Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Woodland teachers and families use technology and online learning to help maintain the social elements of school in addition to teaching the academic lessons.
Throughout the district in all grades K-12, teachers and parents have been working together during the statewide school closure to ensure students learn remotely. However, the emotional impacts of not seeing classmates and friends can have negative effects on children’s ability to stay attentive or positive. In order to combat these potential negative effects of staying isolated, teachers and parents throughout Woodland have found ways to continue making the vital social connection during the closure.
At North Fork Elementary School, teachers use the Google Classroom cloud-based application to hold class sessions and engage with their students. “I read stories to my students and then the students take the opportunity to share one thing they like about learning from home,” said Amy Craig, a 1st and 2nd grade teacher at North Fork who holds weekly read-aloud classes with her students every Friday. “Students are always excited to see each other and kept waving at each other.”
At Woodland Middle School, teachers use video conferencing to introduce different elements into their sessions to keep engaged and feeling social. Kelly Beasley, a pre-algebra and physical education teacher, invites students to have themed days such as “Hat Day” or “Bring Your Pet to Class” day. “We had 18 kids participate in the video class along with a bunch of dogs, five kitten, two pigs, and a giant teddy bear,” said Kelly. “The kids really miss the social piece of school, and I’ve had parents tell me these video meetings are the highlight of their kids’ weeks; mine, too!”
Liz Vallaire’s kindergartner, Harper, and second grader, Zoey, use video conferencing to receive assignments and stay connected with their teachers
Elizabeth “Liz” Vallaire, TEAM High School’s math and science teacher, uses video conferencing so her two children, Harper in kindergarten and Zoey in second grade, can connect with their teachers every Wednesday. “The girls’ teachers give me advice on what subjects I can work on next with them,” said Liz. “However, the girls especially love sharing what’s going on in their lives with their teachers, plus my kids enjoy the virtual tours their teachers give them of their workplace.”
Angie Plocharsky, a Woodland parent, appreciates the technological resources provided by the district and how she can keep her children working on their studies. “We are able to use the two Chromebooks our school loaned us to keep the kids engaged in learning,” said Angie. “Our teachers have done a great job of explaining how to access Google Classroom for learning.”
Angie Plocharsky’s children use Google Classroom and iReady to stay up with home learning including science such as her second grader creating a solar system Venn Diagram
In addition, Angie utilizes some of the other free resources the district offers including iReady, an online learning platform for English Language Arts and Mathematics. “I love that the programs are already set up for my kids’ knowledge level,” said Angie. “Thanks again for all the hard work and dedication the staff has made to help home learning be successful for us all!”