Written by Richard Byrne.I'm looking at my calendar right now during SAD 17's second consecutive snow day and realizing that, as a result of snow days combined with block scheduling, when I finally see some of my kids on Friday it will have been ten days since I last saw them. Now I'm not complaining about snow days, but I am wondering what to do when I finally do see my students again. I'll have lost all momentum by Friday so I'll probably just spend the day reviewing and refreshing. This is definitely not ideal, but what else can I do?
How do those of you teaching in a block scheduled school maintain momentum when snow days create large gaps between classes? Any tricks or tips?
by Ed Latham
ReplyDeleteMr. Byrne, the best way to help your kids keep momentum while away for prolonged time is by using tools like Studywiz or Moodle. Studywiz is an application on the MLTI image. Moodle is available as a free download. Both programs allow teachers to set up activities, quizzes, discussions, and many other options all in a closed, safe and secure area. You could get some research and discussion going when kids are away from class.
The only downside to either option is that some of your students may not have Internet access. Those that do, could be very engaged in learning based on your creation of relevant, interactive activities. There are other distance learning tools that are available, but Studywiz and Moodle are the two most popular tools in Maine right now for keeping kids going while they are out of your class.