Clarion-Goldfield-Dows’ three schools have been almost empty these last two months, but the learning has not stopped. Educators throughout the whole district have been working hard to teach in new ways.
Elementary students have had a variety of learning opportunities offered. Fourth grade teacher, Erica Lindaman says that early on, they started by suggested at-home “learning ideas” to students like journaling, writing a letter to a friend, writing a poem, reading for 20 minutes a day, practicing math facts using a deck of cards, or following a recipe. She says, “We looked for ideas that could be completed with limited resources or technology at home.” Additionally, third grade teacher Lynette Smith explains that packets were mailed to students, as well as content offered on Google Classroom. Students are also directed to activities on learning platforms such as Lexia, Prodigy and Freckle.
For the upper elementary classes, after iPads were pushed out district-wide a few weeks ago, teachers have started to conduct Zoom sessions. In her first day of Zooming with her fourth graders, Lindaman saw 17 out of her 21 students. They did things like individual sharing with the group, playing rock-paper-scissors, and having a scavenger hunt. She admits it isn’t always smooth sailing but is important for students. “While things aren't ideal and can be glitchy, it's just great to see the kids interacting with each other,” she says. Smith agreed regarding Zooming with her third graders, noting that the sessions offer a bit of the normalcy of a gathered classroom setting.
Both Smith and Lindaman agree that their aim is to continue the learning and not heap work on parents. Smith said, “We want our families to know that we don't at all want them to become overwhelmed by the packets that are sent home, the Zoom meetings, the phone calls, etc. We are just trying to provide opportunities for our students as well as ideas for our families who have been tossed into the teacher role.”
In the end, the goal is really to keep that connection with their students going. Smith confirmed, “We want to make sure our students, and their families, know we are still available, and we still care even though they don't physically spend time with us like they would in a typical school year.” Lindaman added, “I love seeing their faces, and hearing their voices, whether it is through Zoom or when I give them a call on the phone.”
At the middle school level, they have been offering similar learning opportunities. As last week’s story noted, participation in Zoom meetings for the different content areas has been a solid 60-80%. Besides the typical lessons, individual teachers are getting creative. Math teacher Ben Lindaman has been offering an “On the Farm Math Problem of the Day” where he often records a video from his farm that features a math problem. Questions have been about bags of seed, his dog or propane tank.
In the science world, teacher Whitney Dahlgren’s sixth grade science students made 3-D edible cells that they snapped pictures of and posted on Facebook. For reading, students have been encouraged to take “reading selfies” and send them in to principal Haberman or Reading teacher Denise Ulven. And on Mondays, all students and their families are invited to participate in a “Minute to Win-it” activity that offers a fun challenge they try to accomplish in a minute, like getting a cookie from your forehead to mouth with no hands.
Some classes and activities are little harder to accomplish while at home, like music classes. Middle School band director Tom Klaver has been working to overcome barriers to that. He said that the band has been having weekly full group rehearsals via Zoom on Fridays. Many students have also been taking small group band lessons on the meeting app as well. He has been very pleased with the level of participation he’s seen from his band kids. Klaver stated, “It's a credit to our students, parents, and community the level of support and participation that has been going on, and that I'm sure will continue as we wrap up this school year.”
Physical education classes also require some creativity to teach. As she has designed her learning opportunities, High School PE and Health teacher Karen Staples has worked hard to meet her students where they are. And for high school students, Staples realizes that place is social media. “Honestly, if I didn't incorporate social media, I don't know if I would have had ‘meaningful connections’ per say. High school students are on their phone a lot, so reaching out to them via social media has worked well.”
In addition to using Google Classroom to post activities and Zoom for check-ins, Staples also has Instagram and SnapChat school accounts that she uses to connect. She tries to stick to themes like Workout Wednesday where she’ll post something like a jump rope or circuit workout or, if it’s nice out, Walk Wednesday. She offers yoga activities on Mindfulness Mondays and has even delved into the world of Tik Tok, video-sharing service. She said, “I decided when school closed, I wanted to look into Tik Tok because I knew this was a social media platform that students really enjoy. So, we started doing some dances at home and put those dances on Tik Tok, Instagram, SnapChat and my own Facebook page. After a few dances, I incorporated Tik Tok Tuesday and it is now something that I feel I will be doing from now until forever!”
As a health teacher, Staples is also mindful of mental health, which she taps into on Think about YOUrself Thursday. “So far, I have been creating videos and sharing articles that discuss various topics like self-care, stress and coping,” she emphasized, “ I feel this day is important so I can remind students that they need to take care of themselves to improve their overall health.”
Other high school teachers are tapping into Zoom as well as other resources. Brandon Lantzky, high school history and economics teacher, says he Zooms in addition to using various discussion portals such as Padlet, Google Classroom, and Flip Grid. He noted, “We have started, and will continue a research project that will allow students to research the history of something that they are passionate about. Examples of student projects that have been started are The History of Dance and The Salem Witch Trials.”
Though Lantzky says he has been a little disappointed by the low participation in some classes, he still values connecting with his students on any level. He appreciated emails his students have been sending. However, like the other teachers, he does miss the in-person connections. “In person, you can tell if a student is having a rough go of things and you can check in with them. Here, the best you can do is make a phone call or an email and hope that you hear back from them. It just is not the same.” Yet, he agrees with all the teachers consulted that they are doing they best they can given the circumstances.
As they move forward to the end of the school year, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows teachers will continue to reach out to their students, offering them diverse learning opportunities. Erica Lindaman says, through this all, she has kept in mind that “school buildings are closed, but school is not canceled.” With that in mind, she and her fellow educators will push forward and keep delivering for their students.
