From Hybrid to Distance
After roughly 10 weeks of teaching fourth graders in the hybrid model (half the class in-person, two days a week), our county has superseded the COVID infection rates that make it safe to continue in-person teaching and learning. So, we're shifting to distance learning, which will mean new routines, new procedures and new norms.
Essential Agreement
Just like at the beginning of the year when we collaboratively created our classroom norms, we needed to collectively develop agreements about how we would behave in our new online setting.
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| At the beginning of the year, we agreed to be empathetic, responsible, helpful and trustworthy. |
Chalk Talk
During our last days of in-person learning, we used the thinking routine "Chalk Talk" from Making Thinking Visible (Ritchhart, Church and Morrison) to get our thinking out on paper about how we will continue to honor our essential agreement in our new distance learning setting. This routine worked particularly well as the two cohorts of students contributed their ideas on two different days. I enjoy this routine because it is a silent conversation; it gives time and space for students to think, contribute their own ideas and respond / react to others.
To facilitate Chalk Talk, follow the directions from the book Making Thinking Visible:
Looking at the topic or question written on the chart paper:
- What ideas come to mind when you consider this idea, question or problem?
- What connections can you make to others' responses?
- What questions arise as you think about the ideas and consider the responses and comments of others?
The following four charts represent my class's collective thinking about how they will be on Zooms so that we can continue to learn, think and grow.
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| Respond in a happy, clear voice Mute yourself when others are talking Think about other people's feelings Golden rule Use the blue hand Have a nice and loud voice when you talk Don't blurt Listen to other people Wait to talk. It could hurt someone's feelings if you don't. |
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| Make sure you don't do funny business on Zoom Do not unmute when its not your turn Listen when someone is talking Stay muted unless called on No backgrounds Do your best Try your hardest Keep your head in front of the camera Be in a quiet place Be on time Do what the teacher says Use the buttons instead of talking Come prepared |
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| Listen Sit still Raise your blue hand button Do your best to not screw off Don't do funny business Remind people to grab something if they forgot it Help kids that are stuck Don't interrupt and talk nice Help others Only unmute if you're allowed to |
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| Do all assignments Be on time If the teacher asks you to do something, you do it Don't play with the buttons Do not unmute yourself if someone else is speaking Don't do funny business Be ready before the call Always be nice and just unmute yourself if someone says you can talk Be prepared Don't lie Be prepared |
Making students' thinking visible helps me as a teacher because it allows me to respond appropriately. and in a timely manner. Using the thinking routine "Chalk Talk" to set distance learning norms gives students voice in this process and helps me best understand their thinking as we shift from hybrid to distance learning.
