Saturday, March 14, 2020

It Takes A Village (My Experience Preparing for Remote Learning)

As we move into a Remote Learning period starting Monday, March16th, I would like to share some of my experiences and reflections from the past week (especially for those educators who work in schools that are not closed yet.) I am a 4th grade math and science teacher in the Worthington City School District in Worthington, OH.


Because none of us has been down this road before, we are all in it together. Below I have offered the timeline and some tips of how my teaching partner, Morgan Tudor (@Ms_Tudor) and I have navigated these uncharted waters. 


Tuesday, March 10 - 3:00pm


Our school district notified us of the possibility of an extended school closure. Of course with all the news around the impact of the Coronavirus worldwide, it wasn’t a shock. However, the feeling of shock set it rather quickly when you realize that you may have days or hours to prepare students for weeks of learning outside of the classroom. 


Here’s what we decided to focus on:


1.) Develop a communication plan with parents. 

For us, this step was easy. We would utilize Email, Bloomz and Google Classroom because these are all familiar to our students and their parents. We also developed and sent out a survey to the parents so we could gauge technology access at home.




As soon as we knew how we were going to share information/assignments, we quickly moved on to the next more time-consuming step.


2.) Prepare and send materials/supplies home with the students ASAP. 

You don't know if schools will be closed the next day or in three days or in a week. Having supplies at the students' homes will be really helpful moving forward. You may not even know what you will have the students do with the supplies, but it gives you options as you move into the planning phase of Remote Learning.  We prepared and sent home the following supplies the day after we were told an extended closure was a possibility:

Math workbook, science workbook, vocabulary workbook, 2 library books, 2 science magazines, 3 science leveled readers, and a two-gallon ziplock bag of 'art supplies' that contained seven sheets of colored paper, 4 different colored markers, a glue stick and a package of 12 pre-sharpened pencils. 

My students use "community supplies" and they don't have their own supply box or pouch. It would have been much easier for the students to take their own supplies home of course :)   I also am very fortunate to have had all these supplies in my classroom or available in the office. But, if you have limited resources, maybe consider sending a mixture of supplies (some students get crayons, some thick markers, some thin markers, etc.) 

We set up an assembly line that the students went through to gather their supplies. It took a little time but I’m glad that we were able to send so much home with the students (especially on such short notice.)  The TWO-GALLON ZIP LOCK BAGS were crucial. Unfortunately, one-gallon bags were slightly too small for the materials we were sending home. 

We asked the students to bring back the supply bag the next day because we wanted to add more if we had school. Luckily we did have school so we added: 5 sheets of white paper, 2 dice, flash cards, and Studies Weekly Newspapers.

3.) Gather BOXES:

If you are planning on sending weeks of supplies home with the students they will need more than a book bag to carry the supplies. So, ask parents to send in medium-sized BOXES and ask your custodian, secretaries and food service manager for available boxes.

Wednesday, March 11: 

4.) Include students in the conversation
My teaching partner (@Ms_Tudor) and I had a team meeting the day after we received notice that an extended closure was a possibility. We asked the students if they had heard about the Coronavirus (all said yes), and we asked them to share one word about what they have heard is going on in the news. They immediately said words like: "Scary, Death, Sick, Worried, Confused, No Cure, Worldwide, etc."

We talked about the importance of knowing the basics about the Coronavius and what everyone can do to combat it (wash hands, sneeze/cough properly, stay home if sick, etc.) THEN, we talked about things out of our control like if school closed for an extended period. Immediately there were mixed emotions in the room and an abundance of questions. We acknowledged the variety of emotions and explained that if our school decided to close we would use "Remote Learning." 

Remote Learning occurs when the learner and instructor are separated by time and distance and therefore cannot meet in a traditional classroom setting. (trainingindustry.com)

We made it a point to say that the “Coronavirus” won’t stop our learning, it will just allow us to learn in a different place and possibly a different way than we are used to. We ensured them that we were developing a plan that would hopefully replicate their school day, just at home. 

So, we asked a very basic question: “What parts of your day would you like for us to try to replicate for you at home.”

The students immediately said things like:  Morning Meeting, Quiet Time, Lunch, Recess, “Soft Start”

Instead of focusing on our content areas, we ran with it and said that we could easily come up with a way to include these parts in their Remote Learning experience. 

When we told them that they could ‘do anything they wanted to do’ for recess, the room lit up! The entire tone of the meeting changed! Students quickly asked if they could play video games, sleep, watch TV, etc. for RECESS????  We said yes (of course with parent permission.)  :)

It was evident that Remote Learning didn’t have to be negative but it could actually be “fun.” In real time I could see the students’ attitudes change. Their ideas snowballed into many other great ways to still learn at home. In retrospect, this community ‘groupthink’ was one of the best parts of our week. 

The questions changed from “What assignments will we have to do?” and “Do we have to do schoolwork everyday?  to “Can you replicate _____ part of the day at home?” “Can we take ______ home to do for social studies.” “Can I do my own science experiments at home even if you don’t assign them?” 

It was obvious that the students’ mindsets had changed. Now, Remote Learning was an exciting journey that we were going to be on together. 

So…. those four steps were crucial:

  1. Develop a plan to communicate with students/parents
  2. Send home as many supplies/materials with students as possible
  3. Gather Boxes
  4. Brainstorm how to make remote learning a possibility WITH your students

As I reflect, there are three more steps that were crucial to our preparation for Remote Learning:

5.) Determine HOW you will remotely teach:

Next, @Ms_Tudor and I quickly discussed our “Remote Learning” strategy. We started to brainstorm how we would teach the students everything we needed to teach...online.  It quickly became apparent that we didn’t need to change our approach to teaching at all, AND we didn’t need to teach only using digital tools! 

Typically our day is structured with a mix of offline activities, hands-on activities, online activities, collaborative activities, independent activities and much much more. We try to include as many opportunities for the students to collaborate, create, communicate and think critically as we can and not all of that occurs online.  So, we decided to utilize the digital tools and websites that we already use with the students but we agreed to not SOLELY depend on these tools/websites for our ONLY means of teaching. 


Thursday, March 12- 

6.) Organize and send home more materials/supplies

Luckily, we had school on Thursday, March 12 which gave us a little bit more time to think about the resources we wanted to send home with the students. Then, we started organizing supplies to send home (again). We quickly made copies of a few things that we knew we would typically use in our classrooms over the next few weeks: math study guide, poetry packet, book study information etc. 

Then, we looked around our classrooms for other materials and supplies the students use throughout the week. I literally scanned my room, looked in cabinets, shelves, etc. and quickly made a list of other items that we could send home with students. Even if I didn’t have enough for ALL the students to have the same items, I wanted to utilize as much as I could.  I found the following that I considered sending home with the students: 

@WalkingClassroom Kits 
Engineering Kits
Cognitive Learning Games 

Over the past few years, @Ms_Tudor and I have written and been awarded grants for all of the items listed above. We are very lucky to be able to provide our students with such a variety of materials to create and learn with, so we decided that it would be better to put these items in the students’ hands during the Remote Learning period than to have these valuable items sit in an empty classroom. We know that some pieces likely will not be returned, some boxes may be returned broken, and maybe even a game/kit or two might not be returned at all. However, we felt the reward was worth the risk. 

So, we numbered all the games and kits and let the students choose. We entered in all our students’ names in a random name picker website (https://www.abcya.com/games/random_name_picker) and let the fun begin. The students who were chosen last actually got a chance to choose “two” items, so in the end, all the students were excited to take home something unique from our classrooms that they could use/play with their siblings and family members. 

I understand that many teachers won’t have access to these type of materials/supplies in their classroom, but my suggestion would be to look around your room to see what you can let the students CHOOSE to take home. (Ex. BOOKS) Many students felt really lucky/special to be the “only one” who got to take home a specific learning material. 

Next, we created a “Remote Learning Inventory Checklist", printed it on brightly colored paper and gave one to each student. 


As the students packed up on Thursday, we told them to check off which items they were taking home. The inventory checklist can help them remember what they need to bring back to school when we return. Not all items were checked off by every student and students could add other supplies they were taking home to the back of the handout.

So, on Thursday, we sent as much home as possible with the students in book bags and the BOXES that we requested from parents and ones we found around the school. We told the students that if we had school on Friday to only bring their math workbook and an independent reading book with them.

Another reason that we felt it was important to send physical supplies with the students and not just rely on online-learning tools, was because not all students have access to internet or functioning devices. And even if they do, devices break, internet goes out, etc. One thing that I ran out of time but I would suggest creating would be a list of "Alternate Assignments" that the students could do with the materials that they brought home. (Ex. Read and complete book study lessons, practice math flash cards, play math dice games that we play in class, be creative with the art supplies, listen to Walking Classroom podcasts, play the cognitive learning games or create with the engineering kits, etc.)

Friday, March 13- 

7.)  Final Preparations

On Thursday after school, we were informed that Friday would be our last day for three weeks. After school on Thursday, we created a template for the students “Remote Learning Daily To Do List" and a video on how to sign in to Google Classroom at home. 
On Friday we showed these to the students. In retrospect, I likely spent too much time filling in all the blanks with specific ideas for Day 1 of Remote Learning. Knowing where to tell students to look is critical, they’ll be able to figure out the format once remote learning begins. So, showing them a blank template would have been good enough. 

We then tied up loose ends, answered questions, taught them how to email us, surveyed them on their feelings, and enjoyed our last day together. 

Below is a word cloud based on their responses to the following survey questions:

  1. List three words describing how you are feeling about not coming to school for three weeks:


  1. What are you the most excited for during the Remote Learning period?



  1. What are you the least excited for during the Remote Learning period?


Obviously, there are a lot of unknowns ahead of us, but with @Ms_Tudor and the other colleagues at our school, I am certain that we will provide a unique, engaging and educational Remote Learning experience. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, March 14- 

"It Takes A Village"

As I reflect on the week, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention all the people who are doing their part to help classroom teachers teach remotely:

Intervention specialists met to gather work for EACH child appropriate for their specific needs and goals. 

EL teachers helped translate and provide materials for our shared students. 

Related Arts teachers gave us materials (ex. recorders) that our students could take home. 

My school’s principal (@RobMessenheimer) checked in on teachers, students, and support staff. He remained calm and transparent during a very difficult week.  

District leaders developed resources for K-12 teachers that we could utilize for lesson planning purposes, parent communication and much more. 

Students' parents have offered to help and have thanked us for our efforts. 

Students have emailed and written notes thanking us and telling us they’re excited for Remote Learning. Here are two that made me smile:


Educational companies are flooding our inboxes with information on how we can use their products online. Many are opening up resources to students and teachers for FREE to help us during this time. 

The Family Mentor Foundation (@FMFOhio) provided THREE WEEKS worth of buddy boxes/bags for students with food insecurities.

Some local restaurants and businesses are offering free food for kids, free internet for families and much much more. 

Like everyone, I have felt a range of emotions this past week, but one of the most  overwhelming feelings I felt was one of gratitude. I feel so thankful for my family and friends, for my students and their families, for my school and district colleagues, for the community and state I live in, and so much more. 

In the past I have used the quote “It Takes A Village to Raise A Child” but never has this quote been more appropriate than now. I have no doubt that we will get through this difficult period, but we must do it together….just remotely :)

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Journey - My Angel's Landing's Story

What do you think of when you hear the word "journey?" What images do you see in your head? What experiences highlight the journey of your life or career?

One journey that I recently took parallels a journey that I am embarking on today. Just two months ago my friend and I tackled one of "the top 25 most dangerous hikes in the world." (Scroll to #23)  We traveled to gorgeous Zion National Park, Utah, arrived early in the morning and started our climb to the peak of Angel's Landing. 

The path curved into two sets of numerous 'switchback' S-curves that look amazing from the air but are quite grueling on the ground. 

We reached Scout's Lookout with only 1/2 mile to go when we realized the real challenge was just beginning. Chains were erected on the side of the mountain to help hikers with the climb. At times, we had to wait for other hikers who were using the chains to go down so we could have enough room on our ascent.  We kept going up and up and up and the last 1/2 mile took us over 45 minutes. It was both physically and mentally exhausting.



After much effort, we made it to the top and were greeted with a spectacular view! We also felt that undeniable feeling of SUCCESS.  




However, the journey wasn't over, because we feared hiking DOWN may pose even more difficulty than hiking up! 
Luckily, we made it to the bottom unscathed. Overall, it took us about five hours to complete the entire hike.

On our journey to Angel's Landing, there were times that we gripped onto the chains and didn't want to let go. There were times that we reached for strangers' hands for help and support. There were countless times that we gave encouragement to those we passed along the way. There were times that we just stopped to breathe and take in the beauty around us. 

The reason I'm sharing a short account of this story today is because the beginning of the school year is undeniably the start to a new journey. There will be times throughout the year that you (and your students) will be scared, apprehensive, and nervous. There will be times that you will have to depend on others (your colleagues, your students, their parents, and even strangers) for support. There will be times when you aren't sure if this is the path you should have taken. However, be steadfast, have confidence and know that whatever path you are on, is EXACTLY where you should be. Take a moment to breathe and take in the beauty that is around you. Take the time to give encouragement to others and be ready to take advice when others give it too! Have a great school year!

Monday, August 22, 2016

Help Students Find Their Passion with THRIVELY!

Among the many edtech tools, websites, apps, etc. that educators can choose to use is one very unique website called Thrively. Thrively, an innovative company that works with schools and families to help students find their passions, interests and strengths. Thrively strives to put each student on the right path on the JOURNEY of life. 

I began using Thrively with my students in May 2015 and we were immediately hooked. Here is a short video four of my students created on the last day of school just a few months ago (with no help from me) about why they love Thrively:
There are many parts to Thrively that students and teachers love, but it all starts with the Strength Assessment. Students (and adults!) enjoy taking the 25-minute 80-question assessment developed by two neuropsychologists. 

After the assessment is completed, the students receive an uplifting report about their top 5 strengths

In addition, after the assessment is completed, a unique website is created for each student based on his/her strengths, chosen career paths and interests. 


Thrively has curated hundreds of activities, videos, apps, and websites the students can explore that are interesting to them. The site even provides information on suggested activities in the student's local area.

There is a dedicated section for students to explore different career paths as well:

There are also "Values and Skills" lessons and courses that the students can complete in the categories of Social Emotional Learning, Social Responsibilities and the 4 C's (Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking)

In addition, students can create a Digital Portfolio throughout the year by adding highlights and tracking goals. 

Teachers can set up "Projects" for collaborative online group work as well. This is a perfect feature for any content area or Genius Hour project. 


Students also are encouraged to write journal entries about everything they explore on Thrively. These journal entries can be accessible to each student throughout the year, and the teachers can view all their students' journal entries to keep track of their progress!

Finally, teachers can view data of their students' strengths, interests and career paths with the click of a button! 

If you have not begun YOUR Thrively journey yet, please check it out: www.thrively.com/classroom Here is a three-minute video to give you an overview: https://vimeo.com/167043210

I would love to tell you more about how we can help your students reach their fullest potential.   Feel free to connect with me on Twitter at @ArinKress if you have any questions or would like help getting started! Thrively's twitter account is @Thrively.


Thursday, June 25, 2015

Skype-A-Scientist Week

As a 5th grade science teacher, one thing that is always on the forefront of my mind is how I can make the content relevant to my students. For the past two school years I have used Skype to bring in guest speakers to share about their profession and to answer my students questions. During the 2014-2015 school year my students Skyped with an entomologist when we studied the life cycle of a butterfly, an employee from the NASA's Kennedy's Space Center during our Earth and Space Unit and Sylvia Earle, a world-renowned oceanographer, as we studied about the impact of humans on the world's oceans and marine life.

At the end of the school year my students participated in Skype-A-Scientist Week. We had the privilege of Skyping for 30 minutes with four scientists from various fields on four consecutive days. Each scientist took about 10 minutes at the beginning of the call to explain a little about his/her profession. Then my students asked the following questions of each scientist (so their answers could be compared and contrasted at the end of the week):

-Why did you choose this profession?
-What education or background experience did you need for your profession?
-What is your current position/role?
-What is a time where you had to persevere to reach your goal?

 Finally, at the end of each call, the students were able to ask their own questions until it was time to say goodbye.

Here are some pictures from each of the calls:

1.)  Roller Coaster Engineer - Adam House  @GreatCoasters





2.) Mariane Biologist - Founder of Sharks4Kids - Jillian Morris @BiminiSharkGirl   @Sharks4Kids








3.) Paleontologist  - Matt Borths    @MattBorths   @PastTimePaleo

*Matt and two of his colleagues made this video for my students to watch prior to the call!


4.) Geophysicist -  Mika McKinnon   @MikaMcKinnon




Each scientist shared great information about his/her profession and I can't thank them enough for the time and enthusiasm that they put into each call. If you would like to conduct a similar week or if you would like to Skype in guest speakers throughout the school year here are some suggestions:

Create a Skype in the Classroom account.  If you are new to Skype in the Classroom,  search for fields in science that fit with your content area.  Send them a message on Skype to begin to set up the call.

Search for scientists on Twitter.  In order to find two of the contacts above, I just typed in their profession, "roller coaster engineer" or "geophysicist" in a Twitter search. You may want to look up other hashtags too that relate to your content. (Ex. #scichat and ask other teachers who may have contacts that could Skype)

BE RELENTLESS. Sometimes contacts don't reply, timing doesn't work or conflicts arise. If you want to provide this type of opportunity for your students, you can make it work! If one scientist can't Skype, ask for a recommendation of a colleague who could be interested.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about conducting a series of Skype calls such as Skype-A-Scientist Week.  If you are interested in Skyping with your students, here are some other posts that may interest you:

My Skype Challenge

Um, Skype is blocked??? (and other issues)

My First Skype Mystery - Figuring out how to Skype

Answer The Call

Windows to the World (Global Classroom) 

Good luck,
Arin Kress
@ArinKress on Twitter.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Gooooaaaaallllllllls!

As we turn the calendar to a new year, like most people, I am focused on setting goals for 2015. At school, I also have my students focus on goal-setting. This month is @ClassromChampions's #StepsToSuccess month where the students will either set new goals or reassess goals that were set in September.  I plan to use the following video with my students to spark the discussion on goals. Even if you're not a huge soccer fan like I am, you'll love this video:


I think everyone who watches this video would agree how cute it is, but let's dissect it and find out how it can be impactful for educators and students:

First, here's the description of the video on YouTube: Little Josh Turnbull, son of Chelsea goalkeeper Ross Turnbull, scores in front of the cheering Stamford Bridge crowd after Blues' last match of the Premiership season.

Seconds 1-12:  Yes, this little guy has soccer in his blood with his dad being a professional goalkeeper. However, when everyone else is focused on what appears to be an award's ceremony, he wanders off to do his own thing. 

Implication for educators and students:   DO YOUR OWN THING! Set your OWN goals and do something that is challenging for YOU! It's ok to break away from the group and blaze your own trail. 

Seconds 13-33:  The crowd begins to cheer. Josh sets his sights on the goal. He falls down. He gets back up. He keeps dribbling and dribbling. He keeps his eyes on the goal. The cheering gets louder...

Implication for educators and students:   KEEP YOUR EYES ON YOUR GOAL! You might fall down. It might be a long road, but never lose sight of what you want to accomplish. In @ClassroomChampions's #StepsToSuccess month, the students will list out 5-7 mini-goals to reach a larger goal. Josh would have never scored in one hard kick. He literally needed to take "baby steps" toward the goal line and that's what needs to happen when setting large goals. Think of smaller, realistic goals that can help you accomplish something big!

Seconds 33-37: Josh kicks the ball across the goal line - the crowd erupts - and the little guy seems stunned and confused.

Implication for educators and students:   When we achieve our goals, it may be shocking at first or even later when reflecting on a previous goal that we met, we may have the "Wow, Did I really accomplish that?" type of reaction. It's good to feel a sense of awe about the things that we have accomplished. Think about it now. What are some goals that you have accomplished in the past? Are you surprised that you accomplished that goal? What allowed you to be successful? Acknowledging the success you've had in the past will help give you confidence for the future!

Seconds 38-40:  (My favorite part!) The crowd continues to cheer and little Josh raises both hands in the air in celebration! 

Implication for educators and students:   Even at such a young age, he knows the sound of success. Imagine if the crowd sat silently and paid attention to the ceremony at midfield and not his little jaunt toward the goal. He would have dribbled, scored and went on his way. But it was the cheering from the crowd, the support from strangers, that gave him the excitement to raise his two little arms in the air in jubilation. I think it's safe to say that he would not have even realized that he did something great, without the crowd erupting! .....When we are the ones who reach our goals, we need to CELEBRATE!!  We need to raise both hands in the air and take it all in.....When we're the ones in the crowd, watching others take strides in the right direction to meet their goal, we need to CHEER THEM ON!  Encouragement can go such a long way! When they meet their goals, celebrate with them! Acknowledge their hard work by offering IMMEDIATE praise (or feedback.)

Seconds 41-53:  A coach gives the ball back to Josh. He dribbles out a little and turns to face the goal again. 

Implication for educators and students:   Reaching a goal doesn't mean that you're finished. Grab the ball again and keep going!  Create a new goal or expand on the one you just accomplished!

Seconds 54-End:  Josh's dad appears, quickly celebrates with him. And, at the end you see him running after the ball as the camera pans away.

Implication for educators and students:  One of the key components of @ClassroomChampions's goal setting month in September was to "share your goal with others." I'm sure that Josh didn't verbalize to his dad that he wanted to score a goal that day. But I'm also sure that this isn't the only time that he's played with a ball and kicked it in the net in his dad's presence. Having those around you know your goal is SO important. They can give you support along the way and help keep you accountable. They can provide encouragement when necessary too. Finally, once you reach your goal, be sure to celebrate with the people important in your life who encouraged you and supported you along your way!


It's funny how teaching impacts you as a person. I would be a hypocrite if I continued to say things like "Dream Big! You can accomplish anything!" and I didn't take my own advice....So, I have my sights on a rather large goal for 2015. I want to co-author a book. I've always enjoyed writing poetry and blogging, but writing a book is a completely new venture. I'm excited to share this goal with my students and to hear the goals they set. With each other's support I know that we will help keep each other accountable and achieve more together. 

Good luck on your goals in 2015 and don't forget: #DreamBig!