COVID-19 resources for our education community
What can we learn in these pandemic-affected times, and how can we support one another? A collection of stories and resources for our community of educators during these uncertain times.
A message from the Dean: We see you and we are here to support you
Every day, we hear about the creative ways our students, student teachers and faculty are working with partner schools and educators to provide educational resources for students and families as their schools close. I am proud of our students, faculty, and alumni who are leading this work in schools, educational spaces, and universities across the country.
What we are reading
Some helpful resources to support our education community.
Creative and engaged student teaching
Three teacher candidates share what it's like to teach right now
This week was supposed to be the launch of our biography unit, where students were to do thorough research and actively participate in a presentation showcase, with families and the community invited. Instead, my mentor and I have chosen to do read alouds of biographies of inspirational people who stood against social injustices that our students viewed over Google Classroom.Our students then chose one individual and made a poster that represents the cause or injustice that particular person was advocating for or against! They additionally were able to see each others' work over Zoom. The kids LOVED it, and seemed to think more deeply and critically about injustices in their world.”
I am student teaching with kindergarteners, so virtual learning for us looks a little different than other grades. My mentor teacher's and I currently have a Google Classroom and use Google Hangout to chat with a different small group of students for about 15 minutes each day. They get so excited to connect with each other and are responding so well to this platform of technology.We also upload daily videos to the Google Classroom with both the morning message and the calendar. Parents have given such positive feedback thus far, so we think this is really working for them. Right before BVSD closed, the kindergarteners had earned a 'Stuffy Day,' where they each get to bring a stuffed animal to school. We plan to honor this reward and have a Google Hangout session dedicated to their stuffys! This will be with the whole class and each student will have the opportunity to bring their stuffy to the camera (or favorite toy) and tell the audience two things about their stuffy.“We have nearly the same schedule as we did before BVSD closed. These kindergarteners really rely on consistency and routine, so we have tried to uphold that to the best of our ability. The kindergarteners still have rest time, play time, and recess on their daily schedule. This has worked very well so far.”
I am currently student teaching at Niwot Elementary School in 5th Grade. Although online learning is unexpected, new and hard to navigate at times, my mentor and I are making the best of it. We found a simple schedule to stick to and have been providing our students with innovative and meaningful work. We have whole group video conferences on Mondays and Fridays.Monday's function as a class meeting for the week and Fridays function as a "Friday Fun Day". Last friday we all had lunch together, had a pet show and tell, and played a couple rounds of Kahoot as a class. The students loved this and I saw it as one of the most valuable things we could do because what students need and are missing is that personal connection and interaction with their teacher and peers. On Tuesday-Thursday we have small groups to go over some material and answer questions, with the additional opportunity for a one-on-one conference. Overall online teaching is going well for us, and although I miss my students greatly, I love getting to see them on our conference calls. I am extremely proud of how hard my students are working despite these challenging times. These kids inspire me and constantly remind me of why I wanted to become a teacher. Together we will make it through these trying times!”