Implemented Strategies
Clear Expectations
The week ahead was a tool that I created for all three learning models. This weekly calendar allows all students to know what their assignments were, what resources they might need, and what is expected of them. During virtual learning this tool was updated each weekend for the following school week. It was divided into our daily ZOOM schedule with each learning block mapped out. Within each learning block, there were directions of what was expected so the students were always clear on their assignments. When we moved to Hybrid learning, the week ahead was formatted a little differently but remained familiar to the students so they continued to know the expectations. For the hybrid week ahead, there was one for each separate cohort mapped out for their week. Once moving to fully in person learning, we continue to use the same week ahead. It is the resource that all students access for their assignments. This tool was easily adaptable between all of the learning models.
Community and Connection
For Community and Connection, I wanted to make sure that no matter the learning model, all students felt a sense of community in the classroom. One strategy that I implemented for this was Google Classroom. Google classroom is a tool that can be used in all models. It was a way for me to communicate with all students and families, as well as be used as the home base to our school year. My google classroom was broken apart into different academic categories as well as a Daily Assignments Category. I made sure to separate materials into each category based on the academic block that we were focusing on. Another tool I used was a virtual Bitmoji classroom. This virtual classroom was made to look similar to our classroom, had all of the resources or links they needed, had our daily schedule, and any other things they might find in our actual classroom. We have continued to use both of these resources in all three learning models.
Equal Access
For equal access, depending on the learning model, I needed to make sure that my students had equal access to all lessons. In the week ahead, there would be multiple versions for one single assignment and links for any resources I needed the students to locate. I would post a video version of the mini lesson for students to re-watch when needed. If there were materials that the students needed to read in order to complete an assignment, I would provide a read aloud version and a text version. Any assignment or PDF provided had a read aloud version, original version, and video version for students to access when needed. This tailors the assignments to the needs of all students. I continue providing students with these accommodations in all learning models. Not only am I implementing responsive teaching practices, I am also making sure to implement UDL (universally designed lessons) for all students.
Teacher as the Facilitator
The final element I needed to make sure that I continued to implement in all three learning models was being the facilitator. In person, there are many more opportunities for this such as students working in groups, students sharing lessons with the class, partner work and discussion, collaboration, etc. During The Hybrid learning model, in order to allow students to continue to grow as learners, I would assign my students in the classroom with a group of students at home in a ZOOM breakout room. All students would log into ZOOM (even the students in the classroom) and I would assign them all to a breakout room. It was important that I was always able to monitor the students at home when they were participating in a group so creating groups where there was one students always in person, I was able to monitor what was happening in the ZOOM breakout rooms. When the students were fully remote, I would create breakout rooms using multiple devices of my own so that I could hear and monitor each breakout room while they were collaborating. This allowed students to have autonomy in their own learning no matter what learning model we were in.
