COVID-19 Resources for Educators and Families

Many of us have growing concerns around COVID-19, our learners, staff, and of course, our community. Due to the requirements of social distancing, I wanted to take a minute and just share some resources that I’ve been posting on my Facebook page that can be used from home. Many of these resources can be utilized by both educators and families to ensure learning continues in one way or another during school cancellations.  With that said, I think we also have to keep in mind that our learners have varying circumstances. Some will step into caregiver roles, may lack support, land in busy daycares, or experience sick family members or perhaps other hardships and challenges. Not all children have the same equity and access, so keeping that in mind is critical. However, if they are able to engage in activities that support continuation of learning, hopefully these resources will come in handy.  Resources Fortunately, there are numerous resources available here and here. I’ve utilized many of these resources as a teacher. When it comes to my own children at home and skill-building, I have often turned to these sites: Kahn Academy, Newsela, Prodigy, and BrainPop (currently offering FREE usage through June for closed schools to offer). If you have middle or high school kids, this site featuring Kirk Weiler (math educator), can really support mathematics and is recommended by many educators. When our boys were younger, we would regularly turn to PBSkids.org. I also leveraged PBS resources in my classroom as well- they are amazing! There are games, videos, and  activities that incorporate fantastic learning opportunities. If you’re seeking hands on activities that get kids making, creating, and developing Design Thinking skills, you may want to explore: Design Squad Global. We can even get them going with coding! Additionally, many other paid for sites are currently completely free for the time being. One of my favorites is: Scholastic.com/learnathome. Perhaps some individuals are interested in engaging in mini-PBL projects and or passion projects. Katie Martin, educator and author, recently shared a site that provides access to a variety of resources that spark curiosity and learning. Additionally, she shared a link to activities that provide some PBL -like experiences in her blog post, How Families Can Make the Most of School Closures. If you’re looking to get out while stuck inside, you may be interested in these Live WebCams, Virtual Tours, and Virtual Field Trips. For more resources for families, please check out this great list or this Wakelet curated from educator and author, Tisha Richmond! Parameters for Technology Many of the resources shared incorporate technology. However, they also include hands-on activities that support active learning. During this time, we want to encourage our children to get outside and play, too. Hiking, outdoor games, running, and exploring their yards, etc., are all great ways for kids to get fresh air and engage in play. Inside, we can play card games, complete puzzles, play board games, and even challenge our kids to create a new game! As a parent myself, the last thing I want is for my boys to spend endless ours engaging in passive technology (television, iPads or iPhones). It’s so important for their health to get outside and engage in other activities that don’t involve a screen. Here are resources for indoor activities and outdoor activities. Create a Routine As educators, we know how much children thrive on routines. It will look different for everyone, but within the routine, we can incorporate how we all contribute to our homes. In our home we call chores, family contributions. It helps develop the idea that many hands make light work. How might children contribute differently? Children could learn more about cooking or baking by helping out. They can also take on new duties that develop different skills. Creating a flexible schedule or checklists may support the organization. Fostering Mindfulness Don’t forget about engaging children in mindfulness activities to calm any feelings of anxiety or frustration during this time. Here are mindfulness resources that include games, videos and activities! Mindfulness helps to develop executive functioning, metacognition, and focus in all children, and increases a sense of calm. Additionally, it can foster self-regulation and even greater respect for others. Additionally, LaVonna Roth, creator and founder of Ignite Your S.H.I.N.E.® is offering all of her Ignite Your S.H.I.N.E.® lessons for FREE to all educators and families during this time. I utilized these dynamic lessons in my classroom and noticed a complete transformation in my classroom culture when it came to children recognizing one another’s strengths and interests and developing greater confidence. The lessons also foster social-emotional learning and build confidence. There are videos that open each lesson/activity and I think many families would enjoy working through these with their children- they’re fantastic! These lessons are free for the next two weeks, but if you download them, you’ll have lifetime access. When you go in, you’ll see they are $97, however all you have to do is select elementary or middle school and scroll to the bottom to download completely free! I would definitely take advantage of this opportunity! Our Teachers Flipgrid has recently shared a blog on how teachers can utilize their platform for remote learning, but it’s also just a great way to maintain communication with your learners. We don’t want to lose connection with our students; this is a great way to continue fostering relationships! Flipgrid is always free and one site I turn to for many different purposes. It’s great for empowering voice, demonstrating learning, sharing instructional videos and more! Visit this page to learn more. Additionally, Allyson Apsey, principal and author, shared a form that you can use by making a copy or even editing it to make it your own as a way to check in with staff. Review here to learn more, but for direct access to the form to see if it might be helpful for your school, click here.

Below are a couple of graphics you may find to be helpful:

All we can do is our best, and I want to give a heartfelt thank you to every single one of you. I know you’re concerned about your learners, staff, and community. We are in this together. If you have questions about a resource, please let me know. Please pass this email on to staff and families if you think it would be beneficial. I’m wishing you all the best during this uncertain time, but I know how resilient and strong we all are. I want to wrap up with my favorite quote from Mr. Rogers.

Together, we will get through this and support one another.

EVEN MORE Resources!

Dave Burgess wrote a blog post, COVID-19 School Closures: Thoughts and Resources.

Here is a daily schedule/routine created by Dr. Neil Gupta. I set the Doc so you can make your own copy and edit to suit your own needs.

If you have a resource you think I should include, please message me so that I can add them!