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Showing posts from August, 2020

Setting Up A Learning Environment

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Having experienced a variety of educational experiences myself has given me a unique perspective when it comes to learning environments and what works and what doesn’t. Starting my educational experiences in public schools, transitioning to homeschooling, then to a small private school, before heading back to public school has shown me that kids learn and thrive in very different environments. Yet, our schools continue to design themselves to meet the needs of the masses, while not truly understanding that if we build in flexibility, things can really change for our students.  Kindergarten and first grade for me were at our local public schools. Think of your typical classrooms from the late ’80s and that was them. There were rows of desks, color, and classwork on the walls and students were sitting at desks while the teachers stood up and delivered. When I transitioned to homeschooling things were different. My parents learned about all the different curriculum choices, socialization

Tools To Make Your Videos Awesome

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  Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or whatever other platforms that you are using to connect with students can be intimidating. When educators enrolled in a credential program, they were not signing up to be on camera. Now that we are shifting instruction online, whether full-time distance learning or a hybrid model, cameras have become part of our classroom supplies. Now that you are going to be on a screen via a camera, you should make sure the picture is clear and engaging.  What should I do? Should I go out and buy hundreds of dollars of camera equipment? No, you don’t need to, but you do need to be intentional with what you have. Following these suggestions, you can find that your students will be more engaged and will keep coming back to your online class.  Tripod Getting your camera to the right height makes a huge difference. I use either my phone or computer for any video conferencing. If you don’t have a traditional tripod, that is fine. You can stack books up to the right height or
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  When schools, businesses, and practically the world shut down in March 2020 no one really knew what would be coming next. Months later schools across the country are preparing for a year like no other. It doesn’t matter if you are on the west coast, east coast or in a rural town in the middle of the country, the school that you left in March, is not the same today.  I am currently an elementary school principal and we are a week away for our first day of instruction with students. The instruction will look familiar, but the set up will not. We are opening in a 100% distance-learning format and just saying those words give parents, teachers, and administrators the chills.  Leaders of our districts and schools can often feel alone, but now in a distance learning model, you may feel that you are on the edge of a cliff, with no one around. It takes time, but gradually if you look around, you may notice how beautiful of a view you actually have. Below are strategies that I have found to b