When I start to think about the 2020-2021 school year, I begin to experience anxiety and stress. Has anyone else been experiencing this? All of June I kept reminding myself, it will all work out in the end, just take some deep breaths and take time to relax this summer. Read a good book, binge watch a TV show, hang out with friends and family, etc.
Now that July is upon us, I feel like I need to begin figuring out what my classroom and lessons are going to look like beginning this fall. Here is what I have begun to work on:
Lesson Plans/Activities
I have decided that all of the activities I include in my lesson plans will be in a format where it can be done both in person and virtually. By doing this, I will be saving myself time because I will not have to plan for two different situations. I will also be helping my students because they will learn what to do while in-person, so when they do have to go virtual, they will feel comfortable with the technology/tools and be able to continue learning throughout the school year.
Flipping the Classroom
Last year I began flipping my classroom in math by recording videos of my lessons using EdPuzzle. The students would watch the videos and answer questions throughout it to show their understanding, and then they would complete the homework. I am planning on continuing this/going into it more in depth this year because I feel if the students have to learn virtually, one of the best ways is going to be by watching the teacher teach a lesson through video and then applying the skill they learn. This will also allow them to rewatch the video until they understand the skill.
A great book I read about how to flip your classroom is Flip Your Classroom: Reaching Every Student in Every Class Every Day. It provides clear directions on how to begin flipping your classroom, as well as how to maintain it throughout the school year.
Collaboration Websites
I am starting to learn about different websites students can use to collaborate with one another since they will either be at their houses or have to social distance in the classroom. So far on my list is Google Drive, Flipgrid, Padlet, and Edublogs. Watch for my next blog post to describe the websites I find and how I plan on using them!
