What will you need for your 2020 - 2021 Classroom

    I think we can all agree that the upcoming school year will be vastly different than anything we've ever dealt with in recent times.  Uncertainty, trepidation, and flexibility will all reign supreme in the upcoming year.  So what must we do to prepare? 

    There is no doubt that our lessons, both in content and delivery, will be vastly different as we combine onsight teaching with distance learning.  As cases pop-up, we must be ready to switch back to distance learning at a moment's notice.  Important files and documentation must be maintained digitally.  Resources must be made available to all.  Teachers must be comfortable using conferencing programs such as Zoom and Google Meets.  Lines of communication must be open and flexible.  Communication methods must include mass communication and individual communication.  In short, we must be ready for anything.

    I see the question asked all the time on Facebook, "I have $200 to spend on my classroom, what should I get?"  Well here are some things you can get to help ensure your success in the upcoming year.

1.  Portable Document Camera:  Use this tool to project your lessons through your computer.  It will allow you to do anything you could do on your classroom document camera, but digitally.  Cost on Amazon is about $99

Portable Document Camera Affiliate Link

2.  Noise Canceling Headset:  We all know the distractions that occur around us as we deal with online lessons and real-life.  It is important you have a good headset that is not only clear but blocks out the noise of the outside world.  The cost on Amazon is about $40.

Noise Canceling Headset Affiliate Link

3.  Graphics Drawing Pad:  How many times have you wanted to draw directly on your computer screen?  Well, with this graphics pad, you can draw or write and it will magically appear on your screen.  Imagine your math lessons as you show students how to work out a problem right there on the screen!  The cost on Amazon is about $40.

 

Digital Drawing Pad Affiliate Link 

4.  You will also need a hub to connect all these awesome pieces of hardware to your computer.  USB Hubs can be found in many configurations.  Just be sure the one you buy has enough ports to support all of your hardware.  Here is an example from Amazon, the cost is about $10.  

$-Port USB Hub Affiliate Link

5.  On top of all the hardware items, you should also consider subscribing to a good screencasting application.  You can record your lessons for future reference.  

   While times are uncertain, one thing remains steadfast, teachers will always do everything in their power to ensure students get a quality education.  We have the ingenuity and drive to do so, hopefully these items will assist you in your crusade!   

    

Addressing the Gaps Caused by Distance Learning in 3rd Grade Math

Teaching Math in the Remote Classroom

    We all want to know what the 2020 -2021 classroom will look like.  Will we be teaching in front of students?  Will we teach half the class is divided into sessions?   One thing we know for sure, the classrooms of the future will look dramatically different than the ones of the past.  

    While we all recharge our batteries, we should be doing so with an eye towards the future.  The preparations we make now will benefit us greatly in the year ahead.  Alas, the question remains, what are we preparing for?   Regardless of the structure and function of our future classrooms, there are a few steps we can take that will help us prepare. 

    Today I would like to explore what I feel is the most difficult area to teach.  That would be math.  We must remember that students missed, at the very least, a quarter worth of direct instruction.  The first thing we must do is address the gaps caused by this.  Sure, we had remote lessons, computerized lessons such as I-Ready, and of course the awesome Zoom lessons.  However, we all know the inconstancy of these lessons.  So there WILL be gaps!  For us, we totally missed direct instruction on perimeter and geography.  So how do we fill in those gaps without falling too far behind?

    We should start the year searching for the gaps.  Doing so with fidelity will allow us to find the areas where further instruction is needed.  We must be ready to differentiate our instruction like never before.  While we are all used to addressing the summer slide,  we can expect to see gaping holes in some students.  

    At our school, 3rd Grade Math begins the year with basic, single-digit multiplication, which of course is nothing more than repeat addition.  We can use this time to address the gaps in addition and subtraction using the lessons in Kahn Academy.

    Here are a few lessons that could be used to help with gaps in addition and subtraction.  You must be signed into Kahn Academy to properly view the lessons linked below.

        ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION WITHIN 20 - Kahn Academy

        ADDITION AND WITHIN 100 - Kahn Academy

        SUBTRACTION WITHIN 100 - Kahn Academy

        MULTI-DIGIT ADDITION AND WITH REGROUPING - Kahn Academy

        MULTI-DIGIT SUBTRACTION WITH REGROUPING - Kahn Academy

    You may find that your students are lacking the skills required to solve word problems.  Here are some lessons from Kahn Academy that will help in this area.

        WORD PROBLEMS FOR ADDING AND SUBTRACTING WITHIN 100 - Kahn Academy

        ADDITION AND SUBTRACTING WORD PROBLEMS SUPER HEROS - Kahn Academy

        ADDITION AND SUBTRACTING WORD PROBLEMS GORILLAS - Kahn Academy 

    Place value is another area that can cause problems later on if not addressed quickly. Here are some lessons to help in this area.

        FINDING PLACE VALUE - Kahn Academy

        PLACE VALUE TABLES - Kahn Academy

        IDENTIFY THE CALUE OF A DIGIT - Kahn Academy

        WRITING NUMBERS IN STANDARD FORM - Kahn Academy

        WRITING NUMBERS IN EXPANDED FORM - Kahn Academy

        COMPARING PLACE VALUES - Kahn Academy

    The beauty of these lessons is that they can be used remotely or within the classroom.  While you can use the Kahn Academy lessons without creating an account, to effectively utilize them it is imperative you create an account.  This will allow you to track and monitor student progress.  Furthermore, it will allow you to link to the lessons directly to your LMS.  

    While we are unsure what the classroom of 2020-2021 will look like, one thing is certain.  Flexibility and preparation is the key!  Are you ready?