Remote Learning By the Numbers You Can Do

W O W.

It's been a little more than 2 weeks since Governor DeWine ordered the closure of all schools in Ohio. I was sitting in the Curriculum Department when he made the announcement. I look back at that day & feel like it was surreal. I'll remember that day forever. We had been anticipating an announcement of some kind - but the swiftness was overwhelming. The next day was a pre-planned in-service day for my district and we pivoted from what we had planned on doing, to prepare for what it would mean to teach remotely.

Here I am, 2 weeks later. We used 2 calamity days and 8 days of remote learning. I can honestly say that nothing - and everything - in my teaching career has allowed me the strength to sit here and write this to you. I have no magical answers; I have no "right" answers; and I have no idea how much longer we will continue remote learning. But what I DO know is this:

• I will not be broken by this.
• I will be stronger because of this.
• I will make mistakes and learn from them.
• I will cry and dry my tears.
• I will be upset - even angry. And then I will channel that anger into something productive.
• I will see my colleagues create amazing digital lessons.
• I will see students do some pretty cool things at home.
• I will see my district leadership guide us through this time of uncertainty with grace and strength that even they didn't know they had.
• I will see a change in education that will hopefully prove to be for the better. 

I know these things to be true even though all of this stems from something so unexpected, so strange, and so unwanted.

This week is spring break for me. And it's one more thing that will be pivoting. One more thing that will be changed. I had been looking forward to 5 days of being home while my family carried on with their normal lives. This was what I expected. Instead, I will work with my daughters on their schoolwork. I will be thankful my husband is still employed and has a job he is needed at. I will work on school "stuff" - even though I know I don't have to. I will also do some of the things I had planned previously ... and I'll get to that in a minute.

I have focused my writing on activities and lessons that you can take and do in your classroom. I don't share a lot about my personal life. But today I am going to open up a bit. I feel like I need to be more open. Contrary to what many might think, computers and technology aren't my whole life. I do unplug and I do have other hobbies. 

For one, running has been a major part of my life since college. I have completed several half-marathons and 5ks. I run 3 or 4 times a week. On the other days, I do a fast-walk or the Maxtrainer. I've also included planks to strengthen my core.

I journal daily. Not like the narrative type - I shared my journal style two weeks ago in "Uncertain Times You (& I) CAN Do." I have done this faithfully since late December. It has given me focus, routine, and a means to reflect. I am encouraging my daughters to do the same.

And I LOVE DIY. I love watching it and trying things on my own. I grew up watching "This Old House" and I still am a faithful viewer. While I do not have a huge repertoire of tools, I do own several and they come in handy quite often. And many assume my husband does the work, but he finds DIY frustrating and allows me to do it. He's MUCH better at the outside work. He loves taking care of our yard and plants and all of that. I have brown thumb. I couldn't identify more than a couple of flowers and 1 tree - my favorite, a Japanese maple. We balance each other well in this respect.

First completed floor

A handful of years ago, we ripped up the carpet and vinyl flooring on our first floor and replaced it with a click-together flooring. While we were mostly happy, we've realized it wasn't the best option for kids and dogs. We've sorely needed to replace carpet on our 2nd floor. Can you guess what I had planned for spring break? That is my big project. I am replacing all the carpet in our bedrooms, hallway, and closets. No small feat. It also allows me to work out some stress and frustration. We had the flooring picked out, so on weekends that might have been spent at soccer fields, I am spending it replacing the floors upstairs. So far, I'm proud to share I've completed 2 bedrooms, about half of the hall, and I'm heading into our youngest daughters bedroom today.

All of this leads me to the share I have for today. As I was working to figure out a cut around a doorway Thursday night, I started thinking about all the things I have/haven't done over these past two weeks. And with the "By the Numbers" template Ryan O'Donnell (@creativeedtech) shared a while ago as inspiration, I've created "Remote Learning By the Numbers ... So Far." 

Here is mine for the past two weeks. I am thinking I will update it again at some point. (Maybe while it's all over. Maybe after spring break. Maybe I won't.) It sure would be fun to see some others Remote Learning By the Numbers ... So Far. Please share yours! 

Would you like to use mine to make a copy for yourself? Feel free! Here is a link to my Google Drawing. You are welcome to make a copy & modify it to fit yourself.

If you have any questions or comments or if I can help, PLEASE reach out. Please comment below, reach out on the socials - linked to the above right.

#PodPeeks: Check This Out!

Today's featured #TechYouCanDo podcast is "Check This Out!" with Ryan O'Donnell and Brian Briggs. Their podcast does a great job of sharing out a TON of edtech in each episode. Make sure you either bookmark their show notes or have a notepad and writing utensil handy when you listen so you can jot notes and check it out! They cover a LOT and a wide variety, so you are sure to find at least one little nugget in each episode.

The episodes are a bit longer ... but very much worth the listen! I haven't been a long-time listener - they've got 80+ episodes recorded, so you will have a no problem filling your summer days with Ryan & Brian.

About the authors: Ryan O’Donnell (@creativeedtech) Brian Briggs (@bribriggs)

Website → http://checkthisoutpodcast.com/

Magazine Templates You Can Do

These past two weeks, I have been consumed with inspiration from Ryan O'Donnell's (@creativeedtech) magazine templates (website link)! I have found so many amazing uses for them in the classroom.

I simplified his TIME magazine for 4th graders who were doing reports on famous Ohioans. "WOW!" is about all I can say. They did wonderful!


TIME Magazine Template

For a different "feel", I also adapted Ryan O'Donnell's National Geographic Magazine Template with the same idea.




On the other end of elementary school spectrum, I had plans to work with Mrs. Martin in 1st grade on President reports. I threw out the idea of creating magazines with their research. She let me run with it. 

Her students read the Scholastic News magazines, so I used that magazine as the inspiration. ( Thank you! ) 

I'm pretty sure you'll agree ... these littles "ROCKED IT!"  

"Schoolastic NewZ" Magazine Template

Since then...

I've been working on a few others. I'm excited to share them out as templates for you to use. Click on the images below to open up them as templates. If you see one you like, click on the "Use Template" button in the upper right corner.

Social Media Your Students Can Do

OK, so it's not really fair of me to use the title that I did, but I HOPE it caught your eye enough to be intrigued.

I try to focus a chunk of my time on is sharing out ideas that I've see or read about. I hope that activities I find are useful ... or maybe they are innovative ways of doing activities ... or possibly ways to better utilize the tech we have in our classrooms. Some ideas are well received. Others, I never hear a peep about.

If I'm being honest & upfront, this is not HOW to use social media, rather it is about how you can TURN social media into a productive and creative tool in your classroom. Writing doesn't always have to be paragraphs ... images in a report don't always have to be portraits ... critical thinking doesn't always have to take place in a huge time-consuming project ... conversations regarding tools in a program don't always have to be dry and lecture style ...

One teacher who entertains A LOT of my ideas is Beth Kingsley [@bethkingsley13] - 3rd grade teacher who already does a fantastic job of incorporating tech in her room and trying out new ways to "do" school. 

Background: I read this on Twitter: [LINK to actual Tweet]

And I was INTRIGUED! I had to check out these Google Drawings @JenniferPeart used with her kiddos to make fake Twitter accounts for ... of all things ... the planet MARS! What??? In her tweet, she thanks Ryan O'Donnell, aka @creativeedtech, for his template.

Two of my FAVORITES! Templates and the recommendation from another teacher who has done it. 

Anyhoo ... Ryan's blog [LINK] has an entire page devoted to templates for "for student or teacher use".  How awesome! I shared this link with the teachers in the elementary buildings where I work.

Beth talked to me and said she was going to do the Twitter one for Groundhog Day! Of all things! But you know what? It is SUPER cool! Groundhog Day is right around the corner so it is timely.