Online schooling and ninth graders

As a part of our online Technology lesson in grade 9, I've included a survey on Online schooling. I designed a survey with three simple questions which were originally meant as a way to personalize learning and teach new vocabulary in context, but the results I got are interesting in terms of feedback as well.

I asked the following questions:

• What electronic devices do you usually use to access our digital classrooms?
• How do you usually communicate with your schoolmates?
• Do you prefer traditional or online schooling so far?

40 out of 46 students completed the survey in 10 days. While I don't know which students failed to complete the survey as it was anonymous, and why, here are the answers I got. 

Of course the data I gathered is hardly statistically relevant, but I think it's interesting nevertheless. I'll leave the interpretation to you. My only comment at this point is - while this online schooling experience is a new challenge and it has taught me a lot, I agree with my ninth graders. So far, I prefer traditional schooling as well. 

Reading badge projects

Different students have different abilities. While this has always been the case, it is even more apparent during this period of online learning. It's a challenging period for all of us, but while some students are struggling with the basic tasks we give them and require extra assistance, there may be others who would appreciate other (and different) challenges. This is why I've created a voluntary reading badge project. Reading is an engaging activity they can easily do on their own, and it has a high educational value. What is more, it is a form of personalized and differentiated learning since the students can choose their own titles with different language levels. But where to find books in the time of quarantine, and what to do with them once they've been read? I've prepared a list of suggestions.

YOUNGER STUDENTS

Younger students are supposed to read (or listen to) a book and then make a mind-map including the title of the book, the author, the main characters, five new vocabulary items and a drawing of their favourite scene. They are also supposed to write a short summary in their mother tongue and then send it all to me via email.

There are a lot of stories online that students can access for free. Here are some suggestions:

• https://worldbook.kitaboo.com/reader/worldbook/index.html#!/
• https://www.storylineonline.net/?fbclid=IwAR1zABRx6qpJhzMdM8j7Zdb-_Y8gQfrWLEQMuo9eyDnqc0VofmQhg6Cuniw
• http://www.kizclub.com/reading3.htm

TEENAGERS

Older students are supposed to read a book, write a summary in about 200 – 300 words and send it to me via email. Again, there are a lot of stories online that students can access for free. Here are some suggestions:

https://english-e-reader.net/

http://aj3000.com/wp/free-graded-readers/

https://www.gutenberg.org/

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-eBooks/zgbs/digital-text/154606011/ref=zg_bs?_encoding=UTF8&tf=1

https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/1/newest/0/free/any

Obviously, there are so many different activities students could do with the books they've read, but during this period I've decided to keep it simple. The generel guideline right now is "less is more".

All students get extra credit for every book they read and present. However, let's hope some do it for the sake of fun and learning as well. :)

Brezplačen dostop do e-gradiv

Nekatere založbe so zaradi zaprtja šol omogočile brezplačen dostop do elektronskih in interaktivnih gradiv, ki vključujejo tudi učbenike, delovne zvezke, samostojne delovne zvezke in vadnice, ki jih učenci uporabljajo pri pouku. Ker so učenci pustili nekatera gradiva v šoli, smo s sodelavci zbrali nekaj povezav do gradiv posameznih slovenskih založb. Po navedbah založb naj bi bila učencem ta interaktivna podpora na voljo ne glede na to, katera tiskana učna gradiva uporabljajo pri pouku.

1. Rokus Klett

Gradiva so brezplačno dostopna na spletnih straneh: OSNOVNA ŠOLA www.Lilibi.si (1.–3. razred) www.Radovednih-pet.si (4.–5. razred) www.iRokus.si in www.iRokusPlus.si (6.–9. razred) www.znamzavec.si (interaktivne osnovnošolske vadnice za SLO, MAT, ANG, KEM) SREDNJA ŠOLA www.iRokus.si

Postopek prijave/registracije: Na izbranem portalu kliknite na gumb Prijava. Če ste že uporabnik portala, vnesite svoj e-naslov in geslo ter sledite navodilom. Če na portal dostopate prvič, kliknite na polje Nimam še uporabniškega računa in vnesite zahtevane podatke. Tako se boste registrirali in ustvarili uporabniški račun. a.    Na portalu iRokus.si gradiva v svojo iZbirko dodate s klikom na gumb Dodaj brezplačna gradiva. b.    Na portalih Lilibi.si, Radovednih-pet.si in iRokusPlus.si pa vas bodo vsa gradiva že čakala v vaši iZbirki. Priporočamo uporabo brskalnika Mozilla Firefox.

2. Modrijan 

Gradiva so brezplačno dostopna na spletni strani www.iRokus.si.

Postopek prijave/registracije:

1. Na portalu iRokus.si kliknite na gumb Prijava.
2. Če ste že uporabnik portala, vnesite svoj e-naslov in geslo ter sledite navodilom. Če na portal dostopate prvič, kliknite na polje Nimam še uporabniškega računa in vnesite zahtevane podatke. Tako se boste registrirali in ustvarili uporabniški račun.
3. Gradiva v svojo iZbirko dodate s klikom na gumb Dodaj brezplačna gradiva.

Če imate več otrok, morate za vsakega otroka ustvariti lastni uporabniški račun, da bo lahko vsak dostopal do gradiv za svoj razred.

3. Mladinska knjiga

• Od ponedeljka, 16. marca 2020, naprej bodo imeli tudi vsi učenci brezplačen dostop do interaktivnih gradiv na portalu www.ucimte.com. Za uporabo ne bo potrebna registracija, dostop jim omogoča delo z interaktivnimi samostojnimi delovnimi zvezki, ki omogočajo preverjanje rešitev.

• Brezplačen dostop do interaktivnih nalog za učence in učitelje na www.ucimse.com za utrjevanje znanja.

4. DZS

Za brezplačen dostop do vsebin na portalu https://www.evedez.si/ jim pišete na promocije@dzs.si in sporočite, za kateri razred in predmet bi želeli prejeti brezplačne elektronske in interaktivne vsebine.

5. E-učbeniki Touchstone

• http://e-gradiva.com/dokumenti/T6/eT6/index.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_105&utm_campaign=touchstone-6-new
  (učbenik Touchstone 6 s posnetki za ANG, Založba Obzorja)
• https://touchstone.si/eucbenik (učbeniki Touchstone 7, 8, 9 s posnetki za ANG, Založba Tangram)

6. MY SAILS 1 (Založba Obzorja): http://e-gradiva.com/dokumenti/MS1/eMS1/index.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_110&utm_campaign=my-sails-1-new

7. Knjižnici

V času, ko ukrepi zaradi preprečevanja širjenja koronavirusa predvidevajo delovanje v domačem okolju in izključujejo javno življenje, knjižnice pa so zaprte, tudi Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica (Nuk) dostop do nekaterih gradiv in knjig omogoča na daljavo. "V zadnjem času dobivamo veliko sporočil od staršev, da iščejo knjige za domače branje, ki pa niso dostopne, tako da smo poslali priporočilo, da tudi učitelji uporabljajo našo digitalno knjižnico in gradiva, ki so javno dostopna vsem, kljub temu, da so javne ustanove zdaj zaprte," je povedal Žiga Cerkvenik iz službe za prireditve in odnose z javnostjo. Dostop do knjig na daljavo omogoča tudi spletna knjigarna in knjižnica Biblos. Omogoča izposojo ali nakup e-knjige, odprt je 24 ur na dan vse dni v tednu, kako in na katerih napravah deluje, pa je mogoče izvedeti na samem portalu.

Hello again!

A wave to my fellow teachers and everybody else! I hope everyone is feeling okay. 

Due to other obligations, this page has been on hold for a while. As of Monday, March 16, the coronavirus pandemic has forced Slovenia to close our schools and resort to the means of online learning, a phenomenom that has happened to a number of countries worldwide. With the world staying home and moving online, what better timing to jump-start My Slo English Classroom. I'll do my best with posting and sharing relevant content, but the most important message I want to share is #stayhome and #staysafe.

This too shall pass.

Take care,

Katarina