Making A Robot: My First Time Experience

Social Distancing: Online School

Because of the Coronavirus and social distancing, it is no surprise that the government has switched to online schools. This change is a new educational experience for almost everybody, so I wanted to look at how different schools are educating their students or providing on-line instruction. Since my school is already associated with Khan Academy, we transitioned to online school more easily. Also, since this is a new experience for us all, I wanted to explore how different schools are adapting to the new change.

Private:

Nearly the same as a public school, a private school will most likely follow the same schedule, if not change it a bit. Since you go to a private school, you might have a different, mixed up schedule. For me, I have a schedule that has some classes, then some breaks, and then free time to work on my homework. This formula works virtually the same way. For most of you, especially those who are using Zoom, during their class, you probably have this thing where your teacher screen shares a presentation or lets you watch videos. And then, has you turn your assignments in through google classroom, or another platform. However, all of these make for a lot of screen time. So schools have been experimenting with ways to get off the screen. These include special P.E. classes, like dancing, or schools putting in fun challenges to do off-screen, like walking/riding a bike, reading challenges, and more. Maybe putting in longer blocks with screen-free activities.
Anyway, this is a very different experience for all of us. A lot of us are using different virtual meeting spaces, learning management systems(LMS), and overall fun resources, so below I have put together a list of some of the best websites to help you out.

Public and Charter:

Public schools include both the general public and charter schools. The charter schools are a little more leveraged to work similarly to private schools, where they have the same schedule. This probably means class, class, class, lunch, class, class, class, freedom, and maybe you have some free time in between.

But in general public schools, due to the limitation of computers(mentioned below). Teachers may just be providing pre-recorded lessons and assignments on a daily basis, and kids have to work in their own time to submit their listens and listen to the lectures. Teachers may also provide extra guidence during the normal school hours by following the online sources as mentioned later in this post. There are also a few other challenges that mainly come with public or charter schools:

• Kids don't have laptops or computers and even internet
Some kids have one computer at home to share with the whole family, and this can be a big problem, especially if you have a sibling. Some kids go to the library to use their computers. Because of social distancing, this is no longer an option. Since kids have to use some electronics to communicate with their school, this can be seen as a major obstacle. However, some states are using creative solutions to these problems.
• Another predicament kids have to face is lunches.
Kids who go to public schools rely on their school for their lunches. With these things shut down, for the time being, some kids don't have access to lunch.

Though we are going through many challenges, and are facing problems upon problems, we must remember to always stay positive, happy, and not let these problems drag us down.

Online schools for these kids have two main components: A communication platform, and a Learning Management System(LMS)(see below). Some major communication platforms include Zoom, Google Meets, Webx, BigBlueButton, and Microsoft Team.

Some LMS Sources:

Canvas Infrastructure:

This website is an LMS source where kids can turn in assignments via google drive or embedded google doc. This resource is incredibly easy to use, mind the cost. Kids can view their assignments based on the due date, their grades, and their learning resources all in one place. Canvas also has direct access to Zoom, which makes conferences easier, as well as conferences through BigBlueButton.

Google Classroom:

Another LMS resource, Google Classroom is an easy way to turn in your work. Connected to your google drive, google classroom is an easy way for you to view all your assignments and projects in one place. you can start at https://edu.google.com/products/classroom

Schoology:

Another learning resource. Schoology is a great resource for people with learning disabilities, as there are certain courses for the visually and hearing impaired, and just for people in general. Schoology is a resource that connects to other resources, and just, in general, makes learning easier. It also has courses for different assignments for people to complete. You can start at www.schoology.com

Some More Social Distancing Resources

Khan Academy:

A totally awesome, free, online learning source, Khan Academy covers everything from math to ELA to science to CS. Teachers can log in as coaches and assign activities to kids. The younger kids will definitely be satisfied with Khan Academy Kids.https://khankids.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004559231-Welcome-to-Khan-Academy-Kids

Not only do they offer their resources, but Khan Academy can also provide activities from partner resources, like Pixar, NASA, and museums. You can get started for Khan Academy at www.khanacademy.org.

Voki:

Voki is a way to make learning fun. Teachers or students start by choosing an avatar, things ranging from aliens, to costum designed humans(some included in the membership of Voki). Once an avatar is chosen and costumized the user can make their avatar speak either by recording directly into the computer, or you can type thee passage and have a in-computer voice say your educational speech or give problems. For the Voki membership, you can also add your avatar into a slideshow, which makes your avatar like a teaching assistant. You can start or log in atwww.voki.com

You can find more learning resources and comparisons at software comparisons

What is your school using for LMS or Communication? Share your experience in the comments below!