These are all considerations when building a foundation of trust in a remote or distance learning team with all parties involved. In sports psychology, life coaching and other venues recently, youve likely heard the term locus of control or phrases like control the controllables. Situations like the pandemic we are currently experiencing bring to light the true meaning of these phrases, as there is so much that is truly out of our control. (2020). Educators need to be able to express concerns to parents and administrators when things arent working for them, their class, or even particular students. For those who are not experienced or knowledgeable about publishers used for K-12 education, the National University Library System has a list on their website, accessible here: https://nu.libguides.com/CommonCore/ccss_publishers. This is not true, legally. The second is what is being referred to as remote or distance learning, or, in our district, cooperative distance learning, which I think describes this option very well. (2018). Enjoy! They are asking because they truly care about your children and your input. https://medium.com/taskworld-blog/lencionis-5-dysfunctions-of-a-team-330d58b2cd81. Retrieved March 16, 2020, from, Zao-Sanders, Marc. The meshes are efficient and clean in order to be light to work with, as well as render and animation friendly. Make a fort out of anything you like (Amazon boxes, sheets, blankets, etc.). As parents, educators, and administrators, (and our children) we are all part of a team with a common goal of ensuring that our children are safe, cared for, and that their learning is promoted and supported in all ways possible. Administrators have never run schools, districts or boards of education during a global pandemic. While I worked and homeschooled, I had a variety of types of jobs, all technical/knowledge-working jobs, some with more flexibility than others. The standard subjects tend to include math, language arts, science, history or social studies, art, technology, health, physical education, and music. Accountability involves all levels, including our children consistently being held responsible for their work. With some states canceling in-person schooling for the rest of the academic year and others extending the closures for additional time periods or indefinitely, but messages coming from politicians that we need to re-open the country, we are in a state of wait and see. What if schools are opened in a virtual-only format to start the school year and transition to blended or alternating schedule formats, or even full capacity later in the school year? Many state and local education-related publications have language that indicates that the notice of intent to homeschool and the portfolio reviews are required. The amazing realism within the textures was generated through the use of human specimens. CommonSenseMedia.org. Everything else is a bonus. Another point to consider is that you have every right to make the time spent educating your children as high a priority as any other meeting, so schedule it. Common Sense Media, for example, provides a list of Kid-Safe Browsers and Search Sides, accessible here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/kid-safe-browsers-and-search-sites. Its also important to understand what is and what is not likely to happen in the next year curriculum and academic-wise and how that might impact you and your children. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, Khan Academy. You can then try to save each others sanity by intermittently saying or doing the things you know are on the card, so that everyone has a chance to keep their kids engaged, but quiet (because shhhwe have to hear what is going on, so we dont miss out on a bingo square!). We made a decision years ago to provide some independence and ownership of content decisions to our kids, specifically for movies, games, and apps. Khan Academy has provided help and getting started pages for their content here: https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, and the lessons themselves are accessible here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZhOdEPAWjUQpqDkVAlJrFwxxZ9Sa6zGOq0CNRms6Z7DZNq-tQWS3OhuVCUbh_-P-WmksHAzbsrk9d/pub, Scholastic has provided schedules and lessons here: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html. A great list of them compiled by STEAMsational is accessible here: https://www.steamsational.com/free-printable-homeschool-planners/. Before you start, identify an award they will earn if you get a bingo and/or if they black out the entire card by meeting the criteria of each bingo square on the entire bingo card. (n.d.). If you have chosen to homeschool instead of opt into distance learning through your school, and the option is temporary, you may wish to file the notice of intent to homeschool and proceed to work closely with the school to ensure the smoothest transition back into the school when the time is right. An alternative is to make your own bingo card that might be more age-appropriate, like one with silly words or um and uh, for example, that might be easy for little ones to pick up on during the call. Well, the best approach comes down to whether this is a temporary or long-term/permanent option for you and your family. (2020). Either way, some people are going to be happy and some unhappy, regardless of the plan or approach that is taken. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html, Connectiond Academy. In fact, they have created a launch page for the current times, accessible here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic, Common Sense Media. While you are working on a schedule more customized to you, your kids and your work schedule, two companies, Khan Academy and Scholastic, have recently provided lesson plans and activities free for children who are now staying home due to school closings. Greater Good Magazine. In my classroom, I start my classes off by having my students volunteer to Tell me something good. The good things could literally be anything, and they have ranged from I had a good breakfast this morning, to My football team won last night. If you want to add variety or switch things up a bit, the Bestow Team created a list of 30 gratitude games and activities for kids, accessible here: https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.k12.com/. It is important to remember this. For those that had more meetings than others, I allocated the time for the meetings first, and then figured out what schoolwork I could fit in. Our toddler also participated, at an age-appropriate level, in virtual field trips, science experiments, and other educational activities with her sister. Retrieved April 19, 2020 from https://grownandflown.com/soft-skills-for-teens/, Minecraft. (n.d.). The first major hurdle for the transition was figuring out what grade they should be in. Making it clear that it was a big kid privilege to sit at the table with us to work on schoolwork was also helpful in motivating (relatively) quiet focus. Age-Appropriate Chores. 2) Block off the appropriate time for schoolwork on your work calendar and communicate these expectations to your manager and coworkers. More details about the rating systems used for the Common Sense Media ratings can be found here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission/about-our-ratings. The state, on the other hand, wants to have as much control and oversight as possible, in many cases. The best resource we have found for determining age-appropriateness of movies, games, applications and some websites is Common Sense Media, accessible here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://hslda.org/legal, HSLDA. Educators have never taught during a global pandemic, much less taught remotely or taught some students remotely and some in person at the same time. An example of this is a new kindergartener starting homeschool in the first year of school eligibility. AnimalCams. (n.d.). There are many options for finding safe content online for kids. When I started homeschooling and working from home, we had one preschooler and one toddler. Retrieved March 16, 2020 from, Center for Disease Control (CDC). If this was or is you, trust me, you are not alone. We use Zygote to digitally create the intricate and mysterious worlds of the human body. Making sure others respect your time is actually easier than it might seem at first. When trying to decide what is best, there are always multiple considerations. (This is in no way intended to imply that they wont help you, since we have always experienced the exact opposite, especially when in direct contact with teachers, administrators, etc. Digital Compass. Others split them into pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, grades 1-2, grades 3-5 and grades 6+. (This is the option rated as highest risk by the CDC) (CDC, 2020). Coronavirus Closed Schools: 27 Activities to Keep Kids Busy During School Closures. Scholastic Learn at Home. Connections Academy. How We Rate and Review. Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app, is providing a series of their meditations for free in the midst of the current situation. No year, and no day, to be honest, looked the same for us, even when I tried to plan it to be the same, and my kids turned out just fine. Focusonthefamily.com. (Many states do not allow homeschoolers to participate in activities at the public school, but some states do. Considerations for Schools. If you plan to homeschool long-term or permanently, focusing on this alignment might not be quite as important or impactful. While we await final proposals for opening of schools in the fall from states and local districts, we are all asking what if? What if schools open as usual in the fall at full capacity? They had to tell us the recommended ages by Common Sense Media, parents and kids and were only allowed to watch movies, play games or download/use apps that were 2 years over the lowest age recommended out of the three. Administrators need to be able to raise concerns when they see inactivity and absences, to agree or disagree with reasons behind them, and then for everyone to be able to constructively discuss options for solutions, and even test out different solutions (and yes, sometimes fail and try something else). The last thing we need is to waste time searching for books, pencils, paper and other supplies while we are trying to work and homeschool. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/about/blog/post/611770255064350720/remote-learning-with-khan-academy-during-school, Scholastic. Many of our kids had packed schedules of school, sports, and other activities, with barely enough time to grab a sandwich in the car for supper. Resources for Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Bauer, S. W. (2016). In my previous post, I noted that some schools and some districts are providing work for their students, which is great! You can choose to homeschool your children with you being the primary teacher (as opposed to distance-learning where you are assisting your children with work assigned by their teacher). (2018). They are used to having their days and activities planned out for them months in advance. You can ask the school about options for continuing distance learning (if they dont already include that as an option in their fall plans). What is Montessori Education? If your remote/distance learning/homeschooling is only planned to be temporary, keeping as close to the curriculum their classmates are learning in school will make for the smoothest transition when the time comes for them to go to school and join their classmates again. Here are a few options, as examples: CDC. Common Sense Media provides two different options for digital citizenship education. Some subjects that lend themselves to video lessons are art, music, history, and even physical education, for example. If you decide you are not comfortable sending your child to their current school in the fall, what options do you have? Your child or children will be perfectly fine with a couple or a few hours of school-related work and other fun, educational activities while you focus on work. One combined list of these is accessible on EarthCam.com, here: https://www.earthcam.com/events/animalcams/. The traditional homeschooling community is extreme in their desire to be unregulated and to have full freedom to educate their children however they wish, with minimal or no governmental intervention or oversight. Given the current closure of public schools, many publishers are providing content online for free, as well. Calling it schoolwork for the toddler made her feel like she was getting to do something cool that her big sister was doing, while really just doing what she would have been anyway. (Parents, dont be jealousyou can make forts, tooand even take your conference call from inside your fort, if you want to.). Zygote crafted this collection and its elements to be visually beautiful. Commitment is built on a foundation of trust and constructive conflict. Other paid options exist for states which do not offer state virtual schools, like K12, ConnectionsAcademy, although many others exist, as well (Connections Academy, 2020; K12, 2020). 2) Identify the subjects you would like to teach each of the children. Will you and your children be ok with this or able to handle any repetition or boredom by supplementing with other activities? (2019). Patrick Lencioni wrote a book called, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, which gives a simple, straightforward way to think about what is needed for teams to function well and to thrive. (2020). The truth is that our kids (or any of us, for that matter) have never learned or gone to school (in person, hybrid or online) during a global pandemic. It is also very important to note, especially when you are reading and researching your options, that there are two extremes to the homeschooling debate or conversation, especially in Connecticut, but it is likely evident elsewhere, as well. It is important to be fully informed of all legal and regulatory requirements prior to making your choice, so that you are making a fully-informed choice. Write a list of the equipment you used to make your fort. This results in allowing us and the writers to explore almost any area of the human body one can imagine. (n.d.). On a sports team, each team member (player, coach, manager) has to understand their role in the teams success to be committed to being the best in that role that they possibly can, thus maximizing their contribution to the team and the teams progress toward that goal. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic, Earthcam. Note that this option and how it is implemented differs greatly per state. In work environments, especially when working on projects, everyone has clearly defined roles and responsibilities which are laid out on a project plan. This is when choosing distance learning through the school, working with the school on curriculum or even taking advantage of optional portfolio reviews, or employing a certified teacher in a pandemic pod could work out better than doing what we did with creating a custom curriculum. In all honesty, because we got sick of answering the question of Can we watch? questions, we came up with a specific rule to guide their choices. We have never parented (or helped our kids with remote learning) during a global pandemic. Think about other ways that you can work to promote trust, constructive conflict, commitment, accountability, and attention to results as part of your students learning team and pick one item to focus on at a time. (2020). When you get stressed or overwhelmed, just remember that surviving is all you and your family need to do right now, and the rest will all work out eventually. (The first is required if choosing homeschooling and not purchasing a pre-packaged curriculum or enrolling your children in a full-time online school. SheKnows.com. We homeschooled in many different locations, including a multifamily house where we had a full room dedicated to homeschooling, my parents house where we had an area in the basement, our family members kitchen counters, and even an RV, when we traveled around the US. Roblox. (2020). For example, Connecticut only requires a notice of withdrawal, legally, but does recommend (only a recommendation, not a legal requirement) a notice of intent to homeschool and portfolio review. Why not act like the dedicated school time is just another meeting? There are so many different aspects and layers of trust, as well. (n.d.). But, there is also so much that is fully within our control. So, how do we, as a team of parents, educators, and administrators, work together as a high performing team and not fall into the 5 dysfunctions of a team identified by Lencioni? The ability to have an open and honest discussion with their teacher, administrator, or even boss, is a skill that will only help them in their future. These options are completed at a time and location of your convenience and have assigned teachers for all classes, as well as providing official transcripts and grades, just like on-ground/in-person school options. All textures are applied through use of UV coordinates. For parents looking online for content for their children, who may not be familiar with different websites, movies or apps, or unsure how to tell what might be safe or age-appropriate, this post is for you. Being completely clear on goals, roles, and contributions can promote commitment and team cohesion. I was in the same situation as many of you, having to figure out what to do to keep the toddler busy while working with the preschooler. 3) All members of the team should remember that discomfort leads to growth and work on being ok with being held accountable, with hearing feedback that they dont really want to hear, and with giving honest, constructive feedback to other members of the team when things arent working well. Literally blocking it off on your calendar and communicating your schedule with your bosses and colleagues will make sure you are all on the same page and that everyone will respect that time. There are a few things to consider. Retrieved March 19, 2020, from https://hellobestow.com/blog/gratitude-games/, Headspace. In these times, I found educational videos that could fill the spaces, where my children could still be learning, but I was able to focus on the meetings and my work. Almost three years later, I can tell you that it was the right choice for both of them, without a doubt. The most effective approach I found was to create a basket of schoolwork for the toddler and let her choose her schoolwork from the basket. Florida is more strict, but does have umbrella schools that allow for smoother navigation of the requirements. Trust that everyone is doing their best (whatever their best looks like on a given day) and trust that everyone has the childrens best interest at heart are a couple of others. The options are so abundant that it can often be overwhelming, especially for those new to educating their children at home. You will need to research your options in your area if this is a deciding factor for you. We ended up placing them in lower grades than the work they were working on as homeschoolers, both because of their ages and because we knew the work would be easy for them, allowing them to focus on the major personal and social transition with less stress. Homeschool Organizations. If you are homeschooling on your own, you and your children might be the only members of the team, but for others remotely schooling via distance learning options provided through their school or district, there are many other members of the team, as well.