Schools closed until February? (part 3)

KathleenGrant

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Someone who retrained and yes a teacher.

Ok well most people i know working in IT have much better wages than most, have health insurance packages, bonuses on targets reached, flexi time, working from home options long before Covid. Why did you change?

wirelessdude01

glack wrote: »

My personal favourite was the emails from parents that their child couldn’t do X Y or Z because it didn’t work. I’ll ask did they watch the instructional video (the video I probably spent 2 hours making with, this is how it looks on iOS/android/laptop variations). And the reply I get is “there was a video?” Or “oh no I didn’t watch that. Should I?”

Definitely have a greater appreciation for those working in IT support!!

And that's just for showing them how to do renaming in maths 😋

wirelessdude01

KathleenGrant wrote: »

Ok well most people i know working in IT have much better wages than most, have health insurance packages, bonuses on targets reached, flexi time, working from home options long before Covid. Why did you change?

Boredom and a change of circumstances. I'd had enough of the rat race with targets and SLAs and such rubbish.

True the money was excellent. Last quarterly bonus was more than I'd ever earn even as a principal at the top of the scale but life is about more than just money.

JimmyVik

KathleenGrant wrote: »

Ok well most people i know working in IT have much better wages than most, have health insurance packages, bonuses on targets reached, flexi time, working from home options long before Covid. Why did you change?

At my point in life, I would change if I could.
Mostly for the hours and holidays.
But id be sacrificing all of the things you mentioned.
Now if only teaching was as easy as everyone seems to think. Im pretty sure its not. We all have a tenancy to think we can do anyone elses job easily.

Bananaleaf

Stateofyou wrote: »

My point is, not knowing how to do something isn't really an excuse. The information and training is there if one cares enough to go after it. Not knowing what platform to use and how to use it by end of December at this stage, is a strange one (especially considering the Principal should have ensured remote learning was possible in future?). Even if my boss or colleagues didn't provide me the training, I would make it my business to figure it out and share what I learned too.

I'm sure you didn't mean this, but I can't pass by your post without commenting on it.

I would really take issue with any suggestion that I am making 'excuses'

I tried very hard to get a handle on teams. I was met with a brick wall at each and every turn.

I haven't looked at the links posted to me about the self-training yet, so these issues could be answered for me there, will have a look later this evening. However, just to give you an idea ...

I know what platform we are using in school. It's Teams. I know how to use it on a basic level - that is to say that I know how to use it up to the point that I have needed to know right now. I know how to assign work, how to start a meeting, how to record it and how to import a OneNote class book.

What I don't know, and what I will need to figure out if we go to solely online learning:

How to I use the whiteboard function on the screen and share that with students? If I need to write out the correct form of a sentence (MFL), in the classroom I just write on the board. But how do I do that on Teams? Or do I just read out the right answer? Spell out the whole thing? I could use the text box and I have done that, but I would like to know of better ways to do it. For example in the classroom I have a big bag of different colour markers which I use for noun, verb, subject, object, pronoun etc.
What I tried to do to work it out myself: myself and 2 others created our own 'team' to try and teach each other and use the whiteboard. But because we were all teachers, it wouldnt work because of the different permissions we have on Teams? That's what IT said anyway. There was a test student account but nobody knew the password for it. Being honest, after a few weeks of being back, so many other things started being added to the 'to do' list that I kind of forgot about this.

When a student uploads a picture of a page in their copy and I want to correct it, is there an option to mark corrections on the picture and return it to them? I got as far as downloading their photo, saving it to the desktop under their name, the reopening it and marking in their corrections to save again. No option on teams to send it back to the student at all.
What I did to work around this: I've two alternative options here, email the corrected sheet to the student or correct it on teams just using the feedback box but saying 'on the second line you have written 'there wasn't much people' when it should have been 'many' instead of much" etc. Neither if those options are very practical or straightforward, so again, would love to know how to correct via teams.

These are just two of the things that I would need Teams to do that I can't do on it. Two things that are a huge part of my working day and to be fair, don't apply to an office setting so I don't think it is fair to say 'I can work Teams in my office ' Teams was made with offices in mind I'd imagine, not schools.

It has been said to me (by management in my school) that my problem is that I'm trying to make the quality of learning this year the same as other years and it just can't be and maybe she is right.

Edited to add a photo of my home classroom setup last April. I didn't use my lack of training as an excuse to do nothing, it is very much genuine and if anything has resulted in me having to do more work.

lulublue22

glack wrote: »

My personal favourite was the emails from parents that their child couldn’t do X Y or Z because it didn’t work. I’ll ask did they watch the instructional video (the video I probably spent 2 hours making with, this is how it looks on iOS/android/laptop variations). And the reply I get is “there was a video?” Or “oh no I didn’t watch that. Should I?”

Definitely have a greater appreciation for those working in IT support!!

My favourite experience during lockdown via email- parent can you explain x maths to Sam( not real name) He really doesn’t understand. No problem that can be a tricky concept all right. What part is he finding difficult? Everything. Ok well he should have step 1 as explained in the video as he understood this part in school. There’s a Video . ( yes there is a recording with examples and explanations of every topic I upload )
Emh ya it outlines all the steps - can you watch it and come back to me with which step he’s finding tricky. Didn’t hear a word back and work was uploaded.

JimmyVik

Bananaleaf wrote: »

I'm sure you didn't mean this, but I can't pass by your post without commenting on it.

I would really take issue with any suggestion that I am making 'excuses'

I tried very hard to get a handle on teams. I was met with a brick wall at each and every turn.

I haven't looked at the links posted to me about the self-training yet, so these issues could be answered for me there, will have a look later this evening. However, just to give you an idea ...

I know what platform we are using in school. It's Teams. I know how to use it on a basic level - that is to say that I know how to use it up to the point that I have needed to know right now. I know how to assign work, how to start a meeting, how to record it and how to import a OneNote class book.

What I don't know, and what I will need to figure out if we go to solely online learning:

How to I use the whiteboard function on the screen and share that with students? If I need to write out the correct form of a sentence (MFL), in the classroom I just write on the board. But how do I do that on Teams? Or do I just read out the right answer? Spell out the whole thing? I could use the text box and I have done that, but I would like to know of better ways to do it. For example in the classroom I have a big bag of different colour markers which I use for noun, verb, subject, object, pronoun etc.
What I tried to do to work it out myself: myself and 2 others created our own 'team' to try and teach each other and use the whiteboard. But because we were all teachers, it wouldnt work because of the different permissions we have on Teams? That's what IT said anyway. There was a test student account but nobody knew the password for it. Being honest, after a few weeks of being back, so many other things started being added to the 'to do' list that I kind of forgot about this.

When a student uploads a picture of a page in their copy and I want to correct it, is there an option to mark corrections on the picture and return it to them? I got as far as downloading their photo, saving it to the desktop under their name, the reopening it and marking in their corrections to save again. No option on teams to send it back to the student at all.
What I did to work around this: I've two alternative options here, email the corrected sheet to the student or correct it on teams just using the feedback box but saying 'on the second line you have written 'there wasn't much people' when it should have been 'many' instead of much" etc. Neither if those options are very practical or straightforward, so again, would love to know how to correct via teams.

These are just two of the things that I would need Teams to do that I can't do on it. Two things that are a huge part of my working day and to be fair, don't apply to an office setting so I don't think it is fair to say 'I can work Teams in my office ' Teams was made with offices in mind I'd imagine, not schools.

It has been said to me (by management in my school) that my problem is that I'm trying to make the quality of learning this year the same as other years and it just can't be and maybe she is right.

Wait til you share your screen on teams and someone has a low resolution or a small screen and cant see a thing


Then you are trying to find out from your end why they cant read your screen but some can.

Stateofyou

@bananaleaf I didn't have you in mind at all when I wrote that post. Not even a little bit. I can tell you're doing your best.

Bananaleaf

JimmyVik wrote: »

Wait til you share your screen on teams and someone has a low resolution or a small screen and cant see a thing


Then you are trying to find out from your end why they cant read your screen but some can.

Honestly, thinking about the whole thing just makes me want to cry

mirrorwall14

Bananaleaf wrote: »

I tried very hard to get a handle on teams. I was met with a brick wall at each and every turn.

What I don't know, and what I will need to figure out if we go to solely online learning:

How to I use the whiteboard function on the screen and share that with students? If I need to write out the correct form of a sentence (MFL), in the classroom I just write on the board. But how do I do that on Teams? Or do I just read out the right answer? Spell out the whole thing? I could use the text box and I have done that, but I would like to know of better ways to do it. For example in the classroom I have a big bag of different colour markers which I use for noun, verb, subject, object, pronoun etc.

When a student uploads a picture of a page in their copy and I want to correct it, is there an option to mark corrections on the picture and return it to them? I got as far as downloading their photo, saving it to the desktop under their name, the reopening it and marking in their corrections to save again. No option on teams to send it back to the student at all.

It has been said to me (by management in my school) that my problem is that I'm trying to make the quality of learning this year the same as other years and it just can't be and maybe she is right.

This is exactly what our ICT help desk was for. How to get past the basics into using it for transforming our teaching and learning.

For the two you have mentioned a few suggestions albeit I’m on google classroom and google meet

From most basic to more complicated needing equipment:
-Literally write the sentence on a page using all your different pens and share the image
-if doing a live class then point the camera at the page and record your hand writing the image
-sign into the meeting from your phone. Have your phone set up aimed at the table with paper ready and your laptop for the main meeting then switch when you need to do the writing
-(this is based on my experience for google meet/classroom and an iPad so not sure on exactly ms version) use a tablet and a note taking app to write on it live in class. Most of these (I use the standard notes app in iOS) have multiple options for colours and highlighters.
-if not live screen record or use an app such as screen castify or Look to record yourself doing the same in one of the apps. Try to shrink the video before sharing it on teams if not using an app to do the recording as it will be a huge file with the screen recording function on iOS for example

For corrections:
I use an iPad and an Apple pencil with google classroom. And yes I bought both of those for myself. It’s bliss. You can draw all over each solution. I do still have to wait for the image to load but it’s much less hassle. Someone else might be able to say if similar is possible in ms teams with a tablet

I would agree to a certain extent to management, things do have to be different but I would argue (like you) that we also want to be striving to keep things as ‘normal’ as possible to make the transition smooth

Bananaleaf

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

This is exactly what our ICT help desk was for. How to get past the basics into using it for transforming our teaching and learning.

For the two you have mentioned a few suggestions albeit I’m on google classroom and google meet

From most basic to more complicated needing equipment:
-Literally write the sentence on a page using all your different pens and share the image
-if doing a live class then point the camera at the page and record your hand writing the image
-sign into the meeting from your phone. Have your phone set up aimed at the table with paper ready and your laptop for the main meeting then switch when you need to do the writing
-(this is based on my experience for google meet/classroom and an iPad so not sure on exactly ms version) use a tablet and a note taking app to write on it live in class. Most of these (I use the standard notes app in iOS) have multiple options for colours and highlighters.
-if not live screen record or use an app such as screen castify or Look to record yourself doing the same in one of the apps. Try to shrink the video before sharing it on teams if not using an app to do the recording as it will be a huge file with the screen recording function on iOS for example

For corrections:
I use an iPad and an Apple pencil with google classroom. And yes I bought both of those for myself. It’s bliss. You can draw all over each solution. I do still have to wait for the image to load but it’s much less hassle. Someone else might be able to say if similar is possible in ms teams with a tablet

I would agree to a certain extent to management, things do have to be different but I would argue (like you) that we also want to be striving to keep things as ‘normal’ as possible to make the transition smooth

Thank you! Never thought of signing in with the phone. I wonder can I be in my own team twice. Will have to figure that one out. Love the idea of the iPad and pen, I cant afford to buy one myself though and to be fair the school has given us laptops so wouldnt dare ask (although the maths dept were given them but that's fair enough I suppose)
The only camera I have is the one on the laptop so cant really move it around, but yes I will try out the phone option, that is great.

SpacialNeeds

I taught an adult IT literacy course and the problem people have with technology is that they're not good at parsing the information.

If you're interested in crosswords, this is a skill you develop. It involves scanning information to find which part is the key.

So, for example, if a dialogue box comes up and it says "Do you want to continue, yes or no?", you might be familiar with it and not even have to think about it before pressing yes.

Or you might be tech illiterate. The box comes up and you spend a few seconds wondering why the window isn't responding like you need it to.

Then you see the dialogue box. You might get annoyed about it for a second.

You read the text. "Do I want to continue? Continue what? Do I? How do I continue?"

What feels like several days later, to somebody who is computer literate, you press yes.

You can build up a person's confidence by reassuring them that they've seen this before, it's familiar to them. Then they start to register the routines in IT use and begin to work at things faster. Now, there will be pitfalls as the expectation to do more in IT grows. But just remind them about parsing the information and within about six months of regular technology use for purposes that engage them, they'll wonder how they ever struggled.

khalessi

JimmyVik wrote: »

At my point in life, I would change if I could.
Mostly for the hours and holidays.
But id be sacrificing all of the things you mentioned.
Now if only teaching was as easy as everyone seems to think. Im pretty sure its not. We all have a tenancy to think we can do anyone elses job easily.

I'm glad I came into teaching later. It is genuinely one of the hardest jobs I have done but I love it. For me my arch nemisis is the damn Cuntas and paper work and what is know affectionately as that effin folder. I am retiring at 60 and will have a sacrifical buring on the front lawn of the school of said folder.

average_runner

Dempo1 wrote: »

They are but only for advance appointments. The advice however is very very clear, any Covid-19 symptoms (DO NOT GO TO YOUR GP), you must call and they'll request a test. This has been stated policy since last march.

A covid symptom was never mention and most gps are always appointment only.

average_runner

Will the schools themselves decide when to take these 3 days out of hols?

Just we have things booked for May and June bank hols. School had the friday off for banks hols which was a great idea for time away.

Our school principal confirmed they are hols and not remote learning days.

wirelessdude01

JimmyVik wrote: »

At my point in life, I would change if I could.
Mostly for the hours and holidays.
But id be sacrificing all of the things you mentioned.
Now if only teaching was as easy as everyone seems to think. Im pretty sure its not. We all have a tenancy to think we can do anyone elses job easily.

Not as stressful as my previous life but come each mid and full term I'm always mentally and physically wrecked.

wirelessdude01

average_runner wrote: »

Will the schools themselves decide when to take these 3 days out of hols?

Just we have things booked for May and June bank hols. School had the friday off for banks hols which was a great idea for time away.

Our school principal confirmed they are hols and not remote learning days.

No word yet from the department.

km79

average_runner wrote: »

Will the schools themselves decide when to take these 3 days out of hols?

Just we have things booked for May and June bank hols. School had the friday off for banks hols which was a great idea for time away.

Our school principal confirmed they are hols and not remote learning days.

There has been no mention anywhere of an expectation that they will have to be made up
The govt has decided to extend the Xmas holidays . Maybe these days are a recognition of the extra hours and days that have been put in over every holiday period this year already
I think a lot of us will end up working next weds to Friday anyways in preparation for blended learning the following few weeks .......

C__MC

Is it looking ever increasing that is back to online learning?

mirrorwall14

km79 wrote: »

There has been no mention anywhere of an expectation that they will have to be made up
The govt has decided to extend the Xmas holidays . Maybe these days are a recognition of the extra hours and days that have been put in over every holiday period this year already
I think a lot of us will end up working next weds to Friday anyways in preparation for blended learning the following few weeks .......

Yup. Every intention of doing the day as normal assuming we’re ok for childcare with our childminder and getting ahead. Aiming to get the next chapters demo’s done for maths and ready to go

wirelessdude01

Anyone else hear Norma on the news at one? Pretty adamant that schools will be open on the 11th but she never once used the term fully.

average_runner

km79 wrote: »

There has been no mention anywhere of an expectation that they will have to be made up
The govt has decided to extend the Xmas holidays . Maybe these days are a recognition of the extra hours and days that have been put in over every holiday period this year already
I think a lot of us will end up working next weds to Friday anyways in preparation for blended learning the following few weeks .......

That is fair enough.

wirelessdude01

C__MC wrote: »

Is it looking ever increasing that is back to online learning?

In some form. I don't think all classes or years.

average_runner

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Anyone else hear Norma on the news at one? Pretty adamant that schools will be open on the 11th but she never once used the term fully.

Doubt she knows what day it is

wirelessdude01

average_runner wrote: »

Doubt she knows what day it is

She spluttered an answer which made no sense when queried why preschool and creches were open. Funny to listen to.

vid36

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

In some form. I don't think all classes or years.

It really isn't her call at the end of the day.

average_runner

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

She spluttered an answer which made no sense when queried why preschool and creches were open. Funny to listen to.

She has no qualifications or qualities for the role.

FF are responsible and knew that role needed an experience person.

jimmytwotimes 2013

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Anyone else hear Norma on the news at one? Pretty adamant that schools will be open on the 11th but she never once used the term fully.

Don't know why a 4-day week and rotate the days present for year groups hasn't been floated as an idea yet.

Or if it gets very bad, split every year into group A and B. Let them do alternate weeks.

Both preferable to online which won't work at all. Our gang took an early holiday last march and were only smiling at us when we returned saying "you'd have done the same, sir". Many went working heavy machinary or on farms too.

If we don't get them into a building at some stage, there can be no guarantees they'll do any work.

wirelessdude01

vid36 wrote: »

It really isn't her call at the end of the day.

Whose is it so? Govt decide at the end of the day and she is a cabinet minister so yes she is part of the group who make the call.

km79

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Don't know why a 4-day week and rotate the days present for year groups hasn't been floated as an idea yet.

Or if it gets very bad, split every year into group A and B. Let them do alternate weeks.

Both preferable to online which won't work at all. Our gang took an early holiday last march and were only smiling at us when we returned saying "you'd have done the same, sir". Many went working heavy machinary or on farms too.

If we don't get them into a building at some stage, there can be no guarantees they'll do any work.

It has been floated many many time by teachers here and elsewhere
But not by the policy makers