Reflections: Week #1 Of Remote Learning

After week one of remote learning and taking time to call and chat with the students, I have more questions as I reflect on students' learning success. We have spent the year building relationships, thinking strategies, thinking tools to develop our competencies and strategies for executive functions.

In the classroom, we practice being passionate about each other and be forgiving to oneself when struggling. We support our feelings that no one is left alone to struggle nor to be overwhelmed.

 As I think about the week ahead and after listening to #Onedmentors on virtual digital citizenship, I have more questions about the weeks ahead. If you missed listening to the episode check it out. https://voiced.ca/podcast_episode_post/digcitsummit-toronto/

The tweets that had me reflect on remote learning.

We are all trying to readjust to remote learning.  We are figuring out the well being, to get students to regulate their emotions and to monitor their thoughts, to complete tasks online, to manage problem-solving and to prioritize tasks. 

• How do we keep relationships, experiences fostering social connections and open-ended tasks?
• How are students' environments set or spaces for creative explorations and creativity? Are they feeling safe?
• How are they completing tasks through remote learning with so many distractions?
• How are we supporting students to be organized and staying focused to self-monitor?

No students would want to miss the work we are proposing for them or perform poorly on tasks.

There are so many haves and have nots in this situation that we are not aware of. 

• How are students reaching self-management and autonomy for skills development?
• How are students navigating everyday scheduling for activities and learning?
• How do we monitor their attention and comprehension?
• Are we scaffolding learning for students who need it?
• Are we chunking learning tasks and strategies?
• How are students developing information management?
• How are they getting tasks done?
• Are students working for short periods of time? 
• Are they reducing distractions? How are they focusing after being interrupted?
• How are they collaborating and communicating effectively with their classmates to experience academic and real-world success?
• What do they do when they get a roadblock?

So much to plan ahead. I will be sharing with the students' ways to self-monitor misunderstanding, self-management for planning learning.

With people at home, the learning environment is very different. There is cooking, cleaning, and babysitting. Authentic learning takes place within the real world, real connections, and meaningful contexts. 

I am about to learn how to explore and shift my learning to focus on social-emotional learning and executive function with the students in their home environment.  I will do what I know will work and what is best for my students and their learning.  

I am also thinking of Kevin O'Shea sharing how fatigue might set in.

We are entering week 9 of #onlinelearning Here’s some advice! Fatigue sets in and you’ll have to pivot a lot! #COVID19 #schoolclosure @TeachersOnFire @susancckim @levi_allison42 @diskon4no @awfrench1 @bbray27 @Kbahri5 @henneld_edu @SethiDeClercq @ChrisQuinn64 @fablefy pic.twitter.com/UmFZ7WYeQW

— Kevin O’Shea 🇨🇦🇯🇵 (Wear a mask and wash hands) (@MadForMaple) March 28, 2020