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Discuss how to plan for future learning now tools/strategies will you use?
Did I miss something in the first video session about the focus here on online learning? Yes, I understand that most likely we will continue to see a hybrid of in-brick-and-mortar buildings and distant learning, but my concentration is back on planning meaningful engagement “Beyond the Walls” with an emphasis on science content with a social impact lens.
I taught 21 Grade 4 students online for 4 hours a day synchronously for 12 weeks. I enjoyed it tremendously and felt that I and my students were thriving. Why? Because we no longer had the restrictions of following a strict standards-based curriculum while holding hands with our grade level counterpart, or having to enter grades based on pencil-and-paper assessments. Instead we could dream big, and for those of us that have a subversive agenda to get rid of timetables, this was our time to shine!
I whole-heartedly agree with the Larry Ferlazzo article and the importance of putting autonomy, competence, relatedness and relevance at the forefront of our learning designs. I was absolutely amazed at how motivated my students were when they were presented with Choice Boards. And we all know that motivation naturally leads to engagement.
I feel having 1:1 laptop use for upper elementary will have an increased role when we return to our school buildings. We were already utilizing them pre-CoVid (thankfully, as that made the overnight transition to online learning that much easier). Furthermore, I no longer heard excuses for missing or late work, because the students saw the relevance in the learning because it was their choice.
On a personal note, when I was talking to my husband when I was developing my Choice Boards, he inquired, “But aren’t you worried that students will pick “How to Make Jello” or “How to Make Money Playing Minecraft” instead of energy transformation or the affects of the American Revolution, etc?” I can’t explain why, but I was never worried about that. I knew my students well enough, and helped develop their love of learning in the past two years, that I had faith they would apply intradisciplinary skills to whatever projects they chose. And interestingly enough, one inquiry would lead to another, and the depth of content kept getting richer.