Before experiencing school closures in March, my students were engaged with texts and constantly improving their critical thinking, writing, and listening and speaking skills. While their motivation was good at the beginning of distance learning, it quickly faltered off as many became overwhelmed with assignments that had little to no virtual instruction from a teacher to accompany them; constantly reading instructions and texts independently can be dry and exhausting! They also lost out on valuable conversations and social-emotional learning; many of them went months without communicating with another student! This has a disproportionate effect on ELLs and students who were already performing below grade level. The reality is that the majority of these students will be starting the 20-21 school year with learning gaps; therefore, it is crucial that I have the resources necessary to provide both remediation and new, engaging instruction.
With a laptop, I'll be able to conduct Zoom meetings that can, as closely as possible, mimic real life lessons and group work. I'll be able to walk them through assignments and show them how to use new/unfamiliar resources. I'll be able to provide more immediate feedback on writing assignments, which will help clarify the editing and revision process, ultimately making them stronger writers. Connecting with their class on a regular basis will not only help boost their sense of belonging in an online community and encourage their participation, but also allow them to engage in small group and whole class discussions. Doing so will allow students to continue building their much needed listening and speaking skills, which is particularly important for my ELLs, so as not to undermine the progress they've made throughout the year.
About my class
Before experiencing school closures in March, my students were engaged with texts and constantly improving their critical thinking, writing, and listening and speaking skills. While their motivation was good at the beginning of distance learning, it quickly faltered off as many became overwhelmed with assignments that had little to no virtual instruction from a teacher to accompany them; constantly reading instructions and texts independently can be dry and exhausting! They also lost out on valuable conversations and social-emotional learning; many of them went months without communicating with another student! This has a disproportionate effect on ELLs and students who were already performing below grade level. The reality is that the majority of these students will be starting the 20-21 school year with learning gaps; therefore, it is crucial that I have the resources necessary to provide both remediation and new, engaging instruction.
With a laptop, I'll be able to conduct Zoom meetings that can, as closely as possible, mimic real life lessons and group work. I'll be able to walk them through assignments and show them how to use new/unfamiliar resources. I'll be able to provide more immediate feedback on writing assignments, which will help clarify the editing and revision process, ultimately making them stronger writers. Connecting with their class on a regular basis will not only help boost their sense of belonging in an online community and encourage their participation, but also allow them to engage in small group and whole class discussions. Doing so will allow students to continue building their much needed listening and speaking skills, which is particularly important for my ELLs, so as not to undermine the progress they've made throughout the year.
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