Years from now, we will all remember the spring of 2020 as the days of Coronavirus and how we all learned and internalized the meaning of the new term, social distancing. This modern form of quarantine has affected all industries, including education. On March 12, when Governor Kemp announced that Georgia schools should close, our staff rallied and put togethera week of individualized instructional materials for our 39 students in less than 24 hours. The following week we created a Virtual Live School so that our students would be able to maintain consistent learning routines. Each day the teachers meet with each of their classes in person, except that each student and staff member is streaming live from a home computer. We felt that replicating the strategies and curriculums we use in our physical AOI classrooms would be the best approach. Our students with distinct learning differences who are not the best candidates for on-line instruction deserve the best instruction we can deliver, no matter what the challenges are. Parents picked up new curriculum books and activities for our students on Friday, then on Monday, March 23, we entered the brave new world of multisensory, explicit, diagnostic teaching using Google Meet. This was like another first day of school! Students greeted each other eagerly and enjoyed seeing pets, other family members and the rooms devoted to school activities. Our parents of the younger students participate in the classes by lending support and being a physical presence for these young learners. Older students have had to get back into a school routine by going to bed before 11, getting up, showering and eating breakfast before reporting to their computers. The first day of the Virtual Live School, several kids have come to class in their pajamas and one even tried to attend class from bed. Needless to say, each student is reporting to school, dressed appropriately and ready to work with their academic materials close by the computer.
3 Comments
Maura Pittman
4/13/2020 01:40:32 pm
I am so glad that we have such WONDERFUL PARENTS that support us.
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It is nice to hear the students are having fun with online classes. It is definitely a big adjustment for all of us. No one anticipated that we will be celebrating 2020 with a pandemic, but it has already happened, so we do not really have a choice anymore. It is great that we are finding ways to continue the students' education during this pandemic. We have to make the most out of the time we have during this quarantine, so online class is a big help for the students to continually learn even if they are stuck at home.
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12/1/2020 01:55:39 am
Teacher staff development is one of the most aspects of a teacher's career. There are three important areas of staff development - literacy workshops, Special Education workshops, and 6 Traits training - discussed in this article
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Ava white School Director and Archives
April 2020
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