For me, it was March 16 when everything seemed to start changing. Up until that day, even with all the craziness around me, my life was still kind of normal. My daughter starred in the district’s musical Wizard of Oz on Saturday. I went out to eat with my parents. I picked up my groceries like every other Sunday (except for toilet paper, that had already been bought up!). But it wasn’t until that moment on March 16, when we were told “school’s closed” that I realized it was real and things would be different.
I am not new to technology and learning. I completed my entire master’s in educational technology online! I spent my last year in the classroom integrating technology into my instruction and the 3 last years helping other teachers successfully do the same. BUT . . . I’M JUST LIKE YOU! I was scared of the changes that came in the Spring. I am adjusting to new protocols just to leave the house. I am missing my students, my colleagues, and my routine (YES, I MISS GOING TO WORK EVERYDAY!). I am nervous, uncertain, hopeful, and just a little scared. And IF I were a classroom teacher, I would be incredibly anxious about being prepared for remote learning situations in the fall.
I think many of us have found ourselves facing a number of problems this past spring. We are ALL in uncharted territory! We were overwhelmed with the number of resources being shoved at us! We were desperate for a way to reach our students and get them assignments!
Some of you were forced to use a brand new tool for the first time. And with that new tool came frustration with and misunderstandings about it’s many features! Were you given too much bad advice, inadequate training, or no training at all?
But now we have the summer to rest and recharge, and to rethink our games! Do you want a simple, streamlined digital workflow that organizes student work? Do you want a stress-free way to communicate with students and foster digital classroom discussions? Do you want a quick, efficient way of getting students feedback on their work? Then Google Classroom might be the tool for YOU!!
I WANT TO HELP!!!
LET’S DO THIS TOGETHER!!
