Week Ahead: Feb. 24-28

| February 20, 2020 | Week Updates | No Comments

Okay – I’m sticking with my race analogy.  We started Virtual School at a dead sprint.  We slowed in week 2 to to a run.  We’ve now taken a water break in week 3.  Let’s end week 3 and start up week 4 in a slow jog.  That’s how we will successfully navigate Virtual School for us and for our students.

To this I want to add that you as runners have done an amazing job of adjusting to your terrain.  The course at first was 5 days … then shifted to 10 … then shifted to 20.  You’ve been remarkable.  Students are also doing an excellent job of adjusting to their terrain.  However, they aren’t as nimble, flexible, and agile as you are.  This means that they are going to be running MUCH slower than the could if they were with you in the classroom.  The longer they run, the more difficult it will become for most of them to maintain pace.  This means we need to be VERY responsive to their feedback, their signals.  They want to please you and will strive to do what you ask – but we can’t have them (or you) burn out before the end of the race.  So set a pace that will take us to the end of March.  We could be in this for the long haul.  Let’s all get there together and not be out of breath staggering over the finish line.  Let’s stroll across it together with our hands raised in victory.

Reminder for Friday

Friday, Feb. 21
8:30 Faculty Meeting #1: Team 8 + Beals, Bertoia, Lu E, Luque, Wrzesinski, Elam
9:15 Faculty Meeting #2: Team 6 + Gorcea, Jardin G, Pool, Scott, Swiercinsky, Rynne

Here is what’s up next week:

Monday, Feb. 24
Day 6, GHEF
*Happy Birthday Claire Elam!

Tuesday, Feb. 25
Day 7, DABC

Wednesday, Feb. 26
Day 8, HEFG Early Dismissal / Half Day Instruction

Google Meet times:

  • 8:00 for H block
  • 9:35 for E block
  • 11:00 for F block 
  • 11:40 for G block 

Positive Education Virtual PD (see David C’s email)

Thursday, Feb. 27
Day 1, ABCD
8:00 SST
Positive Education Virtual PD (see David C’s email)

Friday, Feb. 28
Day 2, EFGH
Positive Education Virtual PD (see David C’s email)

Upcoming (on the radar)

 

Planning for Weds. Feb 26 – Early Dismissal:  We recognize the need for teachers to have time to consolidate their own learning – to talk about tech tools that have been introduced, to share tips on how to use PSLearning and PS in a virtual school environment, and to discuss how to prioritize standards and learning outcomes in a virtual school environment.  To that end, we are keeping the 1/2 day on Wednesday.  We will adjust Google Meet times on that day to be 8:00 for H block, 9:35 for E block, 11:00 for F block, and 11:40 for G block.  Since this E-H of a planning cycle, you will need to connect the plans from Tuesday and Wednesday if you class crosses between them.  The expectation for all teachers to be on an A-H planning cycle does not change.

From this week’s updates: Reminders about Virtual School Expectations and Guidelines

Requirements:
1. You must be on an A-H planning cycle.  This really only affects teachers who have a course that runs on both A-D and E-H days.  There were several people on an E-D planning cycle.  If virtual school extends through March, we need to ensure that we have consistency.  This is not optional.  If you are still “off” cycle and would like to help thinking through how to get “on” cycle, please reach out – we are all here to support each other.
2.  Due dates and times must be a minimum of 48 hours after posting; and the due time must be 9pm.  Again, this consistency is essential as we already have students out of our time zone.  We need to keep it simple.  All students only need to remember 1 time – 9pm (or what ever that is in their time zone).
3.  You must provide estimated times to complete EACH PART of the assignment.  This is very important for receiving feedback from students on how long it is actually taking.  They have been clear (all students – especially the ones who are caught up) that we are not estimating correctly.  Those that are keeping up are putting in way more time that we have estimated.  This is a new style of learning for students, and they do not have all the supports that usually do in their learning environment.  So it isn’t just that they are chatting and gaming … they can’t ask you immediately; you can’t prompt them when you see they have veered off track; they can’t use context clues and visuals to help.  This means everything takes longer.
Suggestions:
4.  Use more video explanations of instructions.  Just hearing you go over the directions will help our students better understand what you want them to do.  They also really like seeing your face; it helps them feel connected.
5.  Use missing work rates as a form of formative assessment for yourself.  It is really hard to shift from having immediate feedback on pacing like you do when you have students in class, to having delayed feedback on pacing in Virtual School.  The rate of missing work can be seen as one form of student feedback on pacing.  If missing assignments are higher than typical, that could be a sign that the estimated time to complete the work was off, that something in the instructions didn’t click, or that reteaching is needed.  This could be seen as a yellow flag – indicating a need for a consolidation block.
6.  Use consolidation blocks as needed.  You have the ability to schedule consolidation blocks with your students.  During these blocks no new work or activities are required of your students, but instead they have additional time to complete prior tasks/activities.  During this consolidation block, you might schedule a variety of Google Meets with an assortment of students that need additional support to complete the tasks.  If you are going to do this please post as “Consolidation Day” in PSL and list the activities the students should be working on. Do NOT list in PSL as a catch-up, slow down, easy, break or time off day.  These titles may send an unintended message to our students and parents.

Check In / Catch Up and other Documents:  Here are quick links to important documents

Grade level Virtual School Check in Document

Student Survey:  Survey Summary Comparisons

MS Virtual School Guidelines for Teachers
At Risk Student Check In Guide – Virtual School

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