Hi everyone,
I’m not in quarantine, just staying indoors like we have been recommended to do. It’s the strangest St. Patricks Day ever but it is what needs to be done in the current circumstances.
Today is my first post in my Isolation Diary!
Like I said in a previous blog post my class were due to be confirmed at the weekend and it was postponed when schools were shut. Much to the disappointment of so many children in my class, but we took time to discuss the reasons why and how to keep all members of their family safe.
As a result of this, I told them our formal e-learning and school work would begin on Wednesday after the long weekend, this would give me time to get sites organised etc. I use Edmodo with my class so I can post work for them on a daily basis. Looks like many of my students are indoors, because I’ve already received emails for online activities to be assigned to them.
I use Edmodo, if you are not familiar with it, it is an online platform which has a forum you can add posts to and respond to posts similar to a social media page. However it is contained within the domain and I registered for it using my school email address also. Parents of the children in my class are also asked to join the groups so they can monitor all their children’s activity. I can set work, quizzes and other activities they can respond to, I can correct them and then send back feedback. So it is going to be invaluable to me during the distance learning. Children in my class have Office365 accounts also (all approved by parents in our AUP). So they can email me Word Documents or Powerpoint Presentations while schools are closed.
So daily activities for my class on Edmodo include reading their novel and completing an activity in the novel workbook, I design my own novel workbook for them which focuses on different comprehension activities, rather than questioning all the time. As we also engage in lots of pair work and class discussion I’m using Edmodo as a tool for this, I post a question or activity and the class must respond. Similar to online Summer courses, they must also respond to one of their peers too. I am hoping this encourages respectful engagement with their peers at this time.
For Maths I will add some written work but I’m also going to add one photo from the site Which one doesn’t belong, it has different pictures and the class must identify which one is the odd one out. The opportunities for odd one out are endless and great for discussion. A PDST Maths Advisor shared this resource with us during a recent in school visit and my class really enjoy it.
I have shared videos from Khan Academy on Edmodo too for revision work. Long Division strikes fear in the heart of so many 5th class teachers, my class need revision on it so I found a instructional video on Khan Academy so they can watch that as a refresher and then complete the work I have marked.
In Irish my class will continue to work on irishhomework.ie site. I cannot recommend it enough they can complete different activities such as spelling, matching games and dramas all workbook free! My class also work on building up the drama and writing their own each week in class so I hope they continue this at home. More importantly Irishhomework.ie is free until the end of the school year, so worth checking it out.
From chatting to family and friends, their children are flying through work that was set to get it done. I’m hoping to set Project work and then also set daily tasks so that they can build school work into their daily routine. Let’s see how it goes.
Now i’m off to get more work set for Thursday and ready to schedule posts on Edmodo for Thursday morning (yes, you can schedule work too, soo handy!). Then i’m off for more tea followed by a Netflix binge, all recommendations welcome please!!!!!
Hope everyone stays safe!
Aistear Muinteoir.
Aistear Múinteoir 