Since our awesome write-ups are primarily being distributed to building and district administrators, I wanted to make sure that I shared them within the team as well. Since we're just getting back into the swing of the VW, I don't want to overwhelm you with three weeks of write-ups, so you'll get a selection today, but I hope to share the prior week's write-ups in future VanWeekly editions.
From Sarah Harkins, Ocee Elementary School:
Microsoft Teams for Homeroom Morning Meetings
I use Microsoft Teams for morning meetings twice a week. The parents know the times, and the students are on the platform when I click "meet now" at the designated time. I start by giving everybody a few minutes to chat before I mute microphones and offer a morning meeting question. Each student takes turns sharing, and we use the hand signals we practiced in class throughout the year in order to respond to each other silently. Once everybody has had a turn, we chat for a few minutes and I answer any questions they might have about the work expectations and/or content. This simple yet effective way to continue our classroom community has helped establish a sense of consistency and optimism as we embark on digital learning together! I'm using this with second graders, and they've loved this platform.
From Chanel Johnson, STEM Program Specialist:
Microsoft Planner
Microsoft Planner is a work management application, that lets you organize projects, share files, assign tasks, and chat with other collaborators. an ideal tool to use while holding virtual PLCs with your Teams. You can do the following
Create new plans, assign tasks, and share files with others.
Organize teamwork and collaborate on projects in a simple, visual way.
Chat with others to make sure you're on the same page.
Keep track of your team's progress and stay on top of your work—from anywhere, on any device.
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/use-planner-in-microsoft-teams-62798a9f-e8f7-4722-a700-27dd28a06ee0
From Chelsey Lloyd, Autrey Mill Middle School:
PE Strategies for Remote Teaching
PE lessons should be planned to instruct the basics of health and fitness with an emphasis on exercise practices and the importance of understanding personal health. Lessons should consider each student’s lifestyle choices relating to personal health and fitness. PE lessons can be fun and personalized while also offering students with important workout techniques (i.e.: modified for students with disabilities) that can be done at home.
Activity logs can be used to track personal health and fitness. Students can also use their personal devices to record video, take images, screen shots and track steps using fitness trackers etc. to demonstrate their fitness/learning.
Digital platforms that can be used include but are not limited to the following: Nearpod, Edpuzzle, BrainPop, Newela, Flipgrid, Teams and Google Classroom to submit work. It is also a great idea to incorporate social media (ex: Instagram/Twitter) as these platforms have become great part of students’ lives and they can express how they are feeling regarding personal health and fitness. We want our students to maintain a sense of structure, but at the same time maintain a stable mental health during these challenging times. Above all, the students should be having fun and enjoying getting out and moving.
From Michelle Howard, Summitt Hill Elementary School:
Daily TAG Meetings in Teams
I conduct a daily TAG class with Microsoft Teams just like I would do at school. I have found that if I organize the lesson with a PowerPoint that students stay focused are excited by the end to begin their assignment. A typical day will include: a class meeting where students share, a warm up activity such as a rebus puzzle, a presentation of the week's prior work turned in, a hook for the lesson that usual includes a discussion of prior learning, then an introduction to their creative or problem-solving or research project. At this point, I usually guide them through a process I want them to learn or use. Then they move off TEAMS to complete the assignment. I stay online in the meeting about an half an hour so they can pop back in and receive guidance. I also use the PowerPoint to record the lesson if student miss their TAG day. This format has been what has worked best so far. TEAMS allows me to load assignments, praise student work, add FlipGrids into my lesson easily.
From Monica O'Connell, Crabapple Crossing Elementary School:
Using PowerPoint to Record a Lesson
Using PowerPoint video option to record my remote teaching lessons has been the simplest way to demonstrate a concept or strategy and provide a variety of ways for students to understand the concept. For example, yesterday I recorded a lesson on marking up syllables before a suffix and I could embed a short video after my mini-lesson as well as use markers to mark up the slide. I can then either save the PowerPoint recording as an mp4 and download to my Youtube channel or the students can just view my recording on the PowerPoint! If you make a recording mistake, you do not need to record the entire lesson again as it gives you the option to redo audio exclusively pertaining to that slide! You can also type in notes in PowerPoint and use notes to help you record! Best of all, if you really want to make an exemplary video, you can practice your lesson using PowerPoint Coach beforehand! Check it out and you will be pleased!
