How It's Going with Ongoing Learning
WORKING TOGETHER
A big thank you to parents, caregivers, and older siblings for helping students with this transition to a new way of learning. As teachers, when we plan online learning activities, we have to think about both the content and any potential technical issues that students may encounter. We are continuing to work on making this new way of learning increasingly organized and easier to manage. Your patience and understanding is very much appreciated!
GMAIL
One area some students and parents have acknowledged as challenging is dealing with the Gmail inbox. At our last Google meet, students helped each other with different suggestions as to how to manage this. A quick tip is to delete notifications once you have read them and answer emails that need a response. To keep the inbox manageable, delete what you do not need.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
These are exceptional times and while it’s important for children to keep learning, there is no expectation that the pace of a normal school day be duplicated at home! Teachers will continue to provide instruction and parent/caregiver involvement will depend on each individual child and the time that parents/caregivers are able to give. Every family will determine what works best for them, in communciation with their children’s school and teachers.
How much involvement you have will depend on your child’s needs. Here are a few things to keep in mind while helping your child become an independent learner:
o I am connecting with your child with lessons and assignments through Google Classroom. If you are not sure, communicate with me to understand your appropriate level of involvement depending on the assignment.
o The work your child is being assigned through ongoing learning is meant to reflect their individual ability. It is not expected to be error free.
o There is a consistent schedule for weekly work. Each day’s assignment has been designed to take one hour to complete. Part of the challenge of ongoing learning at home is for students to develop their time management skills to fully complete assignments and develop their independent learning habits.
o Students should be able to work through their assignments by reading and following the provided instructions, completing the work thoughtfully and with effort to meet the criteria of the task. They receive feedback directly from me through private comments on submitted assignments. They are expected to independently act on this feedback, and to communicate directly with me if they do not understand how to use this feedback to improve their work.
SUGGESTIONS
Following are some suggestions for helping with ongoing learning:
- Let your child see you’re interested in what they’re doing and be positive and cheerful in your approach.
- Encourage positive communication with your child (to give and accept instructions).
- Encourage the development of good work habits and help your child take pride in work well done.
- Help your child organize and prioritize assignments.
- Help your child stay connected to his/her teachers on a regular basis; encourage your child to seek assistance when needed.
As always, wishing good health to you all.
