaked a few things such as only one google meet in the morning. I had the advantage (or maybe disadvantage) of having a class site up and running this time. So I was able to focus on the learning I thought I could achieve through lockdown and then present it on one page. It was good to collaborate with syndicate colleagues just prior to starting distance learning. Having two sons in two other junior classes gave me a great opportunity to see and steal good ideas, particularly as we had unit planned together and had similar themes happening.

I was particularly glad that Sarah had suggested sunshine online was a great app and this time round (even though it was a web browser and no longer an app) it did prove to be a lot easier for students to use at home and then teachers to listen to online.

It did seem that we weren't overflooded with heaps of suggestions of activities and websites to use which was a relief. It did seem though that outer education organisations realised it was still an opportunity to carry on professional development. And so I have utilised a great deal of any extra time preparing to implement the Better Start Literacy Approach. 

I took a gamble to run a parent workshop online. It helped me to understand the importance of whanau involvement in learning to read but the lack of attendance online from parents means I still will have to do a lot of other stuff to get whanau involved in our new literacy approach.

Once again, having Hannah during google meets was really good to carry on the consistency from class of having a sound of the day. Also, she had to step in to keep things going a couple of times when things popped up at home, such as screen freezing.

What will I carry on into the classroom?

I enjoyed using one class site page with links and being planned one day at a time. I had a general plan for each learning area but adapted activities based on buy in and what my own sons enjoyed doing for distance learning. So I will have a go at using this style as a daily plan.

I am hoping that some students have used sunshine online enough to be able to use and teach others how to do this independently.

Also, some of the tweaks to phonological activities I did during google meets I will continue to use in class.

I will also print out some of the NZmaths pages that were used so those students who did use them can be experts on Fun Day Friday.