COVID-19 - School Closures - Update

 Things to do -

With school closures, there is certainly no shortage of things to do being posted online.  I love Lunch Doodles being provided by Mo Willems , the daily schedules being provided, and that school districts everywhere are publishing some flexible learning opportunities.  Companies like BrainPop  are also providing free access to online content. 

Connection During Social Distancing

from: https://creativityboost.net/2018/07/10/turning-crises-into-opportunities/

With no shortage of digital learning opportunities, some teachers may want to provide content that is suited for their classrooms.  Please make sure you're following COPA and FERPA laws and regulations while doing that. 

This morning, my community (Teachers & PTA Board) and I met via Google Meet to discuss the kinds of things we want to do with students and to create a calendar of events (on a shared document) to stay connected with our community.  Because of the various issues surrounding equitable access, all of these opportunities are flexible and optional.  Our goal is connection through enriching content.

I'm excited by how excited we are to create  opportunities to stay connected even as we are ordered to "shelter in place."  Here are some ways we are connecting with our students:

• Read Alouds posted on Facebook Live or using Google Hangouts (students can have a more intimate meeting with their teachers as they use their individual school Gsuite logins to meet up with their teachers.
• Teachers connecting with students doing something they love to do - gardening, art, music, tinkercad, cooking, etc.
• Parents & community members starting community chats for sharing their passion with their school communities.

Here's a video from one of our community members connecting to the Project Based Learning Unit she was teaching prior to schools being closed:

I cannot say enough about how inspired I am by my school community!   They know how to find opportunities for learning and run with it!

COVID-19 School Closure Activities for Administrators and Teachers

A Call to Action

On Friday the 13th, I experienced a first (and hopefully only) in my career/life - schools closed for 3 weeks to #PausetheSpread and #FlattentheCurve.  After a full night's sleep (I passed out from the exhaustion of the week!), my brain has been spinning about how we can create connection and some good of this situation.  Here's a few ideas that have come from various sources of inspiration:

1. Facebook live events by teachers and administrators.
• How to draw classes
• Read Alouds
• Number talks from nature 
2. Call to service opportunities.
• Encourage middle school and high school students to volunteer with campus or park clean ups.  Post on social media and tag their schools, teachers or administrators if possible.  (Something where people can be outside and maintain social distance, but still do good.)
• Offer to volunteer or "babysit" for families that have to work.

The opportunities are endless.  I can't wait to meet with my teachers and PTA  (google hangout, here we come!) to come up with something fun, uplifting, and transformative!  

Remember to share the load - make a calendar of events that can be posted on your school's social media pages, website, and other communication platforms.

Stay tuned, I'm looking forward to sharing the journey.   I'd also love to hear what you're doing! Let's use the hashtag #EducationThroughEpidemic

Yours in health and peace.

In the meantime, here are some sources of inspiration:

This Sketchnote from @tnvora - 

A weekly schedule for families and teachers from @drlangraad

A daily schedule to promote routine - routine makes kids feel safe - from Jessica McHale Photography