Today is the first day of distance learning in English 12. In addition to this post, there will be an announcement on Google Classroom and a static link on my BHS website. The most important document is the following letter:
- tinyurl.com/makerspace-update-0325 | English 12: Distance Learning Update (March 25, 2020)
- tinyurl.com/makerspace-update-0325-pdf | PDF version
This letter will be attached to the March 25 announcement on Google Classroom. It will also be added as a formative assignment in that section of Classwork, sent home to your parents, and copied to administration.
Please note that this letter is designed to work on two levels: first, as a shorter reminder of what you were doing in Q3; second, as a thorough explanation of what you will be doing, whether as distance learning or back in the makerspace, for the rest of the year.
If you have not already, please read the two most recent updates from the Superintendent and the rest of the BCSD administrative team:
- tinyurl.com/bcsd-update-0323 | Updates on high-stakes testing and K-5 parent-teacher conferences.
- tinyurl.com/bcsd-update-0324 | Full update on distance learning expectations and schedule.
I am hopeful that we will return to regular instruction soon. In the interim, I will use the existing structures of our course to keep you and every other stakeholder involved and invested. Let’s start with the three most important details:
Daily Announcements | Will be posted every morning to Google Classroom. It will include reminders, links, and general feedback. Start here each day and follow instructions, just as you have all year.
Weekly Updates | Will be posted every Wednesday to this website. These weekly updates will cover any adjustments and updates to your projects. They are also a place where you can ask questions in the comment section.
Office Hours | Every morning from 10:00–11:00, I will be available to help in real time through email, the course website, and Google Classroom. I will post these to the front page of the BHS and Sisyphean High websites, as well.
Note on Synchronous Learning: We will not be using Zoom or any other form of FaceTime during our distance learning. We will focus on real-time annotations, synchronous editing of documents, and Q&A sessions through the course website and Google Classroom.
Read on for more.
Distance Learning: Week 1
Per that 3/24 update from the BCSD, the first week of distance learning requires 30 minutes or more of work per day. That is just enough time for you to return to your project-based work and build some momentum.
Your requirements each day:
- Set a specific daily goal by 10:00 AM. Use the same form and protocol we have used all year.
- Collect all evidence of your work each day and copy it into the evidence folders assigned to you on February 26.
To set your learning goal each day, do what you have always done. Load the link at the top of Google Classroom:
Remember that it will open up to give you all the resources you need to set a goal, self-assess mentally and physically, and share anything else you want to share:
Those resources:
What to do at the start of class: tinyurl.com/makerspace-start
Reformatted as a post: sisypheanhigh.com/malachite/?p=3561
Prefilled form: tinyurl.com/sisyphus-calibrates
For each day of distance learning, you must set a specific goal. I will check that goal against your progress, but it’s more important than that: Simply setting a goal will help you to stay focused.
As an example of just how much data comes out of these daily calibrations, look at this spreadsheet from Q1:
- tinyurl.com/daily-calibration-Q1 | PDF showcasing daily data from students in Q1.
You can see how helpful this is on both ends of the learning experience. That’s why the daily check-in is a requirement. Again, it should be done before office hours start at 10:00 AM.
As you work, you will generate evidence of some kind. You must collect it, whether you worked for 30 minutes or much longer, and make sure it goes into one of the folders you were asked to create on February 26.
The assignment for setting up these project folders is under the Classwork tab, in the category for Grade Abatement:
These evidence folders will allow me to check your progress, provide regular feedback, and help you put together the final products for each project. Start organizing them. This is what you will see when you open up the assignment:
Those directions were printed and distributed in class, and you can access them through that simple URL: tinyurl.com/gap-pbl-1.
Remember, too, that Ms. Egan and I spent every class period after February 26 helping students set up their folders. If you are behind, make this your first daily goal. Get it done by Friday. We are available to help directly during office hours, but we can walk you through the process and check your work at any point during the school day.
The rest of the information you need is in the instructional letter. Make reading it a priority:
- tinyurl.com/makerspace-update-0325 | English 12: Distance Learning Update (March 25, 2020)
- tinyurl.com/makerspace-update-0325-pdf | PDF version
I’ll continue to remind you what to do each morning, and Ms. Egan and I will be available throughout the day to help.
Use the comment section below to ask any questions you have.