Elementary Grade Level Collaboration and Learning Packets

As we finish this school year under unusual circumstances, we are beginning to create a "Return to Learn" plan that will help us examine gaps in the curriculum from the prior grade level and begin to make plans for addressing the gaps during the 2020-2021 school year. 

We will be meeting virtually with each grade level next week to review the process and gather feedback around next steps.  We will not have traditional curriculum work this summer but may have some opportunities for work on the Return to Learn plan.  Once we have additional information, we will get the details out to teams.

Below is the schedule for the week:

Grade Level	Date	Day	Time	Link to Meeting
Kindergarten	5.4.2020	Monday	2-3pm	Kdg. Zoom Link
1st Grade	5.5.2020	Tuesday	2-3pm	Grade 1 Zoom Link
2nd Grade	5.6.2020	Wednesday	2-3pm	Grade 2 Zoom Link
3rd Grade	5.7.2020	Thursday	2-3pm	Grade 3 Zoom Link
4th Grade	5.8.2020	Friday	12:30-1:30pm	Grade 4 Zoom Link
5th Grade	5.8.2020	Friday	2-3pm	Grade 5 Zoom Link

* ESOL, Special Ed, TAG, Reading Specialists, and Title I Teachers: Please join at least one grade level.
**PE, Art, Music, Teacher Librarians, and Counselors: Please meet as a PLC during this week.

Below are links to the learning packets for the week of May 4th.  Thank you for all of your support and hard work in providing instruction to students during these unique times.

PreSchool

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

Synchronous or Asynchronous??

Synchronous and Asynchronous.  These two words have suddenly become frequent terms in our vocabulary. In this article by Mark Lieberman in Education Week, these terms are defined as:

"Distance education can be broken down into two broad approaches: synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous consists of the teacher offering a lesson to the class of students at the same time; Asynchronous provides the student with tools to complete the work on their own time, and direct involvement from the teacher can happen anytime."

“Virtual Education Dilemma: Scheduled Classroom Instruction vs. Anytime Learning” by Mark Lieberman in Education Week, March 30, 2020, https://bit.ly/2VKeJn0

What have you noticed with your students?  Which model has more engagement and participation?  Please take the poll below.

As in many things in education, this is not an 'all or nothing' proposition as detailed by the author's identified bottom line: 

"Neither approach is sufficient all on its own, but there are situations and subjects that do tend to favor one of the two strategies. Experts say the best recipe for success is to mix the two—but in what proportions? And for which students?"

The author recommends that:

• Asynchronous communication (e-mails, text messages, videos) is efficient for basic instruction, launching a discussion, and setting deadlines. 
• Synchronous communication (a videoconference) works best for discussions, sharing ideas, brainstorming, and spontaneous conversations. A big advantage of asynchronous lectures is that students can watch at their own pace, rewinding if necessary or watching more than once to fully grasp the content.

Additional hints are summarized by Kim Marshall in the Marshall Memo (Marshall Memo 834, April 27, 2020. 

You may want to review these during your collaborative team meetings. What will the combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning look like for the students you support?

            • Don’t go overboard with synchronous teaching. Overly long live classes can be overstimulating for students and maddening for teachers. “Expecting students to be glued to their computers all day is especially unrealistic in households with more children than devices,” says Lieberman. “So relying too much on this approach could contribute to equity gaps, with students who have easy access to technology getting an edge over those who don’t.”

            • Asynchronous learning allows flexible pacing. Teachers can use a variety of approaches: an interactive game, a practice quiz, a supplementary video. Students can feel a kind of ownership of their learning that’s not possible in classroom settings, feeling less rushed by their classmates and able to go over material at their own speed.

            • Give parents clear direction. There are big differences in how parents should be working with elementary students (lots of structure) and what’s appropriate for high-school students who might, for example, choose to do all their English work on Sunday and all their math on Monday.

            • Synchronous learning can be informal. Teachers might conduct virtual office hours, inviting students to join them between certain times, or arrange for an optional lunch chat. Real-time class meetings or kick-offs for the day are especially helpful for younger students.

            • Choose the best modality for different subjects and lessons. English might be best taught asynchronously when students are doing a lot of thinking and writing on their own. Math, on the other hand, might lend itself more to synchronous instruction, when students need to ask questions and get real-time help.

            • Asynchronous doesn’t mean absent. Because some students won’t take the initiative to get in touch, teachers need to be systematic about setting up individual video or phone check-ins, perhaps several times a month for each student.

            • Teaching is different for the time being. Effective synchronous teaching can be powerful, but it’s often difficult to engage students at the level of in-person classes, and this frustrates teachers. For many, online teaching is more facilitative. “You’re not leading through the learning process,” says Illinois curriculum director Jennifer Kolar Burden, “you’re guiding them, you’re pointing them in the right direction, you’re letting them explore on their own.”

Marshall Memo (Marshall Memo 834, April 27, 2020. 

Resources for Support

A big thank you to everyone as the continuous learning plans are up and running, and students and families are now able to access these plans on the district website.

Southeast Polk Continuous Learning Plans

A few additional resources are included in today's blog.  We appreciate the questions we received during the learning plan webinars.  This feedback helped further structure the plans.  Below is a link to the presentation as well as one of the recorded webinars.

Southeast Polk Continuous Learning Plan Presentation

Southeast Polk Continuous Learning Plan Webinar

In addition, below are the office hours for the Curriculum Team.  Feel free to contact us with questions.  Your feedback helps us plan and provide for additional supports.

Name	Time	Access
Jo Ellen Latham Director of Curriculum and Instruction	3:00PM-4:00PM T, W, F	https://meet.google.com/uct-fpgm-nre
Charlie Taylor Director of Special Education	10:00AM-12:00PM  M, T, W, Th, F	515-238-0631
Amy Anderson At-Risk Coordinator	8:00AM-9:00AM M,T, Th, F	https://meet.google.com/iwa-ndyd-pta
Jayne Beecham PK-12 Math Coordinator	2:30PM-3:30PM M, T, W, Th, F	https://meet.google.com/txc-ybov-nqt
Darell Butcher College and Career Readiness Coordinator	10:00AM-11:00AM T, W, Th, F	https://meet.google.com/qgg-ohat-tds
Jamie Gilchrist Technology Integration Coordinator	10:00 AM-11:00AM T, Th	https://meet.google.com/xyp-hpmd-poy
Jim Pifer PK-12 Science Coordinator	3:00PM-4:00PM M, T, Th	https://meet.google.com/hgs-fcmv-iqq?hs=122
Rob Timmins Assessment Coordinator	9:00AM-10:00AM M, T, Th	https://meet.google.com/pva-gidj-fhe?hs=122
Tammy Steenhoek PK-12 Literacy Coordinator	12:30PM-1:30PM M, T, W, Th, F	515-210-6387 Please text first and then I’ll call you back.
Jackie White Early Childhood Coordinator	10:00AM-11:00AM T, W, Th, F	703-203-9486 Please text and I will call you back.
Laurie Wyatt Learning Supports Coordinator	3:00PM-4:00PM M, T, W, Th, F	https://meet.google.com/yzz-yzhg-ejw?hs=122

Continuous Learning Plans Website

With the announcement on Friday of the closure of school buildings for the remainder of the school year, we will continue with the learning plans you have put into place at each building. Your work in this area is providing the structure and security for students and families to continue learning. It highlights your flexibility and collaboration in making such significant adjustments in a short period of time, and these efforts are very much appreciated.

We are launching a new site on Monday of this week for students and families to access Southeast Polk's Continuous Learning Plans. This website is designed to share learning resources for students and families during the COVID-19 school closure. This site will be linked on the district homepage under COVID-19 information on the Curriculum/Learning Resources tab. These resources may be found under the building tabs in the top right hand corner of the site. The resources are organized by grade level, content area, and teacher. Don't worry if all of your links are not yet active. We have shared with families that these links are being continually updated with new materials.

Southeast Polk Continuous Learning Plans

Electronic files of learning packets are available on elementary sites for families who would like to print them at home. These weekly packets will also be available in paper form beginning the week of April 20th at Grab and Go locations. Learning Packets will also be available at Runnells Elementary and Clay Elementary every Monday from 5:00PM-6:00PM. Families may pick up their learning packets at any of these locations.

SEP Continuous Learning Plan-Learning Packets

Learning Packets will be available to all students in grades PK-5 beginning on Monday, April 20th. There will be a packet for each grade level, and they will include learning tasks aligned to standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. There will be a new packet every Monday through the completion of the school year. Learning Packets will be available at Grab and Go locations during meal distributions on Mondays. We will also have packets available at two sites in the early evening for those who are not able to pick one up during the day. In addition, electronic copies of the packets will be available on our website for families who are able to print these at home. 

Learning Packet Distribution Sites 

 Every Monday, beginning April 20th 

Altoona   11:00AM-12:00PM     At Grab and Go site 
Clay   5:00PM-6:00PM     At front entrance 
Delaware   11:00AM-12:00PM     At Grab and Go site 
Four Mile  11:00AM-12:00PM     At Grab and Go site 
Mitchellville   11:30AM-12:00PM     At Grab and Go site
Runnells   5:00PM-6:00PM     At front entrance 
Willowbrook   11:00AM-12:00PM     At Grab and Go site

Below are the electronic links to the learning packets.  These will be pushed out to families through Infinite Campus Monday morning.

• Preschool
• Kindergarten
• 1st grade
• 2nd grade
• 3rd grade
• 4th grade
• 5th grade

Science and Engineering Practices

The Iowa Core science standards were developed to help students gain conceptual knowledge of science while engaging in science and engineering practices. Our homes and everyday lives are filled with opportunities to develop and carry out these practices.

Asking Questions - “What do I wonder?”

• As you go about your daily activities and during play, encourage your child to ask questions.
• Encourage finding answers to questions through research and experimentation. 

Developing and Using Models - “What do I think?” 

• Keep track of weather data at your home and compare with local news weather data. Make predictions based on patterns and relationships. 
• Build/craft or draw multiple components of the place you live. Describe the relationships among the components. 

Planning and Carrying out Investigations - “How can I test it?” 

• Have your child collect items found in nature such as rocks, leaves, insects, plants, or seeds. Collect and record data about the objects such as size, shape and color. Encourage your child to develop questions about those items and help him/her find answers to those questions through investigations, by reading nonfiction texts, or by asking appropriate experts. 

Analyzing and Interpreting Data - “What did I observe?” 

• Collect data and monitor use of energy and water at home. Compare different months and develop reasons for differences from month to month. 
• Keep track of the number and type of animals you see in your neighborhood. Make a graph of the data. Develop a conclusion based on your data. 

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking - “How can I model it?” 

• Provide supervised opportunities in the kitchen to measure, observe and talk about changes in matter related to cooking. Ask how temperature changes affect food. 
• Figure out how to double or cut in half a recipe. 

Constructing Explanations - “How does it work?” 

• Do arts and craft projects to create something new from smaller pieces. Talk about why certain materials might be better for specific projects and why. 
• Build or draw a contraption “AKA Rube Goldberg.” Explain the goal and purpose of each component. 

Engaging in Argument from Evidence - “How do I know?” 

• Encourage your child to come up with examples of how humans have used technology to communicate through light and sound (i.e. traffic signals, cellular phones). What items are most important to humans? Research or provide evidence for your claim(s). 
• Read the ingredient lists from multiple packaged food items. Make a claim about which foods are healthier for you. 

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information - “What did I learn?” 

• Playing of “maker” games and apps such as Minecraft to develop engineering and collaboration skills. Explain strategies to another family member. 
• Have an in-home science fair. Use posters, models, drawings to explain how something works such as household cleaners, appliances, toys, lamps, flashlights or just about anything in your home. Create a presentation to share your findings. 

Resources:
www.thewonderofscience.com 
Science K-12 parent guide

Best Practices in an Online Learning Environment

Educators across the country have stepped up to make significant changes in a short period of time in order to sustain and provide learning in an online environment. Southeast Polk teachers have done tremendous work as a part of these efforts.  As we begin to make some of these shifts, there are some ideas for both support and encouragement during these challenging times.

This graphic below comes from Eric Sheninger (@E_Sheninger) and provides some basic guidance when beginning to offer distance learning opportunities.

After reading the article: "Tips for Managing Virtual Instruction During the COVID-19 Crisis", Learning Supports Coordinator Laurie Wyatt created a chart to help teachers think about the parameters of online teaching. 

Virtual instruction with a social-emotional learning lens

What it is	What it is not
Being realistic about your own feelings. This is hard; acknowledge it. You will have good days and bad days while teaching remotely. We cannot teach as if our students and families are not experiencing exactly the same thing.	Simply altering your instructional modalities and not missing a beat.
Being reassuring. Communicate that you know this is all new and it may be difficult, but you will find your way together.  Adopt a lighter tone.	Stifling your feelings of uncertainty; being too serious and rigid.
Promoting problem solving and contributions. Ask students to put themselves in others’ shoes. Can they think of a caring, kind action they can take?	Avoiding discussing COVID-19 or its effects.
Fostering self-management and emotional regulation. Promote routines that are reassuring. Find time for activities that allow students to share their feelings. Take breaks with interesting virtual field trips like Google Earth; show students fascinating spots around the world.	Bypassing  building in time to share feelings.
Celebrating accomplishments. Celebrate what goes right. Point out every small gain, every small win.	Striving to achieve the same student growth goals you would if school were in session.
Being optimistically future-minded. Keep students engaged in learning.	Trying to advance at the prior pace when school was in session.
Showing and encouraging empathy and perspective taking. Learn about students’ feelings and situations. Know when and how to get help for a student if needed.	Avoiding sharing your own turmoil and logistical challenges working from home.
Taking care of yourself. Provide mindful moments for yourself. Think of mindfulness as vitamins for your mind, heart, and spirit.	Neglecting to acknowledge your feelings of isolation or giving yourself a break.

And last, but not least, Twitter educator Lisa Meade (@LisaMeade23) reminds us that:

"If there's one thing this situation has taught me is we need way more grace rather than judgment, flexibility rather than deadlines, and connection rather than another assignment."