Post date: May 1, 2020 4:42:12 PM
Hello, Ravens! I don't have too much to pass along today as not much as changed since the last update (all updates archived here). Students should continue to utilize the "ECCL Math" letter and guidelines for what's going on virtually "in math class" each week. I reorganized it a little since the notes and updates section had grown so much that the work was starting to get "lost" further into the document. I obviously hadn't anticipated the rest of the school year would go the way it has when I first set up the document, but we adapt and move on, right? Hopefully the slightly modified set up is easy for everyone to navigate, but let me know if you have any questions. We're still waiting on the final updates to be pushed out for grade books to show the correct calculations for final grades based on the changes put forth for this school year, but everyone is reminded that they can use this "sample report card" to see where their grades stand in the meantime. The latest news I heard was that the updates would go through by Monday, but I'll keep you posted.
This week was the start of our second new topic, surface area and volume. This first week of work has been predominately review, building on what they've learned in years past, but next week we'll be delving into some newer components for the topic. There are as usual videos and notes to go along with everything, but of course I continue to welcome any emails/messages students and/or their families want to send my way with questions and what not.
To help students (and their families) know that they are on the right track with everything, the keys are all being posted in this folder, so they can quickly and easily check their work. Of course, I'm only human and make mistakes myself, so if you think I have gotten a question wrong, send me a quick message (please include the name of the assignment or the link to it) and let me know. For some assignments, answers will vary by student, so I can't provide an exact answer, but I'm more than happy to look over any student work and provide feedback; I just need students to send me their work in order to do so. Self-paced, self-directed learning can be difficult at any time and for any subject, but that might be especially true for math, so I'll always be happy to help. Since these aren't graded assignments, you can do whatever mixture works best for you and your current academic needs. You can do all the paper assignments, all the digital assignments, or a mix of the two.
The entire objective of this "remote learning," "home schooling," or whatever you want to call it is to ensure that students are still learning and growing so they'll be prepared in the future. Honestly that's the entire purpose behind education in general, so as long as kids are learning and growing in any way possible during all of this, I'll be a happy camper! Everyone is dealing with a tricky situation and for some it's been compounded by additional struggles, so please don't let math or other "assigned" school work become an added stressor in your lives. There are so many small ways you can include math in your daily lives (check out this list for some examples), but honestly as long as you all are staying safe, happy, and healthy, that's the most important bit of work you can be doing right now, so you all do what you need to do to make that happen first and foremost! To help with that, if you need some things to fill your day and maybe have a little fun family time together, I've finished compiling a list of a few virtual tours you can take from the comfort of home. We'll be using the list for our "virtual field trips" during the last week of teacher-led instruction (May 25th-29th) as part of our final project of the year, but there's no reason you can't have some fun with it now. I might keep adding to it as I run across new things, but there's plenty to keep you busy for awhile!
Well, I'm sure you're all shocked that I've yet again gotten carried away and sent you all way too much information, but you all know how I am by now. As always, feel free to email/message if you have any questions or I can help in anyway. I send you all my love and of course hope that you are all staying safe, happy, and healthy!