Hey team!
I hope you have been having a nice break this week -- the weather has been beautiful! I have been sleeping in a little later and walking more... being home with Mr. Kloczko all day is a adventure! :) I wanted to reach out to you and share a little about what's to come next week, or at least what I know now. And no expectation that you do anything until next week! However, I know many of you may be wondering and I hope I can ease some worries and answer any questions you might have at this point.
The video above is where we are at, literally! We are going to be building the plane as we are flying it over the next few weeks and learning along the way. It will be a little messy and that will be ok! I have been organizing resources and trying out tools so I can support you all in the work we will be doing together. Every day I listen and watch to how others are adjusting and I am learning a ton. Mostly, we cannot "recreate" school at home. Nor should we. But we can get kids connected, we can get them devices, and we can plan learning opportunities for students that will also work for families. I feel like every parent is living an extended "take your child to work day" with all of the kids! My thinking at this moment is this: imagine what you think kids and families can do... then cut it in half. I saw this today and it really hit home.
What I love about now is that this forces the most important stuff to the top. We will let a lot go! And we will prioritize connections, joy, reading, and writing and focusing on what is most meaningful because we can't do it all.
I have been working on a schedule and really thinking about what really needs to happen to do this well. We need time to connect with our students, families, and each other. Prep time every day. Time to play. STEAM. A flexible schedule. Fun.
It won't be perfect. At the end of the first week, we will adjust. Cut. Breathe. Repeat.
Here is a little sneak peek at what will happen over the next week or two.
My plan at this point is to begin official "distance learning" on April 14th if we don't return to school. Right now going back then is looking very unlikely, but I am not giving up hope! I will be sharing Monday with families that over the next two weeks we will be piloting new tools and making sure we are connected to all families. That it will look a little different as we all learn together. And that we will be available for questions. In reality, the work we sent was intended to last through next Friday. The next few weeks will allow us to learn, get set up with any tech and materials you need, and to come up with our Waggoner plan together. We will get devices to kids who need it. I will worry about all the details and support you in any learning you need and want.
Monday at 1:00 I am planning a zoom meeting with teachers and Carrie to check in, go over big picture instructional schedules, planning, and needs, including intervention and sped. I will be sharing draft ideas for your feedback, answering questions, and discussing next steps. Tuesday, I will meet with grade levels separately, as well as DBE. Based on these meetings, we will schedule meetings with kinder, special ed aides, and other support staff. I will likely need help reaching out by phone this week to families who have not completed the tech survey. I will keep you posted. You can use Zoom on a phone, laptop, tablet, or even a regular phone to listen in.
We will be teaching from home, so I will want to be sure you have a student chromebook with a camera if you need one.
A few answers to your questions:
- If you want to call families, but not on your personal cell, I can share how to set up a number that you can text and receive calls on with YOUR phone but without having your number be shared. It's magic! I know many of you do share numbers, and that's ok too. If you want that now, let me know-- otherwise I plan to share Monday :)
- You won't need to be on social media. That's fine. If you are or want to learn, that's fine too!
- Zoom. Yes, we will be able to use use zoom. Yes, people have had issues. It's an amazing tool and we will need to use the right settings. The issues people are having are not a tool problem. It's a settings problem. Here is a blog post about it if you are interested :) Keep the Party Crashers Out!
- I will be keeping the tools and resources simple. The number of resources online is overwhelming. I have been sorting and saving over the best. Things I am thinking will be helpful:
- Google Docs/Slides/Forms
- Google Classroom (grade level or individual class)
- Zoom
- Screencastify
- YouTube
- Maybe FlipGrid, Google Sites for those who are interested.
- Google Voice if you want a private magic number :) For this you will need to use your personal gmail.
Mostly, this next week will be about reconnecting and learning as we go. There is lots more to come. But there will be time for that! We will be amazing together!
Please enjoy your last few days of break! I will send more info Sunday and Monday. Send any questions my way. I am working to get ready for you!
