March 21, 2018
The kids are not all right.
We are all very aware of the tragic events in schools across our country. Gun laws may change, but is that going to help our students most of all? Our children today need to know they are safe. They also need to know the adults in their lives care about them. In the article, 'The Kids are Not All Right', David Tow discusses problems with the mental health of high schoolers and solutions we can adopt to help them. The following steps are not just good for high school students. They will benefit all children of any age. Here are the five basic steps to make a change in someone's life today:
Ask "How are you doing?"---and mean it.
Set office hours. Meet students who desire to talk. Not just about academics. Be a listening ear for these students, so they know they are not alone.
Remember your Maslow. Students who don't feel safe, grounded, and healthy can not do their best work. Mental health trumps academic performance every time.
Consider what matters. If a student is falling behind adjust the work to the bare bones of what they need instead of piling on the full and complete workload. Go to the standards the material is reinforcing and provide that for the struggling students.
Use the professionals. Our school system has wonderful supports in place. Get to know the counselors in your building and the resources they can provide.
Spotlight at Complex
Yesterday was Spring into Digital Learning Day! Mrs. Hayward & Ms. Gunter’s 3rd grade classroom virtually traveled across the United States and engaged with students across the globe. This amazing event was put on by the Center of Interactive Learning and Collaboration.
Their first stop was Boston, Massachusetts to talk with Benjamin Franklin. They learned about his life and the students were able to directly ask him (the actor) questions.
The next destination was South Padre Island, TX. They spoke with a Marine Biologist about Sea Turtle habitats, adaptations, and pollution!
Sharks Alive was their third live chat. This was one of the students' favorites because they learned all about sharks. The class even got to see a live tagging of a Great White Shark and talk with a scientist swimming with a Whale Shark!
During lunch the students chose to eat in the classroom while listening to a historian in Virginia. They found out who was the real Pocahontas. The last virtual learning day track took students to Montana where they learned all about why bears are waiting to be in a bathtub. The students will be submitting their artwork and story ideas for the new children’s book based on this topic.
Today was an amazing day full of engagement and excitement! The students are excited about creating their collaboration slides to share with peers and the CILC center!
Tech Tip:
Please advise substitutes to use the Guest login for your computer in your substitute plans. Your personal login information should never be left for a sub, or shared with fellow teachers. That system password in the wrong hands could lead to breach in your personal information.
Substitutes are welcome to login to the Mac desktop with the following credentials:
Username: guest
Password: (hit enter-no password needed)
You can find the Screencastify Chrome extension and more information here. If you would like additional help in utilizing Screencastify, please submit a ticket and Mike or Melanie will be glad to support you. Keep on creating!
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