EDUCATION IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

[Diogenes]

Ah ha! Education of the kids. I thought getting ourselves educated. I can move it to the other thread. I’m so tired these days, fretting.

I’ll need to read the sites. My kids haven’t done much schoolwork this week at all. Teens don’t always take direction well, if at all. *sigh* we are only on day 4.

Move over and pass me the wine, Paulina.
Internet Access has more holes than a swiss cheese. And one week in, my nerves are shot.
My Little one threw the biggest tantrum imaginable outside of terrible twos, because she got the assignment too late and the teacher (bless her blood-stained cotton socks ) got angry that she handed in the answers two hours too late. Needless to say, my short email to the teacher would have gotten me on Maria's warned list.
Graduation Fairy seems far more concerned about the fact that all the parties are cancelled: there will be no ceremony, no prom, no "we did it" impromptu parties at local beaches or parks… No need for a dress... 

Umm ... fairy ... when your fairina has a meltdown, have you considered having one too?  The surprise of seeing mom go berserk is sometimes very therapeutic ...

And perhaps your grad would like to design her own dress for an eventual post virus party?  Ok, so it might never get made (which is why there are no holds barred on materials or cost ...;-)), but it might get her thinking along interesting lines.

FWIW.

Dio: Hubby tried, when this skype-conference was rudely interrupted by a fairy trying to restart the WiFi (by resetting it). Hhm it was interesting from a purely academic social stand point. However, it drove the dogs and me down to the laundry room (from which, we remember! I had been trying to self-isolate myself).
NO, seriously, if this school break is going on much longer, it might be a parent who invents the much needed virus vaccine...

LLLLOOOOOOLLLLL!

[Pomme]

Schools won't reopen here on the envisaged April 6th because our govt wishes to see the results of a current study about the infectiousness of minors. No final exams for seconday schools.
As we speak, Pomster is in his first EduTeams lesson and he and his mates are acting like eejits, not listening to the teacher at all. Have to admit it's the first time in 12 days that he's seen them.

[fairy]

Here they are discussing to cancel the Abitur examinations. The idea is to use grade point average achieved up until School closure. Well, of course immediate reaction is relief to be saved from the very exhausting and stressfull exams, but on closer inspection, this means that subjects and classes, that were never meant to be counted towards the exam are now included and any hope to achieve good points in classes, that you are good in and that you have majored in (and prepared for in the last 6 months) is gone.
In fact most of the points will not be made up by any of the major classes but the minors. e.g. majors are Maths, first language, german (lit) and one subject you choose: my daughter hasn't even had all of her tests, let alone the big exams. So far they have basically finished the minor subjects simply as to get them off the list and now those weigh enormously in their nc.

[Chandrasekhi]

Audible.com free for Scholars AS
https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

[Chandrasekhi]

Here's some free ideas I have been given from our preschool (in US):

Scholastic Learn from Home: English/Spanish US grades pre-K to 9th Grade EC, LS, MS, HS (freshman)
https://classroommagazine.../support/learnathome.html

Starfall: Pre-K to 3rd Grade EC, LS
https://www.starfall.com/h/

Khan Academy: Ages 4-14 EC, LS, MS, HS (freshman)
https://www.khanacademy.org/

Squiggle Park: Reading skills for ages 3-15 ES, LS, MS, HS
https://www.squigglepark.com//

Prodigy Math Game: Fun with math (adapts to ALL skill level)   
https://play.prodigygame.com/

There's also:
Learning TV programs/games free online:
https://pbskids.org/  EC, LS, MS
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ LS, MS

Also, for EC:
They also sent home ideas for sensory bags/games for babies and toddlers, I just looked up a pretty decent link here: https://mommypoppins.com/...-activities-for-any-child
(Tip: for the messy ideas [ie play with shaving cream or break ice cubes] you can always keep cleaner by putting it into a ziploc bag and taping it to their dinnermat/ high chair before letting them have at it.

My children are a bit too young for any of those sites. I tried lol. So to keep organized I have been theming the week. I printed out free coloring book pages (http://coloringhome.com), and got books and songs all on theme. Example: rabbits: bunny pictures to color, we exercised by leaning to hop, read bunny books, sang "little bunny foo foo" etc. That's working ok for the 2 year old, the baby is well business as usual. And well luckily it's a slow week at work.

Prodigy Maths is a hit with Lil Cs,  Eliza B

[ralf103]

twinkl is a great website for printable resources but also has some online games for ids. they are offering their service for free at the moment  (I teach infants - 5/6year olds and we use their stuff all the time in school and have sent lots of stuff from there out for home learning) If you use the code UKTWINKLHELPS you get it all for free for now.

The BBC is also coming up with lots of fab stuff launching after Easter for all age ranges.

And of course Joe Wicks is doing a 30 min PE lesson at 9am UK time every school day on his youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/thebodycoachtv (We put this on for the first 30 mins of the school day with the children we still have in now and it means we can get on with jobs because they tend to be so engrossed in it)

[Pomme]

There are some 1.5 million kids in primary education in The Netherlands. Schools haven't been able to contact about 7,000 of them.
Now the (local) governments and edycation civil servants are visiting all these kids. Many of them are in difficult situations and will be offered to go to school (schools are open anyway for kids of essential workers).
Lil P (5) is teaching me how to remove chewing gum from jeans. I need to hide that iPad more often.
(We played with water in the garden for most of today - wonderful)

[lilyrose]

For anyone using Engage NY/Eureka Math-Duane Habecker  and Tim Kung takes you through their modules and lessons-Grades 1-5.
https://www.youtube.com/c.../UCMb3b2_-4jDpi2Mvac_pAMA

https://www.youtube.com/c...DnC6XJBKWBx3g/videos-Kung

Additonally for anyone whose district uses Engage NY/Eureka math, Zearn is an absolutely fantastic resource that I was using in my classroom this year to help kids who were absent. It goes from from kindergarten up to 5th grade. It starts each lesson with a number sense practice, then fluency, and then they have a guided video lesson that includes both math vocabulary and instruction at a child's level. After, they do a quick independent practice to see if they understand what they just learned. It's an excellent program!

LS / MS
http://www.zearn.org

Also, Raz Kids is offering free access for the remainder of the year. It has digital books that students can have read to them, then they read it themselves, then they answer some comprehension questions. It's a fantastic resource, especially for younger kids who are learning to read.
https://www.learninga-z.com/site/lp2/covid19

Going to third (fourth?) Khan Academy as well!

[Principessa]

There are some 1.5 million kids in primary education in The Netherlands. Schools haven't been able to contact about 7,000 of them.
Now the (local) governments and edycation civil servants are visiting all these kids. Many of them are in difficult situations and will be offered to go to school (schools are open anyway for kids of essential workers).
Lil P (5) is teaching me how to remove chewing gum from jeans. I need to hide that iPad more often.
(We played with water in the garden for most of today - wonderful)

 

Before there were already outspoken concerns about children who are in a bad home situation and for whom school is a kind of safe heaven. According to a legal person in this area there are schools which are requested to take in children in this time to get them out the toxic, hazardous situation at home.

Yesterday evening there were some compulsory education officers / controllers shown in a news item, talking to other children about missing children. Who of their classmates / children in their surrounding they were missing (both in RL as on line). At the location of the officers they apparently had a lot of Bulgarian families (I guess a lot of immigrant workers). The most children missing were from those families, but they thought these families and children probably went back to Bulgaria.

[cottesmore girl]

Here in the UK all schools are providing some kind of online education from the beginning of next term (usually April 20th)

Fee paying schools obviously have to 'up the anti' with online lessons, assemblies, visual arts and music lessons. State schools in the primary sector tend to be more low-key with packs of work / worksheets being emailed to parents. But obviously this is not 'inclusive' and some homes will not have computers / printers etc.

'Vulnerable' children with an EHCP (Statement of Educational needs) are being encouraged to go to school as many schools are still open. My daughter is a primary school teacher and is working 1 day a week at her school with 'vulnerable' children and children of 'key workers'. This of course put her 'on the front line' and at risk of infection. Not ideal!

Stay safe everybody.

[TLLK]

For anyone using Engage NY/Eureka Math-Duane Habecker  and Tim Kung takes you through their modules and lessons-Grades 1-5.
https://www.youtube.com/c.../UCMb3b2_-4jDpi2Mvac_pAMA

https://www.youtube.com/c...DnC6XJBKWBx3g/videos-Kung

Additonally for anyone whose district uses Engage NY/Eureka math, Zearn is an absolutely fantastic resource that I was using in my classroom this year to help kids who were absent. It goes from from kindergarten up to 5th grade. It starts each lesson with a number sense practice, then fluency, and then they have a guided video lesson that includes both math vocabulary and instruction at a child's level. After, they do a quick independent practice to see if they understand what they just learned. It's an excellent program!

LS / MS
http://www.zearn.org

Also, Raz Kids is offering free access for the remainder of the year. It has digital books that students can have read to them, then they read it themselves, then they answer some comprehension questions. It's a fantastic resource, especially for younger kids who are learning to read.
https://www.learninga-z.com/site/lp2/covid19

Going to third (fourth?) Khan Academy as well!

Thank you for sharing lilyrose. I will definitely pass on the information on Zearn to my friends and colleagues.

[fairy]

There are some 1.5 million kids in primary education in The Netherlands. Schools haven't been able to contact about 7,000 of them.
Now the (local) governments and edycation civil servants are visiting all these kids. Many of them are in difficult situations and will be offered to go to school (schools are open anyway for kids of essential workers).
Lil P (5) is teaching me how to remove chewing gum from jeans. I need to hide that iPad more often.
(We played with water in the garden for most of today - wonderful)

 

Before there were already outspoken concerns about children who are in a bad home situation and for whom school is a kind of safe heaven. According to a legal person in this area there are schools which are requested to take in children in this time to get them out the toxic, hazardous situation at home.

Yesterday evening there were some compulsory education officers / controllers shown in a news item, talking to other children about missing children. Who of their classmates / children in their surrounding they were missing (both in RL as on line). At the location of the officers they apparently had a lot of Bulgarian families (I guess a lot of immigrant workers). The most children missing were from those families, but they thought these families and children probably went back to Bulgaria.

You'd think that bureacratic countries such as the Netherlands or Germany (the inofficial founder of bureacracy) should have a better handle on reaching such families, knowing how to contact them etc.
However our School eg. says they haven't have contact to about a third of the students…
Anyway, the Isolation is taking a toll on families: domestic violence is going up...

[Kristallinchen]

There are some 1.5 million kids in primary education in The Netherlands. Schools haven't been able to contact about 7,000 of them.
Now the (local) governments and edycation civil servants are visiting all these kids. Many of them are in difficult situations and will be offered to go to school (schools are open anyway for kids of essential workers).
Lil P (5) is teaching me how to remove chewing gum from jeans. I need to hide that iPad more often.
(We played with water in the garden for most of today - wonderful)

 

Before there were already outspoken concerns about children who are in a bad home situation and for whom school is a kind of safe heaven. According to a legal person in this area there are schools which are requested to take in children in this time to get them out the toxic, hazardous situation at home.

Yesterday evening there were some compulsory education officers / controllers shown in a news item, talking to other children about missing children. Who of their classmates / children in their surrounding they were missing (both in RL as on line). At the location of the officers they apparently had a lot of Bulgarian families (I guess a lot of immigrant workers). The most children missing were from those families, but they thought these families and children probably went back to Bulgaria.

You'd think that bureacratic countries such as the Netherlands or Germany (the inofficial founder of bureacracy) should have a better handle on reaching such families, knowing how to contact them etc.
However our School eg. says they haven't have contact to about a third of the students…
Anyway, the Isolation is taking a toll on families: domestic violence is going up...

My friend is a teacher for 14+ teenagers and they're making team viewing at the moment (a bit like Skype). Of course it's not the same as in the class.

But he says that it also has advantages: The children are not as loud as in the classroom (you can just shut them off via the microphone, if they are) and somehow he says that some of them are much more active now than while in school.

Also he can't see, if they're doing something or just logging in and then doing something else. So for him it's not as demotivating as in the classroom.

Of course it's a problem that many of them don't have a real room to learn or even an own laptop (many of them have to share it with their siblings) or that the parents very often can't really help them.

[Principessa]

There are some 1.5 million kids in primary education in The Netherlands. Schools haven't been able to contact about 7,000 of them.
Now the (local) governments and edycation civil servants are visiting all these kids. Many of them are in difficult situations and will be offered to go to school (schools are open anyway for kids of essential workers).
Lil P (5) is teaching me how to remove chewing gum from jeans. I need to hide that iPad more often.
(We played with water in the garden for most of today - wonderful)

 

Before there were already outspoken concerns about children who are in a bad home situation and for whom school is a kind of safe heaven. According to a legal person in this area there are schools which are requested to take in children in this time to get them out the toxic, hazardous situation at home.

Yesterday evening there were some compulsory education officers / controllers shown in a news item, talking to other children about missing children. Who of their classmates / children in their surrounding they were missing (both in RL as on line). At the location of the officers they apparently had a lot of Bulgarian families (I guess a lot of immigrant workers). The most children missing were from those families, but they thought these families and children probably went back to Bulgaria.

You'd think that bureacratic countries such as the Netherlands or Germany (the inofficial founder of bureacracy) should have a better handle on reaching such families, knowing how to contact them etc.
However our School eg. says they haven't have contact to about a third of the students…
Anyway, the Isolation is taking a toll on families: domestic violence is going up...

My friend is a teacher for 14+ teenagers and they're making team viewing at the moment (a bit like Skype). Of course it's not the same as in the class.

But he says that it also has advantages: The children are not as loud as in the classroom (you can just shut them off via the microphone, if they are) and somehow he says that some of them are much more active now than while in school.

Also he can't see, if they're doing something or just logging in and then doing something else. So for him it's not as demotivating as in the classroom.

Of course it's a problem that many of them don't have a real room to learn or even an own laptop (many of them have to share it with their siblings) or that the parents very often can't really help them.

There was already a private initiative in the Netherlands. By an Amsterdammer who had also set up so-called study rooms for the needy children previously:

https://nos.nl/artikel/23...uiswerk-en-veel-meer.html

Later, the Dutch government also indicated that it would make money available so that children from poor families have access to a laptop for education at home. Minister Arie Slob (Primary and Secondary Education) has allocated 2.5 million euros to lend students from vulnerable families a laptop or tablet.

[TLLK]

Has anyone had their schools start to open yet? I understand that Denmark has begun to open their elementary schools.

https://www.independent.c...-shops-open-a9464091.html