I’ve had a number of questions come up about online assignments and would like to address them so that everyone has the same information.

Purpose of Online Assignments

I know as a parent and as a teacher, online learning can be very challenging for both students and families.  The online assignments are intended to explicitly teach the skills students may need to have if online learning becomes necessary.  (I have been given no information about that possibility).

Homework assignments are provided to allow students to practice skills that have been demonstrated in class on their own devices at home.  Since everyone has different devices, each child will have a different experience at home.  The goal is to give students and families the opportunities to ask questions before it becomes necessary to use these skills for homeschool assignments.

What if my child can’t complete an online assignment?

Great!  It is way better to know that there are skills I need to explicitly teach/review now rather than when everyone is at home and sharing screens is much more challenging.  If you child can’t complete an assignment, send me an email and let me know what your child is struggling with.  We will work on it in class on Mondays or Fridays, when we have the IPads.  Often if I get one email, it means that there are several children that are struggling and it helps me to know what to review.

What programs do I need to use to annotate photos?

There is no need to purchase any programs!  In class, we used Preview on the iPads to write and draw directly onto photos.  You can use any photo editing program you already have.  We used Preview because it comes loaded on the iPads and most students have told me they have access to iPads at home.  (You are not expected to have iPads at home, just access to any device that will allow them to work online).  I wanted to show them using a program that most would have access to.  If you are using a tablet or computer, use what is available.

On Friday, we used Pic Collage to create posters that could include backgrounds, pictures, text, and stickers.  We did this mostly for fun but it provides a second way of annotating photos for a presentation.  Pic Collage is free for download from the App Store but we did discuss as a class that the program has in-purchase add-ons that are not necessary.  This is a way the company tries to make money but they are not to ask/use add-ons.  The basic version has a lot of flexibility and will do everything we need for school.  You may want to have the same conversation at home if you choose to download Pic Collage for your child.

What happens if I am late handing in an assignment?

Using Teams is challenging for students, so is using technology in general.  There will be times when assignments are late.  Please do your best to have your child complete the assignment as soon as they are able.  Assignments stay open until they are complete.  Since many of these assignments build upon skills we will use later, it is better to go back and complete old assignments before starting more recent ones.

What if my child (and I) don’t understand the assignment?

Please email me if an assignment is unclear.  Teaching online is very different from teaching in the classroom.  In class, students are often able to ask questions right away.  It may be necessary for me clarify instructions or add more examples.  This is part of the reason why it may be necessary to revise hand-in times/dates.  Please be aware that it may sometimes be necessary for me to revise an assignment after the fact if I am finding that students are finding it very challenging or I realize that they need more time to complete it.

 

What should my child be working towards being able to do online?

Skills we have been working on completing in class include having students being able to independently (without your help):

  • log onto Office 365.  Yes, they can use their planner to help them.
  • get into Teams and read the posts on the main page.
  • find assignments in Teams
  • be able to use Immersive Reader to have to computer read assignments for them if needed
  • be able to take pictures with a phone or iPad
  • be able to annotate a photo using Preview or Pic Collage (or another program of your choosing if you choose).
  • be able to attach a photo or assignment to an assignment in Teams (You may need to help them find where photos and documents are saved on your device since this will be different than at school.)
  • be able to find their “Hand In” section in Class Notebook to add their work.
  • type in their work in Class Notebook.
  • Post a comment or question on the boards in Teams for peers or myself.

This is a long list and students will need to continue practicing before they are completely confident in these skills.  Please support them by encouraging them to do as much as they can on their own and prompting them with the next steps when they need help rather than doing it for them.  I know that this can take longer but it will save us all time in the future if they can learn these skills now.

What should I do if I do not have a device for my child to use at home or I do not have internet access?

Please be sure to let me know as soon as possible so that we have time to make arrangements to ensure that your child will be able to continue learning if schools eventually need to be moved online.