In 2020, the education of our children has changed in so many ways that we could not predict. On Friday, March 13, we shut down our schools, and quarantined our nation. And the world of education had shifted. As teachers, we needed to connect with our kids virtually, which meant learning new ways to reach them. Our youngest learners, those who we know have so much energy and excitement for learning, were at home, and we – their teachers- were home, too. How could we continue to connect with our students?
I knew when I went into teaching, my goal was to inspire students to do their best, to learn new things, and to believe in themselves. In the classroom, I knew how to connect with them, how to pique their interests, and how to move them forward. My next question was, “How do I inspire them to take risks from afar?”
From the beginning of the pandemic, educators were told to provide instruction and hope for student engagement, giving grace to our families. The work was optional, and grades could only improve from the third quarter. My goal had not changed, but the environment of learning had changed. I had to provide the structure I know my students needed while balancing that with their passions and interests. Our grade level team made the decision to maintain our morning CREW, provide virtual and recorded instruction for reading, writing, and math, and also provide some ways for our kids to explore their interests. My classroom was a flexible learning environment with choice for learning provided daily. So, my focus was on continuing to personalize instruction, even at home. That was when I created choice boards each week for our kids and families to share what they were learning about at home, and provide some experiences that families could do together. These were optional, but provided the opportunity to try new things at home. Here is an example of one I created using STEM activities, and ideas from several educators I follow. ( AJ Juliani and John Spencer – creators of LAUNCH, Jarrett Lerner – author and illustrator, Brooke Brown – Teach Outside the Box). We use Seesaw to share our learning.
Here’s what happened: Students who tried the activities uploaded videos and photos to Seesaw. This inspired others to try them, too. Some families would take the virtual field trip during dinner time, exploring national parks, or learning about insects. We could all share experiences through our class blog on Seesaw where other families could respond and connect. Our students then became the experts and could offer suggestions to others. Each week, there were different activities to choose. This provided an element of play – which is a strong component of learning, especially at a young age.
Choice boards are great examples of offering that choice to students. They provide options to access the content in a way that allows for each student to choose how they want to show what they know. While this remote learning choice board focuses on STEM, others can be created around a content area, or specific theme. My students will be surprised this month with our choice board for Gingerbread week, and Reindeer week! If you are thinking about how to reach your youngest learners, try a choice board.
innovationinfirst 