Remote Learning

This week in class we were assigned to create a virtual lesson plan using a screen recording tools. The lesson was to have a technology component. For my lesson I created a tutorial on Tinkercad, making a 3D printable hand loom, for a lesson prior to beginning a weaving unit. Upon lesson completion, we reviewed our colleagues' lessons and provided feedback. 

I worked with Cameron, Sean, and Rob. We had a great chat over Zoom about how we would approach completing the feedback, but we also discussed our life in quarantine checking in with one another. During our feedback we discussed a non-educational starting topic:

"Coronavirus has created the most equitable period in post modern society. Unlike summer vacation where everyone does something different and the wealth of families are revealed and no thought is paid for those who didn’t get that opportunity. CV has halted everyone, all people rich and poor, black and white, male female and non binary, natives and immigrants alike are sheltered in place, forced to spend days on end with their technology and close friends/families. We collectively will experience many things, anxiety, fear, doubt, anger, depression, and possibly many other feelings and I guess my question is, Does this collective experience of minimalism help drive more equitable decisions in education, healthcare, and society or do you believe once we pass through lockdown we will all just return to life as we knew it?"

My classmates proposed great feedback to the question, and I shared the idea with them that not much will change because of the continued lack of attention to the many facets that make up social equity--even during  a pandemic. 

I received some great feedback on my video. Many found I seemed knowledgable about my topic and presented it "in action" simply enough for students to follow along and understand the program. It was also important that my lesson connected to a future unit, and my colleagues enjoyed that. My most important feedback was the encouragement of more student engagement--which after watching others videos I can see new ways in which I could do that: pausing for short answer questions, mini activities to build knowledge, etc. I will certainly add more scaffolding and dialogue with the students in my next lesson.