Since I didn’t receive that many questions, I’m just going to go ahead and answer them in this blog post. Feel free to email me with any follow up questions that you have.
Q: Do we have Google Meets still or do we have to do it on iLearn?
A: As of right now, we are no longer able to use Google Meet because of its limited security. So, in place of that, we’ve been advised to either move over to use BigBlueButton through iLearn (because of the video conferences being limited to students enrolled in the class) or to just record video lessons in the future. I’m messing around with iLearn right now and will hopefully have directions for you on how to enroll in the coming days.
Q: Will we stop using Google Classroom completely? Also, will we still receive emails on when assignments are put up?
A: I assume that we will move entirely over to iLearn, but an alternative might be that we simply use iLearn for video check-ins and keep all assignments as well as everything else to Google Classroom. I will let you know for sure on this by Friday.
Q: What are we going to be doing on iLearn with the assignments? Will it be different?
A: The work will still be in the same sort of format that you’ve seen so far. The only thing that MIGHT change is WHERE you turn it in. However, seeing as how I’m not all that familiar with iLearn yet, it might just be that we use that as just a platform for having our video check-ins.
Q: Is it okay to make mistakes on work?
A: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it once more here — it’s okay to make mistakes. We’re not grading you on mastery. We’re grading you on whether you are actively engaging with the class and putting forth your best effort with this distance learning. We will still give you feedback on what you are getting wrong, but that’s just so you know how to do better in the future and doesn’t impact your grade this semester.
If there is anything else specifically that you are confused about, make sure to reach out and ask. However, make sure that your questions are specific — if I don’t know what you need help on, it’s hard to help.
Look out for more info on iLearn/BigBlueButton between now and Friday, and we will hopefully return to the video conferencing check-ins next week!
If you thought that we were going to start having things get into a regular routine this week (like me), then you (and I) were wrong.
Some students in the district decided to make some poor choices that could have some very serious consequences, so now we have to change things yet again.
Google Meet has been suspended because of all of this, so we have to figure out some other means of checking in with you guys this week while we come up with a more concrete long-term plan. I’ll let you know more on how this will work tomorrow.
In the mean time, please look over your materials for this week’s assignment, which have been posted on Google Classroom. If you have any questions on anything, you WILL have an opportunity to ask them during whatever check-in process we do this week.
This afternoon, Mrs. A and I will be conducting our mandatory check-ins for hours 1-3. The meeting times are as follows:
1st Hour: 1-1:40 pm
3rd Hour: 2:20-3 pm
Please be sure to look over the materials I posted on Google Classroom beforehand.
This morning I posted etiquette expectations for when you are participating in Google Meets. I also posted the agenda for what I plan to cover during class today, as well as the requirements for receiving credit for participating in that check-in. You need to sign in by typing your name into the chat, listen as we talk about our agenda items, and then, when it’s time for the Q & A, you need to contribute a question that you have about distance learning. You can contribute this by typing your question into the chat.
For those of you in hours 4-6, I will be posting these check-in materials tomorrow. In the meantime, read the story and start working on your notetaker.
Okay, campers. Rise and shine. (I need to stop referencing this movie).
Tomorrow is when the work starts to count. For those of you that have done the work up until this point, we have been keeping track. For those of you that haven’t, your grade won’t be hurt, but you won’t possibly receive any sort of added benefit (I’m still mulling over how I want to do this). However, you don’t need to go back and do that work if you haven’t done it already. I’d rather you focus on the work that we are starting now.
I’m posting the first assignment today around noon per Mr. Martin’s directions (yes, I’m aware it’s Sunday) so that you can familiarize yourselves and have any questions prepared for our mandatory check-ins (see below). The assignment is to read the first chapter of The Glass Castle, which tells a brief story from the author’s life about when she caught on fire, and fill in the notetaker that is attached to the assignment on Google Classroom.
Here is a link to a suggested pacing guide/schedule. You’ll also find there the times for the mandatory check ins and optional office hours, which will be held via Google Meet. I’ll have a link on each Google Classroom ready for you.
Monday and Tuesday check-ins are MANDATORY. That means that you have to check in at some point. I will post an “agenda” as well as what I expect from that check in first thing tomorrow morning. The Wednesday and Thursday office hours are optional and not required.
The schedule for Monday and Tuesday check-ins are as follows:
Monday (and Wednesday optional office hours) –
1st Hour
1:00-1:40 pm
2nd Hour
1:40-2:20 pm
3rd Hour
2:20-3:00 pm
Monday and Wednesday Google Meet schedule
Tuesday (and Thursday optional office hours) –
4th Hour
1:00-1:40 pm
5th Hour
1:40-2:20 pm
6th Hour
2:20-3:00 pm
Tuesday and Thursday Google Meet schedule
You will not be required to stay for the full 40 minutes. As long as you get the information you need, sign in for attendance, and meet any requirement I have for that check in (this will be minimal), then you’re golden.
I will have the assignment itself posted at noon. I appreciate your patience during all of this. I’m so glad we finally have some direction and the work will actually count.
It feels good to have some guidance, yeah? I hope all of you have seen Mr. Martin’s message regarding what the rest of the school year is going to look like.
So, the work will start to count. Our first assignment for the upcoming week will be posted tomorrow around noon, and I will have some more specific guidelines at that point as to what I expect from the required “check-ins” that we need to have as well as what that schedule will look like. I’ll probably use the recommended schedule that Mr. Martin included in his email, but I’m still kind of mulling that over.
