The Monday Letter: Classroom Strategy for an Organized and Planned On-Line Experience.

 Hello, Students and Parents, 

My goal is to write a "Monday Letter" here in this blog at least once a week (on or about Mondays....).  This letter shares general information, facilitates communication, and keeps everyone up-to-date.   Sometimes, I may write more frequently than once each week.  You can receive automatic notifications when there's an update to this blog by clicking on the top left corner where there's a rectangle of small parallel lines.  

So what's this on-line class look like?  You may be asking, "What will the teacher (or my child) be doing while in 'class'? "

The structure of this course is similar to what happens in a usual, in-person school experience.  There is time to socialize briefly with peers, time to have a formatted and structured lesson, time to work on problems, and time to "debrief" or ask questions, summarize or reflect upon the learning. 

More specifically (and maybe clearly), 

The class period while on-line and in general consists of the following tasks in this order: 

• Connect. 
• Absorb.
• Apply.
• Reflect.

Sometimes, we will go through the cycle twice, because it is a 2 hour class and people have a limit with how much they can absorb in one sitting.

A sample common class period applying this strategy:

• Connect. Small breakout groups while I take attendance and perhaps meet with a student or two one-on-one for one or two minutes who needs something.  No math is discussed here; this is so we can build community, create a positive class culture, and feed our need to be social human beings. 
• Absorb. Watch an instructional video that is about 10 minutes. This is in "Edpuzzle" and has graded questions that simply require general attentiveness. The lesson is an on-line video made by ME that is accessible in case a student can't be in class synchronously or needs extra review.
• Apply. In breakout groups, work on a problem or problem set with a group of people. Comparing work, asking questions, working together, comparing strategies and answers are all encouraged.
• Reflect. With the entire class, discuss the topic. Portions are highlighted, more challenging problems completed. Part of the reflection component will be an 'evaluation' to be sure that we've achieved educational goals for the day or topic.

As a teacher who prides herself on her flexibility, response to feed back, and ability to connect with students, I often tweak and adjust what happens daily. I welcome communication and conversation and am open to hearing your suggestions and trying new things. Last spring, when we went on-line, it felt as though my classes tried several new styles. Different people needed different kinds of lessons and experiences. We covered all the expected topics and material (!) and grew immensely through learning how to communicate electronically. I expect this year that we'll need the same kind of communication and flexibility to keep making adjustments so everyone's learning needs are met. So please let me know how things are going. Let me know what you think helps the most.

So here we go! On-line learning in math!

Be Well and Stay Safe,

Jean Miller Mariner

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